Player grades: Thunder mount 18-point comeback in 144-112 win over Jazz

Player grades: Thunder mount 18-point comeback in 144-112 win over JazzStory byNov 21, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots as Utah Jazz forward Cody Williams (5) defends during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn ImagesClemente Almanza, OKC Thunder WireSat, November 22, 2025 at 7:00 AM UTC·11 min read

Well, if you're a basketball coach at any level — from elementary to the pros — point to this contest as to why the sport is truly a game of runs. After trailing by 18 points, OKC led by as many as 36 points. All within the same game and within regulation. Process that information for a second.

The Oklahoma City Thunder had one of the weirder blowouts in their 144-112 win over the Utah Jazz. The 2025 NBA Cup West Group A victory puts them at 2-0 in group play.

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No such thing as traditional trap games for OKC. Even when they're buried early on the scoreboard, they're the Michael Myers of the NBA. You always have the thought in the back of your mind that they'll crawl out of it. But the Jazz weren't going to be a pushover, either.

They showed that early. When they aren't allowing 140 points, they're scoring that amount. Lauri Markannen and Keyonte George have stepped up this season as dynamite scorers. It didn't take long for Utah to get ahead by double-digit points. Even Kevin Love joined in on the fun and had a throwback performance.

Trailing by as many as 18 points, the Thunder were in a 44-30 hole after the first quarter. Vibes were at an all-time low. That was probably the worst the reigning NBA champions have looked all season. Meanwhile, Utah warmed up fans from freezing temperatures with hot outside shooting.

But credit the Thunder, they slowly chipped away. They rattled off the first eight points of the second frame to steer this back from a possible blowout to a competitive contest. Surely the Jazz would cool down from the outside. A sequence of stops-and-scores closed the gap.

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Cason Wallace knocked down an outside shot to tie it up at 67 points apiece with a minute left in the frame. Just an unreal erasing of a daunting deficit. The Thunder scored 37 points in the second quarter. They entered halftime with a slight 68-67 disadvantage.

Even though the Thunder were right back in it, Daigneault was upset. A lack of calls on contact reached a boiling point. He was handed a rare technical foul right before both teams headed into the locker room. It was worth the price, though. That set the tune for what turned into a stunning second half.

You always hear about the signature OKC avalanche. In most of their blowouts, they had a third-quarter run to put it away. But what they did to the Jazz is on another level. Perhaps a glacial outburst. After the Jazz had an 84-77 lead, the Thunder flipped the scoreboard to a 99-84 lead for themselves in just a handful of minutes.

If you did the math in your head, that's 22 straight points. Yep. 22. Zooming out, they had a 33-4 run. Yep. 33-4. They scored an eye-popping 43 points in the third frame. Gilgeous-Alexander had his usual 31 points in three frames. But there were surprise contributions by Jaylin Williams and Isaiah Joe.

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Still processing everything that happened, the Thunder had a 110-88 lead over the Jazz after the third quarter. Utah wants to play a fast-paced game? Sure, OKC said, 'Let's do it.' In any style of basketball you want to play under, they can one-up you. They showed that as they schooled the rebuilding squad that's had a pleasantly surprising start to the season.

The fourth quarter turned into garbage time. The Thunder added to their NBA Cup point differential with 34 points in the final frame. They led by as many as 36 points. All 12 OKC players who suited up played a decent chunk of minutes and tallied at least a couple of buckets on the statsheet.

The Thunder shot 61% from the field and went 23-of-37 (62.2%) from 3. They shot 19-of-25 on free throws. They had 36 assists on 51 baskets. Eight Thunder players scored double-digit points.

Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 31 points and eight assists. Isaiah Hartenstein had 12 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Chet Holmgren had 11 points and three rebounds. Wallace tallied 10 points and four steals. Joe had 16 points and Williams had 16 points to lead the bench. Ajay Mitchell tallied 12 points and Alex Caruso tallied 11 points.

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Meanwhile, the Jazz shot 48% from the field and went 16-of-38 (42.1%) from 3. They shot 20-of-24 on free throws. They had 30 assists on 38 baskets. Four Jazz players scored double-digit points.

Markannen finished with a quiet 19 points and six rebounds. George tallied 20 points and eight assists. Ace Bailey scored 15 points. Kyle Filipowski had 18 points and seven rebounds. Love had one of the funnier stat lines with 12 points — four threes and five fouls in 13 minutes.

I mean, wow. This was stunning. The Thunder have normalized blowout wins. At this point, Gilgeous-Alexander seldom plays the fourth quarter. But the way they reached that destination is what differentiates this from your typical boring lopsided affair.

You hear of a tale of two halves. But this was a tale of one quarter and the latter three quarters. The Thunder showed why they're considered a win machine and could flirt with 70 wins. Even when they spot the opponent a near 20-point lead, it's never over. The journey to the final score is what stands out here. OKC is just on another level and this was your latest reminder.

