Is Lauri Markkanen all right? That question may have collectively passed through the minds of the attendees at the Delta Center during the recently concluded Spurs-Jazz matchup. The Utah Jazz had already been dealing with some injury troubles over the last couple of days. It didn’t help that prior to the matchup, 3 of their players had been declared ‘out’ as they continued recovering from their ailments. Given recent events, it seems that a 4th name may be entering the injury report for the upcoming games.

With 2:38 minutes remaining in the final quarter of the Spurs-Jazz game, Victor Wembanyama had possession of the ball. Looking to break the block created by Lauri Markkanen, the Frenchman attempted to do a spin move but ended up clashing his knee with the Jazz player. Markkanen fell and stayed down. Despite having been hurt too, Wemby went up to check on his rival before walking away.

The collision seemingly affected Lauri Markkanen much more, and the medical staff had to take him back to the locker room. The official X account of Utah Jazz confirmed that the 27-year-old small forward/power forward has sustained a left knee contusion. They also revealed that Markkanen wasn’t going to return for the game’s remaining minutes.

Lauri exited the game after having scored 14 points within 33 minutes. He accompanied his points tally with 8 rebounds and 2 assists. The player had accumulated several missed opportunities during the game. After all, he only went 5-14 (35.7%) with his field goals and 0-6 (0%) with his 3-pointers. However, he did manage to make all 4 of his free throw attempts.

Markkanen’s exit was unfortunate for the Utah Jazz. The team was neck-to-neck with the San Antonio Spurs for most of the game but lost the lead in the final moments. Having a key player absent buried all hope that the Jazz could recover, and they lost the game by a 128-115 score.

According to reports, the bump from Wembanyama may not have solely caused Lauri Markkanen’s injury. Instead, another hit he took during the matchup may have contributed too. As Keyonte George made a layup during the early part of the game, Markkanen and John Collins both attempted to get the rebound. The knees of both players bumped with each other. After which they remained on the floor for some time before heading to the bench for a timeout huddle. Soon, the duo returned and continued their play. While the hit may not have seemed like much back then, the collision with Wemby may have only aggravated the same.

It is no secret that the ongoing tournament has highlighted more players sustaining injuries than in the previous seasons. For Lauri Markkanen, his left knee contusion will mark a return for him on the Injury Report just as he had his name crossed off from it.

What other injuries has Lauri Markkanen sustained this season?

Back in late October, Utah went up against the Sac Town. During the matchup, Lauri Markkanen sustained spasms in his lower back. This caused him to be benched for 3 games. No sooner had he returned than he sustained another injury after taking a hit to the nose.

The same took place during a matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, when Naji Marshall attempted to swipe up to steal the ball, but instead got into contact with the rival player. Lauri Markkanen was once again on the ground for a specific period before he headed to the locker room. Fortunately, the injury didn’t cause the player to miss out on any games.

The ongoing NBA season is bringing out some bad cases in terms of injuries. For Lauri Markkanen, however, it’s especially worse. Now, Jazz fans may be holding their breaths, hoping for an update that ensures the player stays present for the upcoming games.