Will Hardy Applauds Lauri Markkanen in Jazz's Blowout vs. Nuggets

The Utah Jazz's slow start against the Denver Nuggets that began with an early and ugly 0-19 deficit never turned around for a winning effort, as the Jazz would fall 112-135 for their third loss in a row, but it wasn't a game without it's positives.

One of those positives, for Jazz head coach Will Hardy, centered upon what he saw from his star forward Lauri Markkanen, who came back into the lineup after a two-game injury absence, and turned in a quality game––not just on the stat sheet, but as a leader in the huddles as well.

"I think Lauri battled," Hardy said of Markkanen after the loss to Denver. "He was a little rusty early, but stayed with it. He's such a pro. He was an amazing teammate tonight. He showed great leadership in the huddles. Our message throughout the game was stay in the fight, and I think that Lauri really spearheaded that for us."

Lauri Markkanen Kept the Jazz Fighting

Even while the first quarter was far from ideal for Markkanen or the Jazz collectively, he and the rest of the team managed to put together a solid remaining three quarters–– even outscoring Denver through that second to fourth quarter stretch.

For Markkanen, he came out in his return with a team-leading 27 points, eight rebounds, and one assist in his 35 minutes on the floor, ending up with best plus-minus within Utah's starting lineup that had some brutal numbers to start the night off.

Dec 22, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) attempts a shot against Denver Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson (23) in the third quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Of course, the Jazz still came well short of those end results falling in their favor for a win, but between the fight that Markkanen and his young team showed throughout, it's enough to make Hardy walk away a bit more optimistic than how most coaches around the league might walk away from 20-plus-point blowouts.

"I thought the rest of the team did a pretty good job as well, but it was nice to see [Lauri] after a slow start, you know, still turn in a pretty decent game," Hardy said.

The Jazz will have a quick turnaround back at home in the second leg of a back-to-back against the Memphis Grizzlies in a day's time, which can offer a chance for Utah to get back on the right foot after a challenging three-game stretch.

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