SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen sat out Thursday night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs because of lower back spasms.
Markkanen is averaging a team-high 18.0 points along with 7.3 rebounds through Utah’s first four games. He signed a contract extension with the Jazz in August for $238 million over five years.
The 7-foot forward played just 17 minutes Tuesday night in a 113-96 loss to the Sacramento Kings, finishing with seven points and three rebounds, before leaving because of back spasms. Markkanen practiced with the team Thursday but showed no improvement in his condition.
“He came in this morning and did shootaround and he felt OK,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “We evaluated him this afternoon again, and he’s not healthy enough to play.”
Rookie forward Kyle Filipowski started in place of Markkanen against San Antonio. The Jazz selected Filipowski with the 32nd pick in the 2024 draft. He’s averaging 4.0 points and 11.3 minutes this season.