Keyonte George delivered a breakout performance with 32 points and Lauri Markkanen added 28 as the Utah Jazz shook off a historic loss and defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 123-112 on Monday night.
Lauri was back at his old stomping grounds and dropped his fourth double-double of the season 🇫🇮#PerformanceLeader presented by @UofUHealth pic.twitter.com/4cVgNUgFQ2
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 13, 2026
Utah rebounded emphatically two nights after a 55-point defeat, using a dominant third quarter to seize control. George scored 16 of his points in the period as the Jazz erased a 10-point deficit, opening their five-game road trip with a much-needed victory. He was flawless at the free-throw line, going 12-for-12, and finished with nine assists.
The win was just the Jazz’s second in their last eight games and came on the heels of a 150-95 loss to Charlotte — the second-largest margin of defeat in franchise history and the worst since the team relocated from New Orleans in 1979.
Markkanen, who entered the night ranked 10th in the NBA in scoring at 27.8 points per game, also grabbed 12 rebounds. Jusuf Nurkić returned after missing two games with a toe injury and contributed 11 points and a game-high 17 rebounds.
Darius Garland paced Cleveland with 23 points, while former Jazz star Donovan Mitchell added 21 as the Cavaliers dropped two of their last three games.
Cleveland fell behind by as many as 17 points in the first quarter but surged late in the second, using a 26-8 run over the final 7:45 to take a 62-54 halftime lead. Garland scored nine points during the spurt. The Cavaliers pushed their advantage to 10 early in the third before Utah answered with a decisive 21-8 run.
The Jazz clung to a 90-89 edge early in the fourth quarter, then pulled away with a 16-6 run over three minutes. Svi Mykhailiuk ignited the stretch with back-to-back 3-pointers.
Both teams were efficient at the foul line, with Cleveland going a perfect 13-for-13 and Utah finishing 25-of-28.
The Jazz continue their road trip Wednesday at Chicago, while the Cavaliers head to Philadelphia the same night.
