Lauri Markkanen Speaks on Dominant Double-Double in Jazz-Mavericks

During the Utah Jazz's grind-it-out overtime victory over the Dallas Mavericks, 140-133, one of the most eye-popping performances on the box score came from the hands of Lauri Markkanen.

Not only did Markkanen manage to put together a typical strong offensive outing with 33 points on 11-23 shooting, but he chipped in for a season-high 16 rebounds throughout the 40 minutes he was on the floor, along with five rebounds and four steals in a winning effort.

In a game without Jusuf Nurkic or Kevin Love on the floor to leave the Jazz a bit shorthanded from their typical size, it was Markkanen who stepped up to the occasion to put in the work on the boards––an outcome he credits to affecting the game to however he can, which against the Mavericks, led to his second double-double of the season.

"I try to affect the game really, however I can. There was a lot of loose balls to be had, and, you know, happy to get them," Markkanen said postgame. "Obviously, helped [us] win tonight, but, yeah, sometimes shots aren't falling, whatever the case may be. But you try to affect the game, go onto the glass."

"Nurk does a great job rebounding, and Walker [Kessler] when we had him. You can't replace what they do, but you try to pick up a little bit of the pieces that they leave out there."

Lauri Markkanen Logs Season-Best in Rebounds vs. Mavericks

Dec 15, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) moves the ball against Dallas Mavericks guard Max Christie (00) during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Of those 16 total rebounds throughout the night for the Finnisher, nine of those came within the fourth quarter or overtime period, and two of those late boards wound up coming on the offensive end off a nice putback in overtime that helped claw Utah to their 10th victory on the season.

For Markkanen, who averaged less than seven rebounds a game on the season heading into the night, it's not often you see him find his way to such a massive stat line as he did over the Mavericks. But without some major size in the lineup, the opportunity was there to step up, and he certainly delivered.

LAURI MARKKANEN SEALS UTAH'S WIN!

33p, 16r, 5a, and 4s in the dub over Dallas 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4tCgoL65B9
— NBA (@NBA) December 16, 2025

After the game, head coach Will Hardy even credited that rebounding prowess displayed by Markkanen down the stretch as one of the key reasons why the Jazz were able to put together a clutch

"I thought Lauri... the way that he rebounded the ball, especially late in the game, is something that we need him to channel," Hardy said postgame. "His aggressiveness and physicality to rebound down the stretch of the game is why we won. But it's a great win for our group. I'm really proud of the guys."

In all, it was another game that put Markkanen's name firmly within discussions for a second-career All-Star appearance, and showed that, next to a lethal scoring arsenal, he has a knack to get busy on the glass when necessary, too.

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