SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz responded to Saturday’s 55-point loss to the Charlotte Hornets by earning a surprising 123-112 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George combined for 60 points in the win.
Former Jazzman Donovan Mitchell scored 21 points, while Darius Garland led Cleveland with 23.
Jazz’s Dominant Second Half Secures Victory
The Jazz outplayed the Cavaliers in three of four quarters on Monday, but a poor second period nearly cost them the game.
Utah opened the contest with a 21-4 run before allowing Cleveland to chip away at the lead. The Cavaliers dominated the second quarter 40-20, taking a 62-54 advantage into halftime.
Unlike Saturday’s disastrous showing, the Jazz avoided a full collapse by starting the third quarter on a 16-8 run, and retaking a 90-86 lead entering the fourth.
Keyonte George pops out off the screen and swishes the triple 🔥
He’s got 23 through Q3! pic.twitter.com/T4cPDLEw58
— NBA (@NBA) January 13, 2026
Markkanen carried Utah early, scoring 16 of his 28 points in the first half. In the second half, George took over.
“[Keyonte] hit some big shots late, his ability to create offense for us continues to show itself, especially when the game slows down,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said.
George scored 25 points after halftime, finishing with 32 points, nine assists, and five rebounds. He shot 8-16 from the field, 4-8 from three, and went a perfect 12-12 at the free-throw line.
Utah also dominated the glass in Jusuf Nurkic’s return, outrebounding Cleveland 50-30.
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\( (> JAZZ
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— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 13, 2026
“I thought the team made a really concerted effort on both sides of the ball to rebound,” Hardy added. “And I thought Nurk and Lauri had big nights. Nurk had 17 rebounds, Lauri [had] 12 — Nurk continues to be one of the unsung guys on our team.”
Despite a shaky second quarter, the Jazz controlled the game from the opening tip and outplayed Cleveland for most of the night.
Cavaliers Didn’t Miss On Donovan Mitchell
With the loss, Cleveland falls to 22-19 and sits seventh in the East, meaning they would need to win a play-in game to reach the playoffs.
Three and a half years after trading for Donovan Mitchell, some fans may question whether the move was a mistake.
That criticism misses the real issue in Cleveland.
Mitchell has delivered everything the Cavaliers hoped for and more. He is on pace for his fourth straight All-Star selection and third All-NBA appearance while improving his numbers across the board.
Moving on 🆙. That’s 4th for Spida! @spidadmitchell | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/ATYnM1lIF5
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) January 13, 2026
When Cleveland acquired Mitchell, they bet that Darius Garland and Evan Mobley would reach their full potential.
The truth is, they haven’t.
Both made the All-Star team last season, and Mobley won NBA Defensive Player of the Year, but neither has surpassed Mitchell in the pecking order, limiting Cleveland’s ceiling well below championship level.
Garland’s greatest value may have been as a trade chip to acquire a defensive-minded wing to offset Mitchell’s shortcomings. They held onto him instead.
Get us going, DG@dariusgarland22 | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/tXRLkm0eZh
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) January 13, 2026
Mobley still needs to become a more dynamic offensive player and has yet to join the NBA’s elite big men. He’s yet to show it.
Mitchell has flaws, most of which were obvious when Cleveland gave up a massive haul to get him. But the Cavaliers’ belief that the rest of the roster would carry them to title contention appears misguided.
The Jazz will travel to face the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday at 6 p.m. MST. The game will be televised on KJZZ, streamed on Jazz+, and heard on97.5 The KSL Sports Zone.