Inside The Jazz

Lauri Markkanen Has a Field Day in Jazz 134-122 Win Over Hornets

The Utah Jazz secured a critical road win against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night.

Jared Koch

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The Utah Jazz extended to their second-straight win on Saturday night as they took down the Charlotte Hornets, 134-122. It was a game that was all but over at the half, considering Utah posted a franchise-high 82 points in the first while rising to a stout 35-point lead at the 24-minute mark.

Lauri Markkanen led the charge for Utah, dropping a strong line of 33 points, 12 rebounds, and three assists on 66.7/58.3/100 splits. He also tied with Collin Sexton for the highest plus-minus on the team (+19). Tthe Jazz dominated all around offensively by shooting 55.9% from the field and 41.5% from deep. Three players on the team posted over six assists in the contest, highlighted by Sexton's 13.

This game was Markkanen's third-highest point total of the season, capping off his eighth 30-point game of the season. The Jazz are also 7-1 when Lauri scores above 30 points. Simply, if Utah's best player is at his best, so is the team. There's no guarantee that he ends up in this year's All-Star game, but he is absolutely making an appealing case for it.

Markkanen also showcased an insane 360-lay-in mid-way through the first to add some flair to his night. A stellar showing all around for The Finnisher.

This win keeps Utah at the 9th-spot in the Play-In Tournament race, sitting 1.5 games from the Dallas Mavericks sitting ahead of them at eight. The Jazz are entering the back end of a strenuous road trip for their next two games, so it'll be crucial to keep this momentum going in order to stay competitive in their push for the postseason.

The Jazz take on the Brooklyn Nets come Monday at the Barclays Center for their next one on Monday at 5 PM MT.

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Jared Koch
JARED KOCH

Jared Koch is the Associate Editor of The Frozen Rope — SI.com's team website covering the Utah Jazz. He's covered the NBA and NFL for the past two years, also being the Managing Editor of Inside The Kings — SI.com's team website covering the Sacramento Kings.

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