Utah Jazz Dominate Indiana Pacers with 152-128 Victory
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Lauri Markkanen led the Utah Jazz with 35 points, while rookie Ace Bailey contributed 20 points in a commanding 152-128 win over the struggling Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night. This was the highest scoring NBA game this season.
Key Player Performances
- Lauri Markkanen scored 35 points.
- Rookie Ace Bailey, the 5th overall pick in this summer’s draft, showed his full range of skills, including dunks, midrange jumpers, and three-pointers in his second start.
- Svi Mykhailiuk added 20 points for the Jazz.
Pacers Struggle Amid Injuries
The injury-plagued Pacers, last season’s Eastern Conference champions, dropped to a franchise-worst 1-10 start, matching their 1988-89 record. Pascal Siakam returned with 27 points, and Aaron Nesmith scored 17 after missing the previous game. Tyrese McConnell also played his first game this season, scoring 12 points but limited to 11 minutes due to hamstring recovery.
Indiana entered the game with the league’s worst offensive rating and was the only team shooting under 40% from the field this season.
Despite shooting a season-best 46.5% in this game, the Pacers couldn't stop the Jazz, who shot an impressive 55.4%.
Summary
The Utah Jazz’s explosive offense overwhelmed a weakened Pacers team, delivering their highest scoring game of the season and deepening Indiana’s early struggles.