Thunder Crush Jazz 144-112 Behind Gilgeous-Alexander’s 31 Points and Third-Quarter Avalanche

The Oklahoma City Thunder didn’t just beat the Utah Jazz — they erased them. On Friday, November 21, 2025, at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City dismantled Utah 144-112 in an Emirates NBA Cup showdown, turning what looked like a tight contest into a statement win. The Thunder’s 32-point margin was their largest over the Jazz in over five years, and it came after a third-quarter explosion that no one saw coming — not even the home crowd.

A Game of Two Halves

The Jazz started like champions. Scoring 44 points in the first quarter — the most any team had put up against Oklahoma City all season — they looked poised to pull off an upset. Keyonte George danced through the defense, dishing out 8 assists and scoring 20 points, while Lauri Markkanen carved up the paint with 19. At halftime, Utah led 68-67. Even Will Hardy, the Jazz’s head coach, could’ve been forgiven for thinking his team had cracked the code.

Then came the third quarter.

It wasn’t a run. It was a demolition. With the Thunder trailing by seven, they unleashed a 33-4 surge over 8:12. Twenty-two of those points came in a row — no Jazz basket, no timeout, no answers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was everywhere: driving, pulling up from deep, finding cutters. He finished with 31 points, 8 assists, and 3 threes, but the real story was how he orchestrated the chaos. When he wasn’t scoring, he was forcing errors — and the Thunder fed off it.

Defensive Magic, Invisible to the Eye

Turnovers. That’s what broke the Jazz. Twenty-eight of them. And every one turned into a fast break, a wide-open three, or a dunk in transition. The Thunder turned those miscues into 44 points — a number so high it’s almost cartoonish. Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City’s head coach, didn’t gloat. He praised the quiet heroes.

“A lot of the defensive stuff is getting the team committed to invisible things that impact the team success but don’t necessarily get you a lot of, like, individual attention,” Daigneault said. “And we have a bunch of guys that naturally gravitate toward that. They’re competitors so they want to help the team in every way they can, and that certainly puts you at a huge advantage with that.”

Those invisible things? A timely closeout from Jaylin Williams, who dropped a season-high 15 points on five threes. A perfectly timed steal by Isaiah Joe, who went 4-for-5 from deep and added 16 points. Even the bench — John Collins and Collin Sexton for Utah — couldn’t match the Thunder’s collective intensity.

Shooting Like They Were On Fire

It wasn’t just defense. It was offense on steroids. The Thunder shot 61.4% from the field — their best of the season. From three? A ridiculous 62.2% (23 of 37). That’s not luck. That’s rhythm. That’s spacing. That’s trust. Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t force shots; he created them. And his teammates, from the starters to the second unit, didn’t hesitate. When you shoot that well, defenses collapse. And when defenses collapse, the open man is always open.

By the end of the third, Oklahoma City led by 16. By the end of the fourth, they led by 32. The Jazz looked shell-shocked. Players exchanged glances on the bench. The crowd, once roaring, fell silent. Even the scoreboard seemed to be apologizing.

What This Means for the NBA Cup and Beyond

This win improved the Thunder’s record to 16-1 — the best in the NBA — and extended their winning streak to eight games. It also gave them a 2-0 record in the Emirates NBA Cup, putting them firmly in the driver’s seat for the tournament title. The Jazz? They’re now 0-3 in the Cup and 5-10 overall. Their playoff hopes are slipping, and the defensive breakdowns are becoming a pattern, not a fluke.

What’s more, this game was a reminder: Oklahoma City isn’t just good. They’re built differently. They don’t rely on one superstar. They rely on a culture — one where defense, unselfishness, and hustle are rewarded more than stats. And when that culture clicks, as it did Friday night, the results are unstoppable.

What’s Next?

The Thunder head home for a four-game homestand, facing the Warriors and Nuggets — both playoff-caliber teams. The Jazz? They’re on a brutal road trip, with games in Denver and Phoenix before the All-Star break. If they don’t fix their turnovers — and fast — their season could unravel before January.

One thing’s clear: the Thunder aren’t just contenders. They’re a statement. And Friday night? That was their loudest one yet.