UTAH JAZZ

All-Star Lauri Markkanen Battles Through Contact For Second-Chance Bucket

Feb 11, 2023, 6:34 PM | Updated: Feb 13, 2023, 4:41 pm

SALT LAKE CITY – Lauri Markkanen isn’t just a shooter, proving his strength on a second-chance scoring opportunity against the New York Knicks.

The Jazz (28-29, 10th in West) travel to New York to face the Knicks (30-27, 7th in East) in the second game of a back-to-back for Utah.

With Utah trailing 47-40, first-time All-Star Lauri Markkanen missed his first attempt but wouldn’t quit. After the rebound bounced around, Markkanen ended up with it and immediately powered to the hoop. The first-year Jazz forward finished at the rim while getting fouled by Josh Hart. Markkanen drained the free throw to bring the Jazz with four points.

Knicks guard Jalen Brunson is pacing all scorers with 22 first-half points. Collin Sexton leads Utah with 10 points. Jordan Clarkson, Rudy Gay, and Talen Horton-Tucker each have nine first-half points.

After trailing by as many as 12, Utah clawed back for a 62-56 halftime deficit.

RELATED: Kessler Career-High Helps Jazz Rally In Toronto

4th Quarter Comeback In Toronto

The Jazz fell behind 111-98 with 5:17 left in the fourth quarter and looked dead to rights after a Pascal Siakam jump shot.

But after struggling to find an offensive rhythm against the Raptors’ defense for the first 43 minutes of the game, the Jazz turned to Markkanen, Kessler, and Kelly Olynyk and quickly erased the Toronto lead.

RELATED: Jazz Stun Raptors With Late Fourth Quarter Rally

The frontcourt trio scored 10 of the Jazz’s next 12 points and cut the Raptors’ lead from 13 to three in just over two minutes of game time.

The big lineup helped the Jazz outscore Toronto 39-20 in the fourth quarter including 22-5 in the final 5:17 as the team won the game going away.

The Jazz turned to a lineup of Sexton, Markkanen, Olynyk, Kessler, and Talen Horton-Tucker to close the game and scored on their final 11 possessions of the night.

Sexton had one of his most complete performances of the season with 22 points, matching his personal best in a Jazz uniform while adding five rebounds, and six assists.

The guard shot an efficient 8-14 from the floor and 6-7 from the free-throw line in 37 minutes on the court.

Jazz & Knicks On Back-To-Back

The Knicks had won two straight and three out of four before falling to the Philadelphia 76ers on the road 119-108 on Friday.

New York sits in the seventh seed in the East just behind the Miami Heat for the sixth and final guaranteed playoff spot in the conference.

The Knicks added guard Josh Hart from the Portland Trail Blazers at Thursday’s deadline in exchange for little-used Cam Reddish, Ryan Arcidiacono, Svi Mykhailiuk, and a lottery-protected first-round pick.

The Jazz fell to the Knicks 118-111 in November despite 27 points from Kelly Olynyk. Jalen Brunson scored 25 points and had eight assists for the Knicks.

Utah Jazz vs. New York Knicks Broadcast Details

The Utah Jazz and New York Knicks game is televised on AT&T SportsNet and can be heard on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. It can also be streamed on DirecTV Stream and FuboTV.

  • Utah Jazz Scoreboard

  • Utah Jazz Team Leaders

  • Utah Jazz Standings

Utah Jazz

Lauri-Markkanen-Utah-Jazz-NBA...
Ben Anderson

Jazz Host Kings With Playoff Standings On The Line

The Utah Jazz will host the Sacramento Kings in a game that will have a major impact on the final playoff standings.
14 hours ago
Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) blocks the final shot by Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams...
Ben Anderson

Clutch Rookies Push Jazz Past Celtics

The Utah Jazz downed the Boston Celtics 118-117 thanks to huge plays from rookies Walker Kessler and Ocahi Agbaji. 
3 days ago
Utah Jazz forward Rudy Gay (22) drives on Boston Celtics forward Sam Hauser (30)...
Ben Anderson

Jazz Erase 19 Point Deficit, Stun Celtics

The Utah Jazz stunned the Boston Celtics 118-117, opening their four-game homestand with a win. Markkanen led the Jazz with 28 points.
3 days ago
Kris-Dunn-Utah-Jazz-NBA...
Chandler Holt

Kris Dunn Makes Tough Layup Through Contact Against Boston Defense

Kris Dunn drove into the heart of the Celtics' defense and got a tough layup to drop early in the fourth quarter.
3 days ago
Ochai-Agbaji-Utah-Jazz-NBA...
Kyle Ireland

Jazz Guard Ochai Agbaji Buries Consecutive Three-Pointers Against Celtics

Jazz guard Ochai Agbaji hit a pair of three-pointers during a big run in the third quarter of Utah's game against the Boston Celtics.
3 days ago
Talen-Horton-Tucker-Utah-Jazz-NBA...
Chandler Holt

Talen Horton-Tucker Fuels Huge Jazz Run Late In Second Quarter

On Saturday in Vivint Arena, Talen Horton-Tucker and Lauri Markkanen caught fire in the second quarter to cut into the large Celtics lead.
3 days ago

Sponsored Articles

High angle view of the beautiful Rose Bowl Stadium...
KSL Digital Sales

How to Prepare for the 2023 Rose Bowl

Everything you need to know to plan your 2023 Rose Bowl trip in Pasadena, California. This year, the Utes will face Penn State.
Jordan-Clarkson-Utah-Jazz...
KSL Digital Sales

Notable Moments From The Utah Jazz Season… So Far

At the beginning of the season, the Utah Jazz were second to last. Now they rank in the top 10 teams in the Western Conference.
Football soccer ball on grass field on stadium...
KSL Digital Sales

Everything You Need to Know to Watch the 2022 World Cup

Find out where and when to watch the upcoming games and final match for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, including where to find live updates.
ksl sports logos...
KSL Sports

KSL Sports Newsletter: Sign Up Now

Sign up today for the KSL Sports newsletter. Get the latest Utah sports news delivered to your inbox.
jimmy-buffett-tour-art...
KSL Sports

Win Tickets Wednesday: Jimmy Buffett

Get your Hawaiian shirts ready.
Iron Maiden tour...
KSL Sports

Win Tickets Wednesday: Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden returns to Utah in 2022 with The Legacy of the Beast tour.
All-Star Lauri Markkanen Battles Through Contact For Second-Chance Bucket