Lauri Markkanen Issues Blunt Statement After Jazz’s Loss vs. Bucks

The Utah Jazz forward kept it real after a 24-point loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Nov 7, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) reaches for a rebound against Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis (9) in the third quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Utah Jazz couldn't manage to secure two wins in a row on Thursday night in a tough road environment, as they fell to the Milwaukee Bucks in not-so-close fashion, the final score ending up as 100-124.

It was a big night for the star tandem in Milwaukee of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, as the two combined for 65 points, each shooting above 50% from the field, while Lillard also cashed in four threes from deep in the process. Facing these two star-level talents is a tough defensive assignment for any team, but it especially showed against this young Jazz team.

Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen was asked after the loss on how he felt the team did against a tough matchup in Antetokounmpo and Lillard, where he kept things honest about the team's efforts.

"Not good enough," Markkanen said. "There was times that we did a good job on them, but obviously, we just got to be able to do that for the full game... We had a couple of good quarters that we played-- tied at halftime. We've just got to be able to keep the dark moments shorter. [The Bucks] had an eight-minute run where they really made us pay for our mistakes and turnovers... There's some good in that game. Of course, there's always something we can learn. Keep moving on, and just try to get the next one."

We didn't see the greatest performance offensively from Markkanen on Thursday night, as he posted a total of eight points on 3/10 shooting from the field and 2/6 shooting from deep. While his -9 plus-minus was among the best of those who got significant minutes, Utah will need much more impact from their star forward scoring the ball if they want to get more wins on the board.

So far this season, it's been a bumpy start for Markkanen compared to the numbers we're used to seeing, as he's currently putting up his worst point and rebound average since being in Utah, also shooting a career-worst from the field at 37.1%. It's far from ideal to see such a stat line, but a long year lies ahead for the 27-year-old to return to form.

Markkanen and the Jazz will get an opportunity to get back on track come Saturday night, as the team will take on the fourth of their four-game road trip against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.

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