Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, left, shoots against Charlotte Hornets center Nick Richards during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond) CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Lauri Markkanen had 33 points and 12 rebounds, and the Utah Jazz beat the Charlotte Hornets 134-122 on Saturday night for their 11th victory in 15 games. Collin Sexton added 24 points and 13 assists as the Jazz (24-23) shot 56% from the field and made 17 3-pointers. They built a 36-point lead in the third quarter, then held off a late Charlotte rally. P.J. Washington tied a career high with 43 points — 31 in the second half — and Nick Richards added a career-best 26 to go with 13 rebounds for the Hornets (10-34). The Jazz bolted to a 47-24 lead after the first quarter with Markkanen and Sexton combining for 35 points and seven 3s. Utah shot 18 of 26 from the field in the opening period, including 9 for 14 from beyond the arc — many of those uncontested. Sexton also assisted on six baskets. It was the most first-quarter points allowed by the Hornets in franchise history. Utah stretched

Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) looks to shoot over Washington Wizards forward Marvin Bagley III (35) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) WASHINGTON (AP) — Lauri Markkanen scored 29 points and the Utah Jazz beat Washington 123-108 on Thursday night, spoiling Brian Keefe’s debut as interim coach after Wes Unseld Jr. was moved to the Wizards’ front office. “Just got back to our normal self,” Markkanen said. “It wasn’t perfect tonight, but we definitely brought the energy.” The Wizards announced earlier in the day that Unseld was out as coach midway through his third season with the team. Washington dropped to 7-37. It has lost six in a row and 12 of 13. “I was pleased with the process tonight,” Keefe said. “We didn’t shoot the ball well. I think we had 33 assists and we only made seven 3s, so that’s good. We played at the pace we wanted to. If we made those shots, we would have been right there. But I was proud of our resilience within the game. That was really important to me.” John Collins added 22 points and 16 rebounds to help Utah

Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen is fouled by New Orleans Pelicans forward Larry Nance Jr., right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman) NEW ORLEANS (AP) — CJ McCollum went 9 of 13 from 3-point range and tied his season high with 33 points, Zion Williamson had 17 points and a career-high 11 assists as the New Orleans Pelicans set a franchise record for points with a 153-124 victory over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night. The Pelicans’ previous record for points in a game was 149 in a victory over the Sacramento Kings in October 2018. The Pelicans put the ball in Williamson’s hands as a point forward from the outset, and he responded by willingly distributing the ball. New Orleans finished with 41 assists on 60 made field goals. Herb Jones had 22 for the Pelicans, Brandon Ingram scored 18 and Jonas Valanciunas added 17. McCollum went 11 of 17 from the floor, and the Pelicans shot 57.1% from the field (60 of 105). Utah, which lost its third consecutive game, was led by Collin Sexton with 22 points and seven assists and Simone Fontecchio with

Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) reacts after making a basket and drawing a foul during overtime of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith) HOUSTON (AP) — Alperen Sengun scored a career-high 37 points and had a game-high 14 rebounds to lead the Houston Rockets to a 127-126 overtime win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night. Sengun missed two free throws with 8.1 seconds remaining in overtime, and Utah’s Jordan Clarkson missed a mid-range jumper in the closing seconds as Houston hung on to snap a three-game losing streak. Jabari Smith Jr. hit a free throw with 36.4 seconds remaining in overtime to put Houston up 127-126. On the next play, Amen Thompson had a high-flying block at the rim to deny Collin Sexton’s layup attempt that could have given Utah the lead. “Those wins are satisfying, no doubt,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “Not just the overtime part but how we gutted it out. A lot of guys got a chance to win a real tough basketball game so it was good for them.” The Rockets returned home where they are 16-6 after losing five of

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives against Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points, Jalen Williams had 11 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter and the Oklahoma City Thunder snapped the Utah Jazz’s six-game winning streak with a 134-129 victory Thursday night. “We’re not feeling 100% and yet really competed for 48 minutes together on both ends against the hottest team in the league coming in,” Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said. “We probably didn’t have a fastball physically, but we had our fastball mentally and competitively.” Williams, who shot 11 of 14, made four 3-pointers and has scored at least 25 points in three consecutive games. “The guy lines up and guards a premier matchup every night tonight,” Daigneault said. “And for him to be able to do that offensively and do that defensively is a very complete game. It’s very impressive.” Williams asserts it’s all about confidence. “There was flow and it just has been been happening in the fourth quarter,” said Williams, who has

FILE – Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic smiles during an NBA preseason basketball game against the Denver Nuggets San Francisco, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojević, a mentor to two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and a former star player in his native Serbia, died Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024, after suffering a heart attack, the team announced. Milojević, part of the staff that helped the Warriors win the 2022 NBA championship, was 46.(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File) Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojević, a mentor to two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and a former star player in his native Serbia, died Wednesday in Utah after suffering a heart attack, the team announced. Milojević, part of the staff that helped the Warriors win the 2022 NBA championship, was 46. Milojević died in Salt Lake City, where he was hospitalized after the medical emergency happened during a private team dinner on Tuesday night. The Warriors had been scheduled to play the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night, a game the NBA postponed. “We are absolutely devastated by Dejan’s sudden passing,” coach Steve Kerr said in a statement released by the team. “This is a shocking and tragic blow for