Jazz Deliver Status Update on Lauri Markkanen vs Thunder

Utah's leading scorer is averaging 20.1 points on 42.8% from the field. Statistically, it's been a down season. Markkanen is coming off a year in which he averaged 23.2 points on 48% shooting.

Markkanen playing is coming off a stretch in games Utah was matched up against teams playing for draft position. Utah appears to be taking no chances in their quest to maximize its draft position. With starting forward John Collins also ready to play, this will be the first time in eight games in which Utah's starting five will be suiting up together.

This will be a battle of two franchises headed in different directions. The Jazz are losers of three in a row and six of their last seven. The Jazz have turned up the notch in their tanking strategy over the last couple of weeks. If the season were to end today, the Jazz would possess the third-best lottery odds.

The Jazz will be going through a tough stretch of games over the next couple weeks. Utah’s next six out of seven games will be against franchises with a winning record. 

The Thunder are in first place in the Western Conference with a 35-7 record. Also, Oklahoma boasts a 19-2 record at home. Utah is 7-16 on the road this season. The top-off is at 6:00 pm MT.