SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz played 2,155 regular-season games since Karl Malone scored 56 points in a win over Golden State on April 7, 1998.
No Jazz player had topped the 50-point mark until Lauri Markkanen scored a career-high 51 in a 138-134 win over the Phoenix Suns on Monday night. He became the 97th player to score 50 points in NBA history.
The Jazz needed all of them, including the Finnish star’s two free throws with 1.9 left in overtime, to clinch the win.
Markkanen played 45 minutes and became the focus of the Suns’ defensive efforts but said he wasn’t tired as he headed to the free throw line.
“As long as you’re mentally not tired, and kind of force yourself out of that mindset that you’re tired, and then you can push through whatever you need to,” Markkanen said.
It’s that mental aspect that Markkanen has improved steadily through his nine-year career and believes he has never played better.
“The game is slower now,” said Markkanen, who topped his previous best of 49 points set Jan. 5, 2023. “You get hungrier as it happens, so hopefully, it’s not the last.”
Markkanen made six 3s and went 17-for-17 from the line — tying the most without a miss in Jazz history — all while achieving a mark he had never planned to reach.
“I never think about, I’m going to go for 50, but obviously, when it’s overtime, and you’re at 47 and they start fouling, you start think there’s a there’s a good chance that it’s going to happen,” said Markkanen, who also grabbed 14 rebounds and became the first player in Jazz history with at least 50 points, 10 rebounds and 5 made 3-pointers in a game.
Keyonte George, who added 26 points and 10 assists, knew Markkanen had it going and was looking for his teammate whenever he could.
“Just wanted to get it to Lauri in space. Just putting the ball in our playmakers’ hands and let them be themselves,” George said. “We are empowering him more.”
Markkanen was happy with his achievement, but said he wished he had made his baseline jumper at the end of regulation that rimmed out (and would have given him 46 points).
In either case, Markkanen was the difference for this young Jazz team.
“He showed a tremendous amount of heart. He was really physical tonight and made a lot of big baskets,” Utah coach Will Hardy said.
ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.