The best in the West faced off against one of the worst teams in the Western Conference, but with Russell Westbrook still out for Oklahoma City on Tuesday night, Kevin Durant had to do the majority of the heavy lifting himself, scoring a season-high with 48 points on the night. But it wasn’t enough to handle a Jazz team with the second worst record in the Western Conference. Utah’s inexperienced first option, Gordon Hayward, has finally started to handle his own heavy lifting in Utah.
Coming into the game, the Thunder were 27-7, the best record in the Western Conference. The Jazz sat at 11-25, the second worst record in the West, with only Sacramento trailing. But the Jazz shot out to a 12-point first half lead, and extended it to 16 by the time the fourth quarter rolled around. Gordon Hayward was the reason why. The 23-year-old small forward is in his fourth year, looking to sign a more long-term deal when his rookie contract expires at the end of the season. He could be approaching max money if he plays like he did last night on a more consistent basis. He was an efficient 13-of-16 from the field for a career high 37 points in the 112-101 Jazz win.
It’s a good thing Hayward chose Tuesday night for a career best because Durantula dropped a season-high 48 in a losing effort.
The Jazz win over the Thunder shows you just how good the NBA can be. True parity might be a pipe dream, regardless of the collective bargaining agreement, but on any given night against even the best the NBA has to offer (with a slight caveat because Russ is out), no team is without a chance. Any team can be beat on any given night.
What did you think of Utah’s surprise victory?
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