Lauri Markkanen's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (back) will return from a one-game absence on Sunday versus Sacramento. Utah has upgraded him throughout the day, and he's now officially available for the contest. The Finnish star was a late scratch on Friday against Portland due to a back issue. Markkanen is Utah's leading scorer, averaging 19.2 points per game, and he should enjoy a productive comeback game in a meeting against a team that plays with the seventh-highest pace in the league and has a mediocre defense. The Kings gave up 25 points on 75 percent shooting to Markkanen in the previous head-to-head matchup.

Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (back) will not suit up for Friday's meeting with Portland. He has been ruled out for low back injury management purposes. Svi Mykhailiuk will fill in for Markkanen in the starting lineup. This is an interesting move, as the Jazz have so far used the Ukrainian in only four games this season. He's averaged 4.3 points in 12.3 minutes. With Markkanen unavailable, Brice Sensabaugh and Johnny Juzang should also have more opportunities to play. The latter has built up momentum ahead of Friday's action by scoring 10-plus points in back-to-back games.

The Utah Jazz announced that forward Lauri Markkanen (personal) will not play against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday for personal reasons. On Tuesday against the Spurs, the 27-year-old suffered a contusion on his left knee, forcing him to exit the contest early. However, the Jazz injury report shows no indication that he is sitting because of the injury. WithKyle Filipowski(leg) unavailable andJohn Collins(knee) listed as questionable, Walker KesslerandBrice Sensabaughcould see more time on the court than usual.