The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Utah Jazz, 144-112, in Emirates NBA Cup action Friday night in Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. This win marked OKC’s eighth straight and improved to a 2-0 record in cup play.
The Thunder now top their group, being ahead of the Phoenix Suns on point differential.
After trailing by 18 points in the first quarter, the Thunder offense shot out of a cannon to still take a commanding victory over the Jazz.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dominated once again for the Thunder, tallying 31 points and eight assists in just 30 minutes of play. Isaiah Joe added 16 points of his own, knocking down five three-pointers.
Jaylin Williams hit a career-high five threes, scoring 16 points, grabbing six rebounds and assisting on six made shots.
Here are three takeaways from OKC’s miraculous win.
Nov 21, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Kevin Love (42) shoots a three-point basket against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) during the first half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images
1. Weathering the Storm
Anytime the Thunder looks to finally be contained, the beast gets unleashed within moments. The epitome of Thunder basketball happened against the Jazz.
Despite trailing by 18 points late in the first quarter and not gaining a lead until the third quarter, the Thunder still won by a large margin. A 33-4 third-quarter run powered one of the more miraculous results throughout this unbelievable Thunder season.
Utah could not miss in the first period of play, scoring 44 points, knocking down eight threes on 13 attempts and converting on 65.2% of its shots. The Thunder managed to respond just enough in the period to manage to keep the game within 18 points throughout the avalanche.
OKC would then win the second quarter by 13 points, playing its usual brand of basketball to pull the game within one point going into the halftime locker rooms. A complete Oklahoma City thunderstorm would occur in the third quarter.
Nov 12, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) dribbles down the court against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
2. A Three-point Avalanche
The Thunder demolished the Jazz in the third period of play, winning 43-20, powering themselves to a 22-point lead going into the fourth quarter. The story of the quarter was a complete aerial assault from OKC, converting on nine of its 13 perimeter attempts in the period.
The shared shooting touch carried the Thunder to a remarkable 43-9 run from 7:07 remaining in the third quarter to 9:08 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Thunder had not led in the game until this period.
Luguentz Dort gave the Thunder their first lead of the game two minutes into the third quarter with his second three-pointer in as many tries. After not attempting a shot in the first half, Dort took no time in the third, as he would give the Thunder the lead again with six minutes remaining in the period with his third-consecutive hit from beyond the arc.
This shot marked the moment the Thunder would never look back on, as they powered into the extended run, leading for the remainder of the night.
Joe hit five three-pointers, Williams hit a career-high five and Gilgeous-Alexander added two of his own. OKC’s 23 made three-point field goals on Friday marked its highest mark this season.
Nov 21, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives against Utah Jazz forward Cody Williams (5) during the first half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images
3. Shai the Silencer
Despite trailing at halftime, Gilgeous-Alexander was able to rest in the fourth quarter once again. In exactly 30 minutes, the reigning MVP scored 31 points on 9-of-14 shooting and assisted on eight made buckets.
Gilgeous-Alexander was instrumental in the Thunder’s giant run, converting on consistent buckets and silencing the crowd. The run peaked with a minute left in the third period, when the Kentucky product drilled a 26-foot pull-up three-point jumper to give OKC a 19-point advantage.
From all three levels of offense, Gilgeous-Alexander was locked in and hitting his shots. When he performs at this level, the Thunder are impossible to stop.