Utah Jazz Stun Oklahoma City in Game 3 of Western Conference Finals
The visitors snatched a 112-110 victory thanks to a three-pointer by Lauri Markkanen with 2 seconds left on the clock. The series now stands at 2-1 in favor of the Thunder.
Utah Jazz Stun Oklahoma City in Game 3 of Western Conference Finals
On the night of May 23-24, 2026, at Oklahoma City's home arena, the Paycom Center, a true sensation unfolded. The Utah Jazz, considered clear underdogs in the series, snatched a victory from the regular-season leaders, the Oklahoma City Thunder, with a score of 112-110. The decisive three-pointer with 2 seconds left on the final buzzer was executed by Finnish forward Lauri Markkanen, who scored 34 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in this game. The playoff series now stands at 2-1 in favor of the Thunder, but Utah has reignited the intrigue and stolen home-court advantage from the favorite.
Details and Statistics
The game started with pressure from the hosts: Oklahoma City, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, quickly took a 15-5 lead. The 2025 regular-season MVP, Gilgeous-Alexander, finished the first quarter with 12 points, and by halftime he had 22. At one point, the Thunder's lead reached 16 points (58-42 with 3 minutes left in the second quarter). However, Utah, which has become accustomed to comebacks in these playoffs, did not break. Lauri Markkanen, who was called "just a useful role player" at the start of the season, delivered the best game of his career.
The key stretch came in the third quarter. The Finnish forward hit three consecutive three-pointers, tying the game at 78-78 with 4 minutes left in the period. The teams entered the fourth quarter with the score 85-83 in favor of Oklahoma City, and a back-and-forth battle ensued. With 40 seconds left, the Thunder led 110-107 after free throws by Chet Holmgren. Then came a series of timeouts, and Jazz coach Will Hardy drew up a masterpiece.
Point guard Collin Sexton (22 points, 8 assists) drove the ball, delivered a hidden pass to Markkanen, who came off a screen from John Collins. The Finn received the ball on the right wing, took one dribble to the left, and with difficulty, literally on one leg, sent the ball into the basket from beyond the arc — 110-110 with 2 seconds left. The ball perfectly swished through the net. Gilgeous-Alexander's final attempt from his trademark mid-range was blocked by Walker Kessler.
Final stats: Markkanen — 34 points (7 of 11 from three), 9 rebounds, 4 blocks; Gilgeous-Alexander — 41 points, 6 assists, 5 turnovers, but missed the crucial shot.
Context and Significance
Utah's victory has enormous significance for the entire playoffs. First, it is the first time this season that Oklahoma City has lost at home in the second round (they previously won the first two games of the series with a combined margin of +38). Second, the Jazz became only the third team in NBA history to overcome a 15+ point deficit on the road in a conference finals game and still pull out a win.
For Lauri Markkanen himself, this evening marked a career milestone. The Finnish forward, whose contract is $43.2 million USD per year (his fourth year in Utah), proved that he is not just a "system player" but a true clutch-time scorer. Jazz coach Will Hardy said after the game: "Lauri told me in the locker room before the fourth quarter: 'Give me the ball, I'll kill them.' And he did."
The loss for Oklahoma City was a wake-up call. The league may have been too hasty in awarding the MVP trophy to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (averaging 35 points per game in the playoffs before this game), as the Thunder showed vulnerability on the boards — the Jazz won the rebounding battle 48-36, including 14 offensive rebounds by John Collins. This drew criticism for center Holmgren, who has been labeled "too soft" for the playoffs.
What's Next
Game 4 of the series will take place in Oklahoma City on May 26 at 3:30 AM Moscow time. The Thunder must defend their home court at all costs — a loss would make the series 2-2 and virtually eliminate their home-court advantage. Coach Mark Daigneault stated that he plans to reconsider the rotation and may start the tougher Kenrich Williams at the small-ball center position to handle Markkanen.
Utah, on the other hand, is buoyed by this historic win. If they can win at least one of the two remaining road games, they will return to Salt Lake City with a chance to close out the series at home. Jazz president Danny Ainge, known for his frugality, has already hinted that he is ready to offer Markkanen a supermax extension worth 5 years and $269 million USD if Utah reaches the NBA Finals.
Editorial Prediction
The series, which seemed dead after a 0-2 deficit, suddenly has a powerful storyline. Oklahoma City remains the favorite with odds of 1.62 to win the series (compared to 2.30 for Utah), but their home-court advantage is now in question. The main factor in Game 4 is psychology. The Thunder have never lost two consecutive home playoff games under their current roster, but the Jazz have seized the momentum.
Our prediction: Utah will take Game 4 in a close battle (by a margin of 3-5 points), tying the series at 2-2. Gilgeous-Alexander will again score 35+, but Markkanen (if he avoids foul trouble) will deliver another double-double. The key factor will be Utah's bench — their reserves Kris Dunn and Ochai Agbaji are averaging 8 points more than Oklahoma City's bench. If the Jazz win Game 4 on the road, they will win the series in six games.
— Editorial Team
