Thunder's Lu Dort explodes in first quarter versus Jazz

Second year guard Luguentz Dort exploded for his career-best points in a quarter against the NBA leading Jazz on Tuesday night

It seems like Luguentz Dort takes the Jazz matchup personally.

This was especially true in the first half of Tuesday’s Thunder-Jazz matchup, as Dort exploded for 18 points on 4-for-4 three-point shooting to give his team a 31-22 lead.

Dort’s 18 points were the most of any quarter in his career. Even more impressively, it was against the NBA leading Jazz, who stand at 40-14.

The entire Utah team could only muster 22 points in the first quarter, just four more than Dort himself. 

This season, Dort has scored more than 18 points across an entire game only seven times. 

Lu Dort loves playing the Jazz, as he set his regular season career high with 26 points against Utah this past December :: Jeffrey Swinger / USA TODAY Sports

Dort finished 7-for-10 from the field, also tacking on a steal.

Scoring 26 points in the second game of this season, Dort set his regular season career-high when he shot 9-of-11 from the field, including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc. 

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He'll have three more quarters to surpass that mark against the Jazz on Tuesday. 

It was just his second game back from concussion protocol, as he missed seven games from late-March to early-April.

The sophomore is averaging 12.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 0.9 steals in 42 starts this season.