Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen Has Strong Return in 117-113 Win Over Knicks
After being out of the lineup for the team’s past eight contests, All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen finally made his way onto the floor again in the Utah Jazz’s 117-113 win over the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
While the Jazz were without John Collins and Jordan Clarkson to start, also losing rookie guard Keyonte George just four minutes into this game due to a foot injury, Markkanen managed to help lift this team to their eighth win of the NBA season.
In his first game back, Markkanen posted 23 points and eight rebounds on 7/13 shooting from the field and draining four of his threes.
When pairing this with Collin Sexton’s seven assists and season-high of 26 points in his first start of the season, the Jazz were able to get it done on the offensive end tonight. Utah’s ability to consistently put the ball in the basket has been a large area of concern during the beginning of their year, but it showed to be a non-issue in this one.
The Jazz still found some struggles when it came to ball security, as they were outmatched in the turnover differential 15-8. However, when forced to be without two of your best playmakers and on-ball creators with Clarkson and George, those issues are going to be a bit more amplified.
Thankfully, Utah had enough in the tank to pull through a narrow win, avoiding what would have been their fourth-straight loss. It effectively takes the Jazz to an 8-15 overall record on the year, while the Knicks drop to 13-10.
The Jazz will have a quick turnaround on Thursday night when they take on the Portland Trail Blazers in their fifth back-to-back of the 2023-24 season.
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