Utah Jazz beat Houston Rockets 131-114, Lauri Markkanen scores career-high

The Utah Jazz clinched a 131-114 victory against the Houston Rockets on Thursday behind a 49-point performance by forward Lauri Markkanen. Markkanen set a career-high with the points he scored.

A five-game losing streak makes this Thursday’s victory against the Rockets all the more noteworthy.

Utah Jazz

2023-01-06 03:38

🎙 @sportsiren with Lauri after his career night and he’s giving the credit to his guys. “My teammates. That’s all it is.” #WalkoffInterview | @lhmauto https://t.co/gkTi3WlXed

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Many feared the Jazz crumbling following the trades of key players like shooting guard Donovan Mitchell and center Rudy Gobert during the off-season. A five-game losing streak almost proved those fears, after the Jazz lost a close defeat to the Sacramento Kings in their previous game.

However, the Jazz found their footing in their current star player and came out with a win last Thursday. Markkanen’s 49-point lead and eight rebounds on the field contributed significantly to his team’s victory.

Markkanen’s performance was not the only factor influencing the victory, but the lack of opposition on the Rocket’s defense as well.

Jazz vs Rockets highlights

Rockets’ defense ranks among the worst in the NBA, allowing Markkanen to run wild.

There was one instance in the game where Markkanen scored his first point in the basket, thanks to an assist from Vanderbilt a minute into the game. Later on in the game, point guard Mike Conley would follow suit by passing the ball to Markkanen for another dunk.

Markkanen still scored another point for the Jazz despite being fouled by the other team. He got the chance to head for another free throw soon after, scoring another point and turning the Jazz’s chances around in a 73-67 point lead.

Halfway through the rest of the quarter, Markkanen tallied another 30 points from 9-17 goals, about four to ten paces away. Not only that, he picked up another four rebounds and an assist less than half an hour into his time on the court.

I’ve said it over and over again this year, it’s just my teammates, the coaching staff, they put me in the right spots to succeed.”

Lauri Markkanen, Jazz’s forward

The Finnish forward from Arizona reached his 49-point career high, being the sixth player to achieve it in NBA history.

His achievement matches with the Jazz’s previous star and prior trade-off Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell was the first to score 49 points back in 2020.

After scoring his career-high points, Markkanen is averaging 24.5 points and 8.4 rebounds this season, all from an incredible distance around the perimeter of the court.

Despite his excellent performance, Markkanen ranked seventh in the 2023 All-Star fan voting, which some fans found upsetting. They voiced their appreciation online, many claiming him as a true All-Star.

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Jazz suffer close defeats in past week

The Jazz’s loss streak came from the many close encounters the team had against their opponents.

In Tuesday night’s game against the Kings, the Jazz were in a tough spot. With only half a second on the clock and after Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox’s lay-up moving past Markkanen, it seemed to be a hopeless situation.

At that last second, the stadium roared as they saw forward Jarred Vanderbilt shoot the ball across the court, landing straight for Markkanen. The forward took the opportunity and threw the ball toward the cylinder, flying past Kings forward Keegan Murray’s open arms.

In a miraculous turn of events, it seemed the Jazz snatched victory from the hands of defeat, grabbing a 118-117 lead on the clock. However, following a replay, officials waived off the victory. The ball was still in Markkanen’s hand just as the buzzer went off.

Many close calls like this have added to the Jazz’s losses in the past week.