No clue is safe as OKC takes down the jazz in comeback fashion

Oklahoma City 16-1 Thunder came one step closer to the best regular season record in NBA history when he erased an 18-point deficit in a game-defining 30-2 run in a 144-112 NBA Cup win against the Utah Jazz. The Thunder connected on eight of 23 3-pointers on the season after half-time as he outscored Jazz 43-20 in the third quarter of Friday’s 144-122 victory.

All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 31 points, eight assists, one steal and one block through three quarters. Jaylin Williams scored 15 points on a career-high five 3-pointers. He also finished with six rebounds, six assists and two steals. Isaiah Joe scored 16 points, including four 3-pointers, and Alex Caruso had 11 points and three assists.

Utah’s six 3-pointers in the first frame led to a team-high 44-point quarter as Oklahoma City shot 61 percent overall, including 62 percent from deep, connecting on 23 of 37 threes. The Thunder turned their 14-point deficit, which grew to 18 in the second quarter, into double-digit leads by scoring 37 and 43 points in the second and third quarters.

Still, the Thunder’s 30-2 run was a key moment that illustrated the dominance of the defending champions, extending the NBA’s best record to 17 wins in 18 attempts, with enough time for Gilgeous-Alexander to miss the entire fourth quarter. Oklahoma City forced the Jazz into a whopping 27 turnovers.

The Thunder improved to 2-0 in the NBA Cup West Group A.

Branden Carlson on returning to Utah for the Thunder NBA Cup duel

Thunder center Branden Karlsson revealed why Friday’s match was special when he headed home to Utah, where he grew up, to face jazz. Karlsson, in his second season with the Thunder, explained why returning to the state that raised him meant so much to him.

“It’s super special. The fact that I’m even here is a huge blessing, and I couldn’t have done it without my family, my parents, especially, who did what they did for me,” Carlson said. “So to be able to play in this building tonight and just come home is always fun. Basically, you have a lot of support.”

Carlson admits that facing adversity, such as not making his high school basketball team, made Utah unique to him.

“You go through adversity from being cut from high school, to injuries, to tough teammates, to all of this,” Carlson added. “There’s a lot of things you can put into it. But I think a lot of it comes down to the people you surround yourself with — what they can do to help you and put you in the best position, and what you do with that.”

Karlsson finished with seven points on 3-of-4 shooting, one assist and one block in Friday’s win against the Jazz.