Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen is day-to-day due to a lower back spasm that forced him to exit Utah’s 113-96 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night.
Markkanen logged 17 minutes against Sacramento before missing the entire the second half, when the Kings broke open the game with a 14-2 run to end the third period.
“His back pretty much locked up,” Jazz coach Will Hardy told reporters. “He got treatment throughout halftime, and with about a minute left on the clock, was still on the table, not really able to move. So it was my decision, and our medical team’s decision, to hold him out.”
Hardy said Markkanen would get treatment Wednesday. The Jazz are off until Thursday, when they face the San Antonio Spurs in Salt Lake City. Hardy will wait until then to determine if Markkanen is good to play.
Markkanen finished with seven points, three rebounds and one assist.
In four games this season, Markkanen has averaged 18.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists as one of the few bright spots for a Jazz team that is 0-4 and lost its past two home games by a combined 58 points.
Markkanen, 27, was an All-Star during the 2022-23 campaign.
The Associated Press and Field Level Media contributed to this report.