NBA: Jazz bounce back from blowout, rally past Cavaliers

Utah Jazz bounced back from a blowout loss with a 123-112 road win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, led by Keyonte George’s 32 points and Lauri Markkanen’s 28-point, 12-rebound performance. George’s late surge, including a clutch 3-pointer, sealed the victory as Utah started its five-game road trip strong.

FIELD LEVEL MEDIA / Reuters

January 13, 2026

Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill during the second half at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, on January 12, 2026.

Ken Blaze / Reuters

Keyonte George scored 32 points and dished out nine assists, while Lauri Markkanen added 28 points and 12 rebounds as the visiting Utah Jazz rallied to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 123-112 on Monday night. The victory came just two days after the Jazz suffered a 55-point loss to the Charlotte Hornets.

George, who was perfect from the free-throw line with 12-of-12, scored 16 points in the third quarter and added nine in the fourth, helping Utah overcome a 10-point deficit early in the second half. Jusuf Nurkic contributed 11 points and 17 rebounds, and both Svi Mykhailiuk and Kevin Love chipped in 11 points each, giving the Jazz their second win in their last eight games.

For the Cavaliers, Darius Garland scored 23 points with eight assists, and Donovan Mitchell added 21 points. However, Cleveland struggled from the field, making only 14 of 35 shots. Evan Mobley recorded 15 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, and three blocked shots—all after the first quarter.

Markkanen extended Utah’s lead to 116-104 with two free throws with 3:38 remaining, and George sealed the win with a three-pointer that made it 123-109, marking a strong start to Utah’s five-game road trip. Cleveland, which had won five of its previous seven games, could not recover.

The Jazz jumped to a 21-4 lead midway through the first quarter, capitalizing on the Cavaliers’ slow start, missing 11 of their first 13 shots. Utah carried a 34-22 advantage into the second quarter, led by Markkanen’s six points and six rebounds, while Mitchell paced Cleveland with five points.

Garland gave Cleveland its first lead at 54-52 with a jumper and capped the half with a buzzer-beating three-pointer to make it 62-54. Both Garland and Mitchell scored nine points in the quarter, as Cleveland finished the period on a 26-8 run.

Utah welcomed back Nurkic (left toe sprain) and rookie shooting guard Ace Bailey (left hip flexor strain) after two-game absences. Small forward Georges Niang (left foot stress reaction) traveled with the team but has yet to play this season. Cleveland’s Dean Wade (left knee bruise) missed his fifth game in six contests.

—Field Level Media/Reuters