Kelly Olynyk Hits Early Three In Return From Injury

SALT LAKE CITY – After missing over two weeks of basketball, Kelly Olynyk returned like he never left with an early pull-up 3-pointer against Dallas on Saturday.

Olynyk missed time after re-injuring his ankle against the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this month.

a Welcome Back indeed ☝️#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/3lcOTypBJ1

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 29, 2023

In the first quarter against the Mavericks, the Jazz jumped out to an early lead thanks to quality big man play. Markkanen and Kessler scored 11 early points to contribute to the hot start.

Kelly Olynyk is averaging 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists this year in 28 minutes per game.

The Jazz are in the midst of one of the lighter parts of their schedule, playing just one game over a six-game stretch as they prepare for the All-Star break.

The Mavericks, meanwhile, are coming off a win over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.

Markkanen Building Case For All-Star Reserve

Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen will retake the floor for the first time after he was left off the starting roster for the Western Conference All-Stars.

Markkanen received fewer votes than LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, and Zion Williamson who has missed 20 games over the first half of the season.

Breaking: Lauri Markkanen wasn't named among the Western Conference All-Star starters, while former Jazzman Donovan Mitchell earned his first starting nod.#takenote | @utahjazz https://t.co/VEP8r0WvoB

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 27, 2023

Markkanen was ranked fourth by his fellow NBA player, fifth by members of the media, and seventh in the van voting.

Now, the Jazz forward’s destiny lies in the hands of NBA coaches who are tasked with naming the All-Star reserves.

The All-Star rosters will be finalized on February 2 with reserves chosen by the NBA’s 30 head coaches.

Markkanen is averaging 24.8 points and 8.7 rebounds while shooting 52 percent from the floor, 43 percent from three, and 87 percent from the free-throw line.

Early Saturday the Jazz announced that Kelly Olynyk would return to the lineup after missing eight games with an ankle injury.

Doncic Injury Against Suns

Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic was named an All-Star starter on Thursday. Doncic later left Dallas’s game against Phoenix with an ankle injury in the first quarter.

Though x-rays were negative, the Mavericks said they would’t know the availability of Doncic until before the game.

Doncic ruled out vs. Jazz on Saturday. https://t.co/DQuwpNnVJb

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 27, 2023

“He looked good, looked fine,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “But we’ll see how he feels as we go forward here. We’ll have probably more information once we get to Utah.”

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Doncic will not play against the Jazz due to an ankle sprain.

The Mavericks will also be without forward Christian Wood (thumb). Wood had 21 points and 10 rebounds in Dallas’s last meeting with the Jazz.

Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks Broadcast

The Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks will tip off at 7 pm MT in Salt Lake City on Saturday. The game will be 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.

Chandler Holt is a Digital Sports Producer for KSLSports.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter at @ChandlerHoltKSL.