It had been since 1998, when Malone dropped 56 points on the Golden State Warriors, that a Jazz player last broke the 50-point mark. Twenty-seven years later, it took a flawless night from Markkanen to rewrite the record books: 51 points, 14 rebounds, and a hard-fought 138–134 overtime win in Salt Lake City.

Markkanen delivered a true superstar performance – 6 three-pointers, a perfect 17-for-17 from the free-throw line (tying the franchise record for most free throws made without a miss), and the unmistakable feeling that he simply couldn’t be stopped.

With this outing, he became the 97th player in NBA history to score at least 50 points in a game – but the first ever in Jazz history to record 50 points, 10 rebounds, and at least 5 threes in a single night.

After logging 45 minutes on the floor, Markkanen credited his mental strength as the key to pushing through fatigue:

If you can convince yourself you’re not tired, you can keep going. It’s all in your head

Lauri Markkanen

For the former Bull, this wasn’t just a career night – it was the sign of an evolution. (His previous career high was 49 points, set in January 2023.)

The game feels slower now, clearer. Once you start to feel like you can dominate, you just want to keep doing it

Lauri Markkanen

Ever the perfectionist, Markkanen still found room for one regret: a baseline jumper at the end of regulation that could’ve sealed the win before overtime. But without that miss, there wouldn’t have been the 51-point masterpiece that lit up the Salt Lake City night.