Walker Kessler Turns Block Into Breakaway Layup For Utah Jazz

OKLAHOMA CITY- Walker Kessler and the Utah Jazz are taking on the best team in the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder. The two teams meet as part of NBA Cup group stage play, the Jazz’s fourth game of the tournament. Utah is in last place in West Group B with three losses and no wins while Oklahoma City are second in the group behind the Suns.

Despite already being eliminated from advancing to the NBA Cup Quarter Finals with their three losses, the Jazz have the chance to play spoiler to teams like the Thunder who are fighting for one of the four Western Conference spots.

The Utah Jazz came out of the gates hot and opened a nine-point lead, giving the 15-win Thunder a punch in the mouth. However, turnovers began to plague the Jazz as they had given it away ten times by the midway point of the second quarter.

Oklahoma City swung the momentum and led by as much as 16, but the pesky Jazz kept chipping away.

Having cut the deficit to ten with three minutes remaining in the second quarter, Jalen Williams drove left and drew the presence of both Collin Sexton and Walker Kessler. The double team left Isaiah Joe open on the wing and Willams found him with a pass. He lined up to shoot but the seven-footer Walker Kessler had other ideas. He closed out and jumped with full extension to block Joe’s shoot and then chased the ball to take it toward his own basket. Joe tried to defend the Kessler breakaway but was no match as Walker put it away to cut the lead to eight.

The Oklahoma Sheriff (1930) 🍿#TakeNote | @walkerkessler13 pic.twitter.com/Dec8jSi6ZZ

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 4, 2024

The Jazz now trail the Thunder by 12 at halftime.

Jazz Face Thunder To Open Road Swing

The Jazz will face the Thunder in their final NBA Cup game of the season.

With an 0-3 record in group play, the Jazz can no longer qualify for the NBA Cup quarterfinals and will look to play spoilers to the Thunder instead.

Oklahoma City (2-1) currently sits in second place in West Group B behind the San Antonio Spurs (2-1) who beat the Thunder on November 19 to take the NBA Cup Tiebreaker.

The Thunder can clinch a spot in the quarterfinals on Tuesday with a win over the Jazz, and a Spurs loss to the Phoenix Suns.

Which two West teams will join the @HoustonRockets and @warriors in the Knockout Rounds of the #EmiratesNBACup?

The following scenarios are applicable for the final day of Group Play games on Tuesday ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/239PlS8gcM

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) December 2, 2024

Related: Jazz Unveil NBA Cup Court

Oklahoma City is the first stop for the Jazz on a three-game Western Conference road trip.

After facing the Thunder, the Jazz will be in Portland on Friday night, before traveling to play the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

The Jazz will have one home and one road game added to their schedule between December 9th and 18th after missing the NBA Cup playoffs, before heading back out on a four-game road swing beginning on December 19th in Detroit.

Utah Jazz Injury Report

OUT – Jordan Clarkson (plantar fasciitis)

OUT – Kyle Filipowski (leg inflamation)

OUT – Taylor Hendricks (fractured fibula)

OUT – Cody Williams (G League)

Tanner Tripp is a sports writer for KSL Sports covering all teams across the state of Utah. Follow him on X @tanner_tripp and Instagram @tanner.tripp here.

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