Jazz Update Markkanen, Clarkson's Status for Trail Blazers Matchup

The Utah Jazz look to make it three in a row at home but who suits up?

The Utah Jazz face off in their fourth and final matchup versus the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night. A pair of starters will be absent for both teams heading into the contest.

Portland will be without Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant, while Utah will be missing Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton. Portland backup forward Nassir Little is listed as questionable. 

Also, Jazz fans will be glad to hear that despite being listed as questionable yesterday, Lauri Markkanen will be available tonight.

Jordan Clarkson (finger sprain) remains OUT for the Jazz’s Wednesday game vs. the Blazers.
Lauri Markkanen (back soreness) is officially QUESTIONABLE but was a full participant in today’s practice.

— tribjazz (@tribjazz) March 21, 2023

The Jazz will need to come out victorious if they want to keep pace in the competitive Western Conference. Currently, the Jazz are tied for the No. 9 seed and only a half-game removed from being in the lottery, but they're also only one game back from the No. 6 seed. This game also has huge implications in regard to the tiebreaker with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Utah will need to win its last three division game this year versus the Trailblazers, Thunder, and Denver Nuggets in order to have any shot of holding the advantage.

This game vs. Portland is one Utah should win, as Las Vegas has the home team pegged as a 4.5-point favorite. Portland has lost six straight and is almost at a point where it'll be shutting down All-Star guard Damian Lillard for the season. 

Lillard did drop 60 points in Portland’s last meeting with the Jazz, but should find it more difficult to have that type of production facing Talen Horton-Tucker and Kris Dunn as defenders, along with the thin air in Salt Lake City.

Tip-off is at 7:00 pm MDT.

Update: According to The Athletic's Tony Jones, Markkanen will play Wednesday night. 

"Lauri Markkanen will be available tonight for the Utah Jazz against the Portland Trail Blazers," Jones tweeted Wednesday afternoon. 

Lauri Markkanen will be available tonight for the Utah Jazz against the Portland Trail Blazers

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) March 22, 2023

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