Lauri Markkanen’s Utah put the reigning champion Denver Nuggets in a tight spot in the NBA. Denver superstar Nikola Jokic made a questionable basket in the final moments against Markka.
Lauri Markkanen The NBA season has gotten off to a promising start on a personal level. Last night, the Finn scored 27 points in a Utah Jazz jersey against reigning champion Denver. Markkanen also took a handsome 14 rebounds and gave the Finn an exceptional 5 basket assists. However, Utah bowed with a score of 102–110.
In his first four games, Markkanen has scored 25 points per game and grabbed 9.8 rebounds per game. The readings are almost similar to last season (25.6/.8.6).
The Denver superstar, considered the best player in the world Nikola Jokic has also noted Markkanen’s comments. Something incensed Markkas after the match at the press conference.
According to Jokic, Markkanen has understood how to be a star in the league and be a better player in general.
– He can be a problem. Lauri is seven feet tall (213 centimeters). He can carry the ball and he can throw. His throw goes high into the air. He is able to take advantage of mismatches, Jokic refers to defenders who may be slower or weaker than Markka.
– Lauri is a big guy who can take a smaller defender under the basket. He can rush for rebounds. He can roll to the basket and shoot from it.
Jokic dismissed speculation about the referee’s favoritism against Markka
Since the beginning of the season, Markkanen has especially made three-point shots. The “King of the North” has sunk a total of 17 triples. In the entire NBA, only superstar-level guards have made more threes Stephen Curry (24) and Luka Doncic (18).
However, with Markkanen’s leadership, Utah also made Denver tough. One of the most exciting moments of last night’s match was seen a minute and a half before the end. Jokic went to Korinteko against Markkas in the decisive moments.
The Finn tried to get a mistake from the Serbian attacker and fell to the floor. Both the Denver and Utah commentators were of the opinion that Jokic could have been whistled for a forward foul as well. It didn’t happen to Jokic, nor did Markkanes make a defender’s mistake from the collision.
Instead, a foul was whistled in the moments after contact Talen Horton-Tucker A slap on Jokic’s hand.
Jokic completed the basket in the situation and sank another free throw. Denver cut the difference to eight points in the deciding moments. If the situation had been whistled for Jokic’s attacker’s foul, the difference would have remained two baskets long at five points.
The Serbian star was asked in the post-match press conference if he gets superstar treatment from the referees and the tight whistles go in his favor.
– The situation was not tight at all. I don’t think like that, but Lauri’s situation was not tight, Jokic said.
See the situation from the place of the main picture of the story above!
Utah has lost three of its first four games of the season. However, the opponents have been tough. Utah has basically been tipped to fight for places in the playoff qualifiers. It has received championship candidates Denver and Phoenix right from the start of the season. The only win has come against the Los Angeles Clippers, who were also ranked significantly higher than Utah in pre-season speculation.
Against Denver, the second half went to Utah by five points, but it still did not lead to victory.
– We will win a lot of games this season if we pull like we did in the second half, Markkanen described to KSL Sports.
For the rest of the week, Utah will face weaker opponents than expected. Next, Utah will be on the floor in their home arena early Thursday Finland time against Memphis. Memphis is undefeated so far this season. At the end of the week, Utah also has a home game against Orlando and an away game against Minnesota.