SALT LAKE CITY — Lauri Markkanen, the forward for the Utah Jazz, was unable to play in Thursday night’s matchup against the San Antonio Spurs due to experiencing lower back spasms. This absence is notable as Markkanen has been the team’s leading scorer, averaging 18.0 points per game along with 7.3 rebounds across the first four games of the season. In August, he solidified his commitment to the Jazz by signing a significant contract extension worth $238 million over a span of five years.

In the most recent game prior to this, which took place on Tuesday, Markkanen could only manage 17 minutes of play during a 113-96 defeat against Sacramento. He recorded seven points and three rebounds that evening before having to leave the game due to his back issues. While he did participate in practice with the team on Thursday, his condition showed no signs of improvement.

Jazz head coach Will Hardy provided an update on Markkanen’s status, noting, “He came in this morning and did shootaround and he felt OK. We evaluated him this afternoon again, and he’s not healthy enough to play.” As a result of Markkanen’s absence, rookie forward Kyle Filipowski stepped into the starting role against San Antonio. The Jazz secured Filipowski as their 32nd overall pick during the 2024 draft, and he has been contributing 4.0 points and averaging 11.3 minutes per game this season.