The Finn improved his record by 11 points.
Lauri Markkanen fell short of the magical 50-point mark. PDO
Lauri Markkanen was completely unstoppable in last night’s NBA round when the Utah Jazz broke their losing streak and beat the Houston Rockets by a clear margin 131-114.
There was no doubt about the number one star on the floor. Markkanes had the best match of his career, as he broke his own record by scoring a whopping 49 points. Previously, the Finn had scored 38 points twice.
On top of everything, Markkanen collected 8 rebounds, one pass and a block. As usual, he was the most employed Jazz player, this time with 36 game minutes.
The two-point shots were sunk with a balance of 9/12 and three-pointers 6/15. In free throws, the Finnish ace scored all 13 of his attempts at the basket.
After the match, Markkanen’s teammates tried to cool down the Finn, who played with a hot throwing hand.
History
Free throws have hit the Finn lately. The Utah Jazz announced after the game that Markkanen is the first in NBA history to shoot at least 12 free throws in three consecutive games and not miss a single shot.
Although the victory was in Utah’s pocket well before the final whistle, Markkanen tried to cross the 50-point mark with his last throw of the game.
– Jordan Clarkson said throw 50. I knew they (Rockets) doubled me but I had to try. I’m not that upset when it didn’t hit. It was great to see the team so enthusiastic, as I was enthusiastic about them, Markkanen stated in the match interview.
Despite the miss, Markkanen is the first Jazz player since 1998 and Karl Malone’swho scored 49 points during the regular season game.
To the All-Star Game?
The Jazz are pushing Markkas to the all-star game in February, and the 25-year-old Finn’s latest performance gives no reason to slow down. The NBA’s voting for the players to be selected for the all-star game is still open, and you can also vote from Finland.
Voting requires logging in and you can vote more than once at the address nba.com.