Vanderbilt Threads Needle In Pass Leading To Markkanen Dunk
Dec 30, 2022, 8:44 PM | Updated: 8:46 pm
Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) takes a breath during a game (Credit: Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)
(Credit: Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Jazz center Jarred Vanderbilt threaded the needle in an impressive pass leading to a dunk by Lauri Markkanen against the Sacramento Kings.
Vanderbilt had the ball at the top of the three-point line for the Jazz and threw the ball between two Kings defenders to a cutting Markkanen, who finished with a two-handed slam dunk.
That cut the Kings’ lead to 6-4 with 9:36 remaining in the first quarter.
⏩ @MarkkanenLauri ⏩ pic.twitter.com/tThV1yzAW7
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 31, 2022
Jazz Struggling On Road
After losses to the lowly Spurs and a Warriors team playing without three starters, the Jazz will look for their first quality road win in more than a month.
The Jazz are just 2-10 in their last 12 road games and haven’t beaten a playoff team away from home since downing the Portland Trail Blazers 1188-113 on November 19.
Since that win, the Jazz are 1-8 as the visiting team with their lone win coming against the league-worst Detroit Pistons on December 20.
The Jazz have the second-worst record on the road among all teams in the NBA since November 12, trailing only the 2-11 Washington Wizards.
On the bright side for the team, Friday’s matchup with the Kings will mark the league-leading 21st road game of the season, meaning the Jazz have played more than half of their total road games for the season before January 1.
Kings Have Hit A Road Bump
After jumping out to a quick 10-6 start to open the season the Kings have fallen back to earth over their last 17 games.
The Kings are just 8-9 since November 23rd and have dropped from the fifth seed in the West to the seventh.
Sacramento owns the league’s seventh-best offensive rating for the season, but are ranked 19th over their last 17 games.
Despite their recent struggles, forward Domontas Sabonis has been a bright spot for the Kings.
The Gonzaga product is averaging 19.7 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 7.3 assists while shooting a staggering 52 percent from the three-point line in his last 16 appearances.
Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings Broadcast
The Utah Jazz and Kings game is being 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.
