Another night, another 50-piece in the NBA. Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen dropped a career-high 51 points to lead the team to a 138-134 win over the Phoenix Suns on Monday night. That marked the first 50-point game by a member of the Jazz since Karl Malone did so back in 1998.

Markkanen is now the fourth player to record a 50-point game already this season, matching a league record for October. Reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has had one, as have Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon and Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves. This has happened twice in October in league history, according to CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn. Wilt Chamberlain did it four times himself in 1962, and then four players did so in 2018.

Advertisement

Markkanen dropped 14 points in the opening quarter to give the Jazz an early 12-point lead. He was held to just four points in the second quarter, though, as the Suns quickly narrowed the gap to just a single possession by the break.

The Suns kept it close in the second half, though, and tied it up with a huge Mark Williams tip shot with less than two seconds left in regulation.

While Markkanen got a look at a game-winner, his 11-footer was just off the mark. So the game went into overtime, where he put up the last nine points — and hit a pair of clutch free throws in the last two seconds — to cap his historic night and lift the Jazz to the win.

Advertisement

Markkanen finished with 14 rebounds and three assists to go with his 51 points. He shot 14-of-23 from the field and 6-of-13 from behind the arc while sinking all 17 of his free throws. The 28-year-old out of Finland averaged, who played at Arizona, averaged 19 points and 5.9 rebounds per game last season, his third with the Jazz. He was limited to just 47 games, however, due to knee and back injuries. He’s in the first year of a new four-year, $195.8 million deal with the team this fall.

Keyonte George added 26 points and 10 assists for the Jazz in the win, and Walker Kessler finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds. The Jazz, who went just 17-65 last season, now sit at 2-1. Devin Booker led Phoenix with 34 points and 10 assists, and Mark Williams added 23 points and 11 rebounds off the bench. They went 20-of-55 from the 3-point line as a group. The loss marked the third straight for the Suns, who fell to 1-3 on the year.