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Lauri Markkanen #23 of the Utah Jazz celebrates a three-point basket in overtime against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Vivint Arena on February 28, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Alex Goodlett/Getty Images/AFP
Lauri Markkanen scored 28 points with 10 rebounds, and the Utah Jazz rallied late for a 118-117 win over the Boston Celtics on Saturday night in Salt Lake City.
Jaylen Brown topped Boston with 25 points and Grant Williams scored 23, but his late second attempt to win the game near the rim was blocked by rookie Walker Kessler.
Despite the loss, Boston (49-23) clinched a playoff spot, while Utah (34-36) remained in postseason contention in a crowded Western Conference field.
Kessler finished with 12 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks, Kelly Olynyk had 13 points, 13 rebounds and six assists and Talen Horton-Tucker contributed 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
🇫🇮🐊 𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐇 reappeared 🇫🇮#TakeNote | @zionbank pic.twitter.com/j6oTXrqiZA
— Utah Jazz (@utajazz) March 19, 2023
Boston led by 19 points and went up by six with 2:31 left to play after a 3-pointer by Williams, who hit 7 of 12 shots from deep.
But the Jazz, playing their first game since Monday, returned after a six-game road trip and rallied through the tired Celtics. It was Boston’s third game in four nights.
Utah, which turned 17 offensive rebounds into 20 points, used a late 6-3 push to pull within four minutes, 114-110, with less than two minutes left.
WALKER KESSLER GAME-WINNING BLOCK 🚫
The Jazz completed a 19-point comeback at home! pic.twitter.com/tudJsKrWvP
— NBA (@NBA) March 19, 2023
Brown was then called for a flagrant foul, but Kessler missed two free throws. The Jazz were able to salvage the possession, however, thanks to Ochai Agbaji’s fourth 3-pointer of the night to cut the lead to one with 1:33 left.
Brown and Markkanen then traded treys, before Horton-Tucker put Utah ahead by one with a layup with 35.3 seconds left.
Tatum missed a 3-point attempt on Boston’s next possession, but the Celtics got the ball back with five seconds left after Horton-Tucker lost the ball out of bounds.
Kessler then made up for his last missed free throw by blocking a short last-second jumper for Williams to preserve the win.
Boston, which won at Portland on Friday night, jumped out to a commanding 53-34 lead.
The deficit quickly evaporated as Utah went on a 23-5 run to pull within one. Tatum, who had 15 points, put the Celtics up 64-57 in the first half with six straight points.
Blake Griffin gave the Celtics a 67-61 lead with a 3-pointer early in the third. The Jazz answered with a 10-2 run, highlighted by back-to-back treys from Agbaji, to take a 71-69 lead, setting up a back-and-forth finish.
Tatum became the first player in the NBA to reach 2,000 points this season.
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