Jazz Forward Lauri Markkanen Makes Crafty Shot Against Hornets

SALT LAKE CITY – Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen rolled to the basket for a crafty shot during the opening minutes of Utah’s game against the Charlotte Hornets.

The Jazz hosted the Hornets at Vivint Arena on Monday, January 23.

With 9:54 remaining in the opening quarter, Jordan Clarkson fed the ball to Markkanen before the forward drove to the hoop and battled through contact for a rolling layup.

Markkanen’s bucket cut Charlotte’s lead to 6-5.

taide 🎨#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/XxqUvAUwPh

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 24, 2023

At the end of the first quarter, the Jazz trailed the Hornets, 24-21.

During his first eight minutes on the court, Markkanen scored four points on 2-5 field goals. He added one rebound and one assist.

This season, the Arizona product is averaging 24.8 points per contest on 52.1 percent shooting. He also averages 8.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.6 blocks, and 0.6 steals in 34.3 minutes per game.

Utah’s game against Charlotte is broadcast on AT&T SportsNet, NBA League Pass, and KSL Sports Zone.

Hornets vs. Jazz

Entering their game against the Hornets, the Jazz sit one game below .500 and in the ninth seed in the Western Conference playoff race.

With a loss, the Jazz would fall to 11th in the West, behind the Golden State Warriors and the Oklahoma City Thunder, both of whom are idle on Monday night.

The Jazz would also sit just half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers for the 11th seed with a loss, and could see the Portland Trail Blazers pull within an equal distance with a win over the San Antonio Spurs.

A Jazz win would push them back to .500, giving them a one-game lead on Golden State and Oklahoma City, and put them on even ground with the Phoenix Suns.  It would also move the team a half-game back of the idle Los Angeles Clippers for the sixth seed in the West.

The Jazz will once again be without Kelly Olynyk due to an ankle sprain suffered on January 8 against the Memphis Grizzlies.

LISTEN LIVE: The @utahjazz will look to bounce back as they welcome the @hornets to Vivint Arena on https://t.co/4kU961UAvR and the @KSLSportsZone.#TakeNote https://t.co/mshjLWkoa0 pic.twitter.com/a40g0PJAXk

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 24, 2023

Hornets Have Won Two Straight

The Hornets travel to Utah on the heels of just their second two-game winning streak of the season after beating the Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks to begin their four-game road trip.

Charlotte last won two consecutive games on November 23 and 25 against the Philadelphia 76ers and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

RELATED: LaMelo Ball Questionable, Jazz Host Suddenly Hot Hornets

Hayward returned to the lineup against Atlanta after missing eight games due to a hamstring injury. The former Jazzman scored nine points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished out five assists in the win.

LaMelo Ball is listed as questionable against the Jazz with wrist and ankle soreness. The All-Star guard missed the Hornets’ last game.

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