Lauri Markkanen was on fire in the basketball NBA round, when the Utah Jazz represented by the Finnish star ended their five-game losing streak.
Lauri Markkanen broke his point record in the NBA round of basketball, when the Finnish star scored a whopping 49 points in a victorious away game against Houston. Markkanen led the Utah Jazz to a 131–114 away win over the Houston Rockets. The win snapped the Jazz’s five-game losing streak.
Markkanen, who was given responsibility for 36 minutes, threw in 15/27 free throw shots and succeeded perfectly from the free throw line (13/13). The Finn threw in threes with a balance of 6/15. The best scorer of the match also recorded eight rebounds, one pass leading to the basket and one block.
Markkanen’s previous record for points was 38 points, which he scored in both November and December.
Markkanen is the first player in NBA history to make at least 12 free throws in three consecutive games without missing any of them. In the previous match, the Finnish star’s free throw balance was 15, and in the one before that, 12.
Markkanen started the match strong, as he scored 18 points in the first quarter of the match.
– I have said many times this season that this is thanks to my teammates and the coaching staff, because they made my success possible. The teammates did a great job today when they passed the ball to me, the modest Finn commented after the game.
At the end of the match, the teammates wanted Markkanen to break the 50-point barrier.
– Jordan (Clarkson) told me to try to complete 50. I knew they were trying to sell me a seat at the end of the game.
The entire Utah bench stood and cheered Markkas on when he missed a three-pointer with 13.1 seconds left.
– I had to try it. I’m not too worried about not breaking 50 points now. However, it was great to see how excited the whole team was – I was also excited for them, Markkanen said.
After the game, the Suomalaishtahti received incense from Utah pilot Will Hardy.
– He has worked on different ways to influence the game in attack. He has shown that he understands how to play when opponents try to take certain things away from him. Of course, he has shown that he can throw. But his physicality, his ability to drive to the basket and set screens have given him the opportunity to make baskets in many different ways, Hardy praised.