Jazz vs. Clippers Injury Report: Markkanen, Kessler Status Update

The Utah Jazz are going to be short a few key players during Saturday's contest.

Dec 16, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) is defended by Los Angeles Clippers guard Kris Dunn (8) in the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

After a heartbreaking overtime defeat last night, the Utah Jazz will be back in action against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night. The Clippers, losers of their previous three outings, will look to get back on track against the young Jazz team.

Here’s the latest from the injury report:

Utah Jazz:

Cody Williams: Questionable (left ankle sprain)

Collin Sexton: Out (Left ankle sprain)

John Collins: Out (Rest)

Lauri Markkanen: Out (Low back injury management)

Walker Kessler: Out (Left shoulder contusion)

KJ Martin: Out (Trade pending)

Josh Richardson: Out (Trade pending)

Tayor Hendricks: Out for season

It’ll be interesting to see how the Jazz respond after an emotional loss last night which saw them erase a double-digit deficit and take a 4-point lead with 4 seconds remaining.

After a couple of miraculous shots from Grayson Allen sent the game to overtime, the Phoenix Suns took control and sent the Jazz home defeated. Despite the loss, the team seems to have turned a corner recently with increased confidence and production out of its young core.

Missing a handful of the team’s veteran production, Utah’s youth will have another opportunity to play meaningful minutes and continue developing. Encouragingly, it looks like a return is near for Cody Williams who has been upgraded to questionable for the contest.

Los Angeles Clippers:

Bogdan Bogdanovic: Out (Return to competition conditioning)

Cam Christie: Out (G-League)

Trentyn Flowers: Out (G-League)

Kai Jones: Out (G-League)

The Clippers will be without Bogdanovic who they acquired from the Atlanta Hawks last week. The veteran is an excellent scorer who should give the team's second unit a major boost as they prepare for the playoffs.

This will be Utah’s first chance to see Kawhi Leonard this year as the veteran forward is back in the lineup and looking to get back to form. Despite limited minutes, Leonard remains one of the most unique talents in the league.

The Clippers' success this year has surprised many. After losing Paul George in the offseason and Leonard’s injury issues, many picked them to slide out of the playoff picture in the West. Instead, they sit in 7th place and are in firm contention for one of the prized top-six seeds in the playoff picture.

---

Recommended Articles

feed

Follow Utah Jazz On SI on Facebook and Twitter/X and Subscribe on YouTube for breaking Jazz news videos and live streams!