Jazz Fall To Spurs, Lose Markkanen To Knee Injury
Nov 26, 2024, 10:36 PM | Updated: Nov 27, 2024, 11:42 am
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz fell to the San Antonio Spurs 128-115, falling to 0-3 in NBA Cup play.
Keyonte George scored 26 points on an efficient 9-16 shooting but committed six turnovers to go with six assists.
Related: Utah Jazz vs. San Antonio Spurs Game Blog
Latest On Lauri Markkanen Injury
Late in the fourth quarter Lauri Markkanen banged knees with Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama sending the Jazz forward collapsing to the floor.
Markkanen initially looked like he was trying to sit up, but his teammates signaled for trainers to come over to help the All-Star off the floor.
The Jazz quickly ruled the 27-year-old out with a knee contusion for the rest of the game.
Looks like knee-to-knee with Wembanyama that led to the Lauri Markkanen injury. pic.twitter.com/ESpMq2jJEY
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) November 27, 2024
Related: Markkanen Leaves Spurs Game With Knee Injury
“As of now, it’s a contusion,” Jazz coach Will Hardy reiterated after the loss.
Though he didn’t speak to the media, the seven-footer was getting treatment on his knee after the game and remained in good spirits.
With the Jazz back in action on Wednesday night, and Taylor Hendricks and Kyle Filipowski already dealing with injuries in the frontcourt, any extended absence by Markkanen would be a major blow to the team’s depth.
The Finnish big man finished with 14 points, eight rebounds, and two assists, but shot just 5-14 from the floor in the loss.
How Can Brice Sensabaugh Improve?
With Jordan Clarkson (plantar fasciitis) and Cody Williams (G League) both missing Tuesday’s contest, the Jazz turned to Brice Sensabaugh for extended minutes against the Spurs.
The second-year guard was firmly in the rotation through the first seven games of the season but had played a total of 35 minutes over the team’s last eight contests in just three appearances.
Prior to the game, Hardy explained how he thought the Ohio State product could improve his game.
it’s time for everyone’s favorite show, The Brice is Right™️ pic.twitter.com/fhJzwe6is8
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) November 27, 2024
Related: Jazz Mailbag – Do Juzang, Sensabaugh Have Futures In Utah?
“Brice has done a better job this year of being ready on the catch,” Hardy said. “He worked a lot this summer on his footwork and kind of speeding up his footwork to be able to get some catch and shoot threes off a little bit quicker.”
In a limited sample size, the effort has paid off with Sensabaugh shooting 41 percent from three this season, up nearly 12 percentage points over his rookie season average.
“My mentality coming into the game, if there’s an open look, take it,” Sensabaugh said. “That’s what this team kind of needs is just a catch-and-shoot guy. That’s what they stress to me.”
While the guard’s offense has improved, there remains work to be done on the defensive side.
“He’s got to really focus on his body position and guarding the ball one-on-one,” Hardy added.
Against the Spurs Sensabaugh recorded 16 points and one steal, but failed to log a rebound or an assist in 26 minutes. The guard knocked down 6-11 from the floor including 4-7 from the three-point line.
Jazz Have One Remaining Cup Game
After hosting the Spurs for their final NBA Cup game at home, the Jazz will travel to wrap up the in-season tournament against the Oklahoma City Thunder next week.
With Tuesday’s loss, the Jazz sit at 0-3 in group play and were officially eliminated from tournament contention.
Remaining Group B Cup Games
November 29
Lakers (2-1) vs. Thunder (1-1)
December 3
Thunder (1-1) vs. Jazz (0-3)
Suns (2-1) vs. Spurs (2-1)
Related: See Jazz’s Custom NBA Cup Court Here
Teams that advance past the first round of the eight-team single-elimination round will complete the tournament at a neutral site in Las Vegas beginning December 7, with players on the winning team each earning $$514,970.
The four Cup games count toward a team’s regular season record.
Utah Jazz Next Broadcast
The Jazz will host the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday at 7 p.m. MST. The game will be televised on KJZZ, streamed on Jazz+, and heard on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone.
Are you on Threads yet? Let’s connect, give us a follow @kslsports.
Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops or on Instagram @BensHoops.
