Basketball|The Utah superstar has been scoring at an unprecedented rate.
NBA stars Lauri Markkanen is in an unprecedented blow. The Utah Jazz leader scored 33 points as Phoenix crushed the Jazz 118-96.
The match was Markkanen’s fourth consecutive night with more than 30 points. The lineup also includes a wild 51-point fireworks display in the previous meeting with Phoenix.
Markkanen started his NBA career in 2017 in Chicago. The account already has 455 matches, but never before has the Finnish star scored points at the current pace.
More than 30 points in four games in a row is Markkanen’s record, as is the scoring average of 33.8 in five consecutive games. That qualifies for no less than fourth place in the entire NBA.
Markkanen has thrown clearly better this season than on average in his entire career. He has sunk 50.5% of the shots in game situations (45.6 in his entire NBA career), the success percentage of three-pointers is 39.2 (37.2) and 87.2 (86.7) of free throws.
An average of 6.6 rebounds have been caught in the early season, while the number for the whole career is 7.1. On the other hand, Markkanen has given an average of 2.2 (1.6) assists leading to a basket.
Compared to last season, the difference is even more glaring: last season’s shots dropped by 42.3% and threes by 34.6%.
When a clearly increased number of throws is added to the equation, the logic of making wild results begins to take shape. Markkanen threw an average of 14.9 times in his 47 games last season. This season, the number of throws has been an average of 21.4 per game.
It is also worth noting that Markkanen has been equally successful at breaking the 30-point mark both at home and away. Last season, he never scored 30 points away from home.
In total, the limit was broken only four times last season. The record is from the 2022–23 season, when Markkanen scored at least 30 points no less than 16 times. That’s when the top season was rewarded with a selection to the NBA’s all-star game.
Markkanen performance in the loss to Phoenix was praised on the SLC Dunk site.
“Markkanen played a great game, scoring 33 points, but the rest of his contribution was muted. Only four rebounds and one block,” the site reflects.
In the analysis, it is considered that the Jazz’s attack pattern is perhaps starting to be familiar to the opponents.
“The number one option when Markkanen is on the court is to make screens in order to get Markkanen the ball moving towards the basket or to a free shooting spot for the three-point arc.”
“The problem is that the team is in trouble if the plan doesn’t work. Big hats off to Markkanen for being really effective even though the Suns were heavily focused on overshadowing him.”
The Jazz have won two of their five games this season. Now there are two losses below. The Jazz next face the visiting Charlotte Hornets on the night before Monday Finnish time.
After that, the away tour continues to the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves.