The Utah Jazz are set to take on the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday in an away game set to tip off at 8:30 p.m. EST. However, it sounds like Utah will be without one of its star players, Lauri Markkanen, as he's already been ruled out.
Reports indicate that the 28-year-old forward is officially out with an illness. The type of illness is not specified. Markannen is one of six players on the Jazz roster who are ruled out for Thursday's contest. Elijah Harkless, Walker Kessler, and Georges Niang are all out with injuries, while John Tonje and Oscar Tshiebwe are in the G-League on two-way contracts.
Markkanen, who typically swings between small and power forward, will need to be replaced in the lineup. The Jazz will likely turn to Taylor Hendricks in the power forward position. Kyle Filipowski and Kevin Love may see some additional playing time in Markkanen's absence.
This will be Lauri Markkanen's second consecutive missed game due to illness, as he was unavailable in the Jazz's 128-126 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. Not having the 2022-23 Most Improved Player Award winner in the lineup is a worst-case-scenario for Utah right now, as Markkanen has been one of the most consistent players on the team throughout this season.
Through 33 games played so far, the nine-year veteran is averaging 27.9 points (career-high), 7.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. He's also shooting a 48.3% field goal percentage while going 36.5% from beyond the three-point line. Lauri Markkanen will have a chance to finally return from illness on Saturday, when the Jazz take on the Mavericks once again.
