New York Knicks Jump On Utah Jazz Early, Cruise To Victory

Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz with 18 points each, while Jalen Brunson paced the Knicks, scoring 33.

Jazz Blog: Jazz Drop To 2-8 On The Road With Loss To Knicks

Knicks Early Run Dooms Jazz Out Of The Gate

One night after beating the Brooklyn Nets behind a dominant 42-20 fourth quarter, the Jazz suffered through a lopsided 12-minute stretch, falling behind the Knicks 41-13 in the opening frame.

The Knicks started the game on a dominant 23-0 run, holding the Jazz scoreless for the first 6:30 of action.

2️⃣3️⃣-0️⃣ run for your knicks

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) December 6, 2025

The Jazz missed their first 12 shots and didn’t score until Keyonte George converted an and-one opportunity with 5:28 left in the quarter.

While the Knicks deserve credit for their defense in the first quarter, the Jazz also missed point-blank shots at the rim.

Jusuf Nurkic, who returned Friday after missing Thursday’s game with a rib injury, blew two layups, while Lauri Markkanen missed three shots inside three feet in the opening minutes.

This isn’t what you want your shot chart to look like. pic.twitter.com/lorT3W2lKE

— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) December 6, 2025

The Jazz finished the first quarter shooting just 4-23 from the floor and trailed the Knicks 41-13.

Friday’s -28 deficit at the end of the opening frame tied their worst of the season. The Jazz also trailed the Minnesota Timberwolves 43-15 on November 7.

Walt Clayton Jr. Continues To Justify Minutes

Walt Clayton Jr. has been one of the Jazz’s best stories over the last week, averaging 9.7 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds over his last three appearances heading into the matchup with the Knicks.

The guard found more success offensively attacking the paint, shooting 61 percent on two-point field goals in over four attempts per game.

However, Clayton Jr.’s three-point shot, his signature weapon as an NBA draft prospect, had eluded him.

Honestly, if Walt Clayton Jr. starts hitting threes consistently (he has a career-high three in the fourth quarter alone), he might be hard to keep out of the rotation.

Good for him to use these blowout minutes to continue to improve.

— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) December 6, 2025

The guard had knocked down just two of his last eight attempts, below his already difficult 28 percent success rate.

Against the Knicks, Clayton Jr. may have finally broken out of his slump.

Though the minutes were inconsequential to the outcome, the Florida product set a new career-high in made threes in the fourth quarter alone, connecting on 3-6 attempts en route to an 11-point, four-assist outing in 19 minutes.

The Jazz entered Friday shooting just over 34 percent from three as a team, sixth-worst in the NBA, despite averaging the ninth-most attempts.

With no second-unit players shooting above 35 percent from three this season, the Jazz could use a marksman off the bench, and Clayton Jr.’s performance against the Knicks was a step in the right direction.