Clarkson scores 36, Jazz outlast hard-luck Pistons in OT, 154-148

Salt Lake City, UT - SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Jordan Clarkson scored 29 of his 36 points after halftime and Lauri Markkanen added 31 as the Utah Jazz outlasted the tough-luck Detroit Pistons 154-148 in overtime on Wednesday night.

One game after his first triple-double, Clarkson hit a dagger 3-pointer with 1:44 left in overtime to give the Jazz a 149-142 lead.

"It felt good. At that point in the game I was in a rhythm … and the big thing was just us moving, creating mismatches and getting space and the opportunity to get open and knock some shots down," said Clarkson, who passed Gordon Hayward for fourth all-time on the franchise list for 3-pointers made with 690.

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 03: Jordan Clarkson #00 of the Utah Jazz celebrates a three point shot during the second half of a game against the Detroit Pistons at Delta Center on January 03, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User express

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The 154 points ties a franchise record for points for the Jazz and the 148 points is a franchise high for a loss for the Pistons.

"I think it’s really a culmination of how our team’s playing and everybody trusting that when they give the ball up that everybody else is going to continue to try to make the right play," Utah coach Will Hardy said of his team shooting 52% from the field and 50% from 3-point range.

The Jazz have won nine of their last 12, their best stretch of the season before they face a road trip to Boston, Philadelphia and Milwaukee.

"Early in the year, we were trying to … figure out our roles on a young team," Clarkson said. "We’re getting a lot more comfortable knowing the ball is going to come back and find you. We started to move and play that type of way. We just bought in."

Markkanen and Alec Burks exchanged 3-pointers in the final 5 seconds of regulation to send the game into overtime, where the Jazz finally controlled the game and sent the Pistons to their 30th loss in their last 31 games.

"The last four or five games we are playing good basketball. We are outrebounding every team. We are outworking them. We had 32 assists again tonight, so we are playing good basketball but still we need that little push to win these kind of games," Detroit’s Bojan Bogdanovic said.

Bogdanovic scored a season-high 36 points, including eight 3s, and Burks added a season-best 27 points.

Cade Cunningham had 31 points and 12 assists, but the Pistons extended their 17-game road losing streak, which has been rolling since their road opening victory at Charlotte on Oct. 27.

"We were right there. We put ourselves in position. But I feel like the turnovers came in spurts today," Cunningham said.

With 15 seconds left in regulation, Bogdanovic made a 3-pointer to tie the game at 135-135 after Clarkson made a layup and a 3-pointer in a 7-0 Jazz run.

"It was pretty dope," Clarkson said of going back and forth with Bogdanovic. "Just knowing him. He lives for all the big moments and he’s had so many here."

Burks had given the Pistons a 132-128 lead with 3:06 remaining in regulation.

Both teams set season highs in points even before the overtime. Utah last scored this many in a 154-105 win over Sacramento on April 28, 2021.

For the first time in NBA history, five teams reached 140 points on the same night, per ESPN.

Utah trailed until midway through the third quarter when the Jazz turned a pair of turnovers into a 3 by Simone Fontecchio and Keyonte George’s fast-break dunk.

The Jazz led 95-92 but the Pistons didn’t fold and took a 112-104 lead early in the fourth quarter behind Burks, who had 10 points in the final 2:41 of the third, and Bogdanovic, who hit his seventh 3 to cap the surge.

"Obviously, it’s fun to score the ball, but I think it just puts a lot of pressure on our offense and execution, because if we’re not getting stops, we know that we have to get a good score on the other end," Markkanen said.

Collin Sexton tallied 25 points for the Jazz, who have won five straight at home.

The Pistons have lost seven games this year after blowing double-digit leads. They last led by 10 at 49-39 in the second quarter on Bogdanovic’s jumper.

"I’m happy with how we responded. I believe that’s who we are. I think we’re just going to get better and better. This is a great learning experience for our guys on how to play out a game," Detroit coach Monty Williams said.