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Let's look at Thunder player grades:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A-plus

Nov 21, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) goes to the basket against Utah Jazz guard Svi Mykhailiuk (10) and forward Lauri Markkanen (23) during the first half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

After utilizing Williams' screen, Gilgeous-Alexander ran to the left-wing spot. That's been one of his go-to spots around the perimeter. As Cody Williams and Filipowski both chased him down for the solid double-team contest, the reigning MVP calmly swished in a stepback 3-pointer.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 31 points on 9-of-14 shooting, eight assists and two rebounds. He shot 3-of-3 from 3 and went 10-of-12 on free throws. He also had a steal and a block.

Somehow, someway, expect Gilgeous-Alexander to sit out the fourth quarter. It's happened more often than not this season. At a historic clip. This game proved why you should have zero doubt. When the Thunder were down by 18 points, you'd surely think that at the very least this game would come down to the wire. Nope.

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Instead, Gilgeous-Alexander went into MVP mode. He scored 19 points in the first half to mount back. The Jazz threw everything and the phonebook at him. No luck. That's what happens when your backcourt is filled with young players. He ballerina'd his way through Utah's defense. Shoulder bumps created space.

While Gilgeous-Alexander had a busy night at the free-throw line, it should've been arguably more. Utah had zero clue how to slow down the 30-point scorer. They had to resort to hard fouls and physical contact. Even with the Jazz crowd booing, the referees should've given more calls. That's why the usually calm Daigneault had to make a point.

But I digress, Gilgeous-Alexander ensured this one would be over. He scored 12 points in the third frame. The jumper was on point. Pull-up jumpers deep in the paint swished in. Every bucket demoralized a Utah squad that thought it had a signature win in the bag.

After that, Gilgeous-Alexander relaxed the rest of the way. He had the best seats in the house for the fourth quarter. He's normalized 30 points in three quarters. What you're seeing on a night-to-night basis is NBA history. Just no other way to really describe it.

Jaylin Williams: A

Nov 21, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) reacts to a play against the Utah Jazz during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Diving for a loose ball, Williams entered the first rows of Utah fans. The entire OKC bench loved the hustle. Despite the final result already known, he showed why the Thunder are in a class of their own. The all-time defense isn't just purely about the unreal talent it has, but also about the contagious culture it's grown.

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Williams finished with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting, six rebounds and six assists. He shot 5-of-7 from 3. He also had two steals.

As the mental miscues piled on, Williams needed this breakout performance. It's easily the best of his season. He's struggled with his outside shot. That has spilled over to other areas in the game. Too many avoidable mistakes, like a bad turnover or shot attempts, have materialized because of that.

But if you were to exemplify this game script with one player's performance, it's Williams. While the starters sleptwalk to start, he energized them — along with the rest of the bench. Hesitating on an outside attempt, his teammates provided a much-needed confidence boost. Shoot them or else.

That's what Williams did. He made a career-best five outside makes. Matching fire with fire, the Thunder kept up with the Jazz from the perimeter until the latter eventually cooled off. Once he saw a few go in, his confidence oozed elsewhere with his playmaking and rebounding.

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This is who the Thunder hope to see more often the rest of the way. Don't get me wrong, Williams is awesome for the chemistry. He helps everybody understand their role and keep up the good vibes. But he's also shown he's capable of being a productive player. Let's see if this can snowball into more momentum.

Isaiah Joe: B

Nov 21, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) goes to the basket against Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic (30) and forward Kyle Filipowski (22) during the first half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Using Holmgren's pindown screen, Joe quickly ran to the left-wing spot. Williams darted him on the skip pass. He quickly knocked down the outside jumper. In a game that resembled old-school Big 12 football, the Thunder needed to match buckets with buckets.

Joe helped with that. He finished with 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting and three assists. He shot 4-of-5 from 3 and went 2-of-2 on free throws. He also had two steals.

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Talk about efficiency for Joe. He didn't need long to impact the scoreboard. He was also the first match set on a fire-esque night from the outside. Despite only having seven players dressed, the Thunder bench deserves the second-biggest slice of credit pie for mounting this comeback.

Joe helped the Thunder win the bench minutes as Gilgeous-Alexander rested. They needed that. He's been a regular-season machine for OKC. Not a coincidence that their outside shooting luck has turned around once he started to suit up this season.

Alex Caruso: B-plus

Nov 21, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Walter Clayton Jr. (13) dribbles against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Getting a couple of easy layups, Caruso helped shut down George. The 22-year-old has been Utah's breakout star. After a couple of inconsistent seasons, he's finally figured out how to get to the free-throw line and has been their best playmaker. In came the two-time NBA champion to slow him down.

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Caruso finished with 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting and three assists. He shot 2-of-3 from 3 and went 1-of-2 on free throws. He also had one steal.

Always the sparkplug in your car's trunk, sometimes you need Caruso to bring some juice, other times not. In this case, it was the latter. Along with the rest of OKC's bench players, he helped them get back within single-digit points before you could even blink.

Caruso hit on some big-time shots to erase Utah's lead. Even though he only played 18 minutes, that was enough to a plus-29 in the plus-minus department. Sometimes, that stat can be misleading. But it painted an accurate picture of how impactful he was.

Highlights:

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Player grades: Thunder mount 18-point comeback in 144-112 win over Jazz

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