Keyonte George capped a 31-point performance with a floater with 2.1 seconds left, Lauri Markkanen scored 30 points and the Utah Jazz stunned the visiting Detroit Pistons 131-129 in Salt Lake City on Friday night.
Seeking a fourth straight victory and a season sweep against the Jazz, the Pistons rallied to a 129-all tie with 18.1 seconds left after a four-point surge from Cade Cunningham, who had a dunk, a steal and two free throws in a 46-second stretch.
But the Jazz then put the ball in George’s hands, and the third-year guard did so with his eight-footer that made the difference.
The Pistons then had a chance to win, but Cunningham missed his shot from 27 feet, allowing Utah to snap a four-game losing streak.
Down by 15 as the Jazz exploded for 44 points in the third quarter, the Pistons gradually chipped away at the deficit, closing within eight by the end of the period and later 127-123 with 3:53 remaining.
Cunningham’s personal four-point run finally drew the visitors even with 18.1 seconds remaining, but left enough time for George to be the hero.
The 30-point effort was the 14th of George’s career. He made 12 of his 22 shots and also found time for eight assists.
Brice Sensabaugh added 20 points, Jusuf Nurkic 16 and Kevin Love 14 for Utah, which used a 25-15 free throw advantage to help make the difference in the game. Markkanen went 10 out of 10 at the line.
Nurkic had a double-double with a game-high 11 rebounds, while Isaiah Collier had a team-high nine assists to go with nine points off the Utah bench.
Cunningham finished with a team-high 29 points and a game-high 17 assists for the Pistons, who were playing their third road game in five nights before Christmas.
Tobias Harris (16), Duncan Robinson (14), Jalen Duren (11), Ronald Holland II (11), Caris LeVert (11) and Jaden Ivey (11) also scored in double figures for Detroit. Harris was the club’s leading rebounder with seven.
–Field level media
