West Notes: Jazz, Lauri Markkanen, Mavericks, Cooper Flagg, Lakers

Jazz

It took 27 years for the Jazz to have another 50-point scorer, but Lauri Markkanen finally broke through.

Markkanen poured in a career-high 51 points in Utah’s 138-134 overtime win against the Suns, becoming the first Jazz player since Karl Malone in 1998 to hit the mark.

Markkanen, who played 45 minutes, sealed the victory with two free throws in the final two seconds.

“As long as you’re mentally not tired, and kind of force yourself out of that mindset that you’re tired, then you can push through whatever you need to,” Markkanen told reporters.

He hit 6-of-11 from three and went 17-for-17 from the line, tying the Jazz record for most free throws without a miss.

Markkanen also grabbed 14 rebounds, becoming the first player in franchise history with at least 50 points, 10 rebounds, and five threes in a game.

Utah went nearly 10,000 days between 50-point outings, the fourth-longest gap in NBA history.

“You get hungrier as it happens,” Markkanen said. “Hopefully, it’s not the last.”

Keyonte George added 26 points and 10 assists in the win.

Mavericks

Rookie Cooper Flagg injured his left shoulder on the opening possession of Monday’s 101-94 loss to the Thunder. He played through it but struggled, scoring just two points on 1-for-9 shooting.

Flagg said he likely hurt his shoulder boxing out and expects to undergo scans.

“I feel like it’s just a little sore,” he said, via Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “Just want to keep an eye on it, ice it, do some rehab and should be good to go.”

He sat most of crunch time as Jason Kidd opted to ride the hot lineup that cut a 22-point deficit to one.

“It wasn’t his night,” Kidd said. “He wasn’t on the floor, but he was cheering for his teammates.”

Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick, said he understood the decision.

”We had a group that was rolling,” he said. “I wasn’t myself tonight. Coach made the right call.”

Lakers

The Lakers are banged up and short on bodies. Gabe Vincent will miss two to four weeks after an MRI revealed a sprained left ankle, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and Shams Charania.

Vincent was injured in Sunday’s win over Sacramento and arrived at Crypto.com Arena on crutches Monday.

He joined a long list of absences that already includes LeBron James (sciatica), Luka Doncic (finger sprain, leg contusion), Marcus Smart (quad contusion), Jaxson Hayes (knee soreness), Maxi Kleber (abdominal strain), and Adou Thiero (knee recovery).

Despite the injuries, Austin Reaves continues to shine. One night after his 51-point explosion in Sacramento, he scored 41 points with five assists in a 122-108 loss to Portland.

“We’re not expecting Austin to go score 51 again,” said coach JJ Redick. “We just want guys to play with an edge.”

L.A. had only seven full-time players available Monday, rolling out a lineup of Reaves, Deandre Ayton, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Jake LaRavia.