Jusuf Nurkic scored the winning basket with 0.6 seconds remaining as the Utah Jazz stunned the Boston Celtics 105-103 on Monday night at TD Garden.
The veteran center’s putback capped a furious comeback for Utah, which erased a 10-point halftime deficit to snap its three-game losing streak and move to 3-4 on the season.
Keyonte George led all Jazz scorers with a season-high 31 points, shooting 56.3% from the field and adding four assists. Lauri Markkanen contributed 20 points and nine rebounds, while Nurkic finished with 11 points and 11 boards in 31 minutes.
The Celtics, now 3-5, were led by Jaylen Brown’s 36 points, though he missed all nine of his three-point attempts. Boston’s offense sputtered from deep, shooting just 21.6% (11-for-51) beyond the arc—its lowest mark of the season.
Utah came out of halftime energized, opening the third quarter with a 25-14 run to take its first lead at 61-60. The game remained tight the rest of the way, featuring nine ties and six lead changes.
Boston appeared to regain control late when Derrick White hit a technical free throw to make it 102-101 after a defensive three-second call. But Brown tripped on the ensuing possession, allowing Markkanen to steal the ball and score in transition.
Neemias Queta split two free throws to tie the game at 103, setting up the final play. On Utah’s last possession, Markkanen missed a midrange jumper, but Nurkic muscled inside for the putback, silencing the Boston crowd.
The Celtics’ final chance ended before it began. Brown was whistled for a foul during the inbound play with 0.3 seconds left, and Boston’s challenge was unsuccessful. Utah inbounded the ball to run out the clock.
Payton Pritchard scored 18 points for Boston, while White added 10 points and six assists. Off the bench, Chris Boucher had five points and Sam Hauser went 1-for-8 from deep as the Celtics’ shooting woes continued.
Utah outshot Boston 45.2% to 41.6% and controlled the boards, 55-36. The Jazz bench also outscored the Celtics’ reserves 34-26, a key difference in the game.
The Jazz continue their road trip Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons. The Celtics will look to rebound at home against the Washington Wizards that same night.
