The Utah Jazz put together their biggest upset victory of the season thus far, getting the best of the Detroit Pistons that dropped the number-one seed in the East to their seventh loss of the year, and made for an incredible statement from the Jazz and their young core, especially after coming up short in their last four games.
Here’s three takeaways from the Jazz’s action that led to a big win over Detroit:
1. Keyonte George Comes Up Clutch
Dec 26, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson (9) is fouled by Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) while going to the basket during the first quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images
It seems like every night, Keyonte George is continuing to cement his place further and further into being an integral part of the Jazz’s rebuilding efforts for the foreseeable future, and yet another strong performance vs. the Pistons proved that once again.
George led the way for the Jazz with 31 points throughout the way in 35 minutes. He cashed in five threes throughout the process on 10 attempts, contributed to seven rebounds and eight assists, and perhaps for the biggest play of the game, sealed a victory in the final seconds with a tough drive and layup at the rim.
KEYONTE GEORGE GO-AHEAD SHOT FOR THE WIN 🔥 pic.twitter.com/jpALXZU6C0
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 27, 2025
If the noise for a Most Improved Player nod wasn’t already in the picture, nights like these make it really challenging to ignore his candidacy––especially when it’s paired with taking down the team that’s consistently ranked at the top of the Eastern Conference all season.
2. Lauri Markkanen Chips In Big
Dec 26, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) takes a shot against the Detroit Pistons during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Paired next to the team-leading 31 points from George, it also managed to be an excellent outing from his co-star, Lauri Markkanen, who put up 30 points on his own on 8-18 shooting from the field, a perfect 10-10 from the line, and four rebounds and four assists to pair with.
He’s been in and out of the lineup in the past couple of weeks due to a lingering groin injury, but being back in the fold against Detroit proved that he hasn’t lost a step whatsoever, and for the Jazz, it led to him being a critical piece of the end result falling how it did.
It now comes in as Markkanen’s 11th 30-plus point game of the regular season. In games that Markkanen does score 30 or more, the Jazz are 6-5.
3. Most Impressive Win of the Season?
Dec 26, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) uses a screen by center Jalen Duren (0) to move the ball against Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Of course, each win that the Jazz come up with over the course of this season will inevitably be met with the discussion of what it may mean for their top-eight protected first-round pick in the hands of the OKC Thunder. But regardless of those implications, this victory might just be Utah’s most impressive of their seasons thus far.
Rather than a real come-from-behind effort, the Jazz kept up with the East-leading Pistons for most of the way from start to finish. Detroit nearly had enough firepower to edge out the win in the final moments, but Utah had the necessary poise and late-game execution to get the job done and piece together a statement win over one of the NBA’s top teams of this season.
For this young squad to accomplish such a feat, that’s a big confidence booster and a major statement for what this group is made of, and for the meantime, can put a pause on those talks concerning this summer’s lottery to take in that this team is really starting to build something special in Salt Lake City.
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