Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen sits out against Spurs because of back spasms

Utah forward Lauri Markkanen sat out Jazz's game Thursday night against 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 Jazz in August for $238 million over five years.

7-foot forward played just 17 minutes Tuesday night in a 113-96 loss to Sacramento, finishing with seven points and three rebounds, before leaving