Lauri Markkanen Doesn't Expect To Play Thursday
5 months agoUtah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (hamstring) said after Wednesday's 117-113 win over the New York Knicks that he doesn't expect to play on Thursday against the Portland Trail Blazers. Markkanen admitted to feeling tired at times on Wednesday and that his leg felt like it hadn't had game reps in awhile. The 26-year-old stretch four played 25 minutes in his return from an eight-game absence due to a strained left hamstring, scoring an efficient 23 points with eight rebounds and four triples. But the Jazz are likely to load manage their franchise centerpiece against Portland, considering Thursday is the second leg of a back-to-back. Depending on John Collins' (illness) availability, Kelly Olynyk could see more minutes. Simone Fontecchio averaged 11.6 points, 2.3 threes, and 1.0 blocks in 28.3 minutes over the eight contests Markkanen missed, so he's worth streaming in fantasy if that package sounds appealing.
Source: Eric Walden - The Salt Lake Tribune
Source: Eric Walden - The Salt Lake Tribune