SALT LAKE CITY — Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams each scored 25 points and the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder improved to 23-1 with their 15th straight victory, beating the Utah Jazz 131-101 on Sunday night.
Holmgren added nine rebounds and Williams had eight assists. Aaron Wiggins scored 19 points, while Branden Carlson had a season-high 13 points.
Oklahoma City shot 58% from the field and made 21 3-pointers. The Thunder scored 27 points off 17 Utah turnovers.
Kyle Filipkowski led the Jazz with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Walter Clayton Jr. and Taylor Hendricks added 20 points each. Clayton had nine assists.
Both teams played without their top scorers. Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been sidelined due to bursitis in his left elbow. Utah’s Lauri Markkanen sat out due to an undisclosed illness.
Oklahoma City took a 13-1 lead before the Jazz scored their first basket after 3 1/2 minutes. Utah made it 18-9 on a Keyonte George layup, then was buried under an avalanche of Carlson baskets.
The sophomore center dunk the ball and scored three points on five possessions to spark a 25-7 run that made it 43-16 heading into the final minute of the first quarter. The Thunder ended up scoring 45 points in the first quarter.
The Jazz have given up 86 points in the first quarters in their last two games.
Oklahoma City held a double-digit lead over the final three quarters, leading by as many as 42 points in the second half.
Thunder: Host Phoenix on Wednesday night in the NBA Cup quarterfinals.
Jazz: At Memphis Friday night.
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