Canadian Luguentz Dort explodes for career-high 42 points in Thunder loss
Montreal native powers OKC with 18-point 1st quarter against league-leading Jazz
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 23 points and Donovan Mitchell added 22 as the Utah Jazz beat the struggling Oklahoma City Thunder 106-96 on Tuesday night.
Canada's Luguentz Dort, of Montreal, scored a career-high 42 points and Moses Brown had 12 points and 15 rebounds for the Thunder, who have lost seven in a row and 10 of 11.
Known for his defensive prowess rather than his shooting, Dort scored 18 points — a career high in a quarter — to power the Thunder to a 31-14 lead in the first period.
Dort looked unstoppable in his second game after missing seven contests in the concussion protocol. The Jazz paid more attention to him in the middle quarters. He finished with a flurry to make the margin respectable.
Cut my life into pieces, this is my Luguentz Dort 😤<a href="https://twitter.com/luthebeast?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@luthebeast</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThunderUp?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThunderUp</a> <a href="https://t.co/A1xXDjB6yt">pic.twitter.com/A1xXDjB6yt</a>
—@okcthunderLu Dort vs the Jazz:<br><br>42 PTS (career-high)<br>7 3PT (career-high)<br>7 REB<br>4 STL<br><br>Only one player has scored more points before turning 22 in OKC franchise history — Kevin Durant. <a href="https://t.co/GuNq1w77sP">pic.twitter.com/GuNq1w77sP</a>
—@statmuseBogdanovic, who scored a season-high 33 points in his last game, left his familiar spot on the perimeter and repeatedly took the ball to the basket. He finished with a season-high 10-for-10 shooting from the free throw line.
In pain, Bogdanovic held his right wrist after getting knocked to the floor in the third quarter. Surgery on that wrist ended his season before the bubble last season. But, Bogdanovic kept playing and was a key to Utah's 66-38 scoring advantage in the second and third quarters.
Rudy Gobert had 13 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks for Utah, which held the Thunder to 38.7 per cent shooting.
The Jazz used a 12-0 run after a 55-53 halftime edge to blow open a close game. Mitchell made consecutive 3-pointers to cap the run.
The Thunder never got within single digits until the final couple minutes, as Utah pushed the lead to as many as 25 points.
Mike Conley, who rested the first half of the back-to-back when the Jazz had their 24-game home win streak snapped, had 15 points and a season-high 14 assists for league-leading Utah (41-14).
Coming into the game, The Thunder's point differential over their six-game losing streak was 28.5 points per loss, the worst mark for any team in 17 years.
The game was the third in four nights for the Jazz, who have won nine straight on zero days rest and are 10-1 overall on the second game of back-to-back sets.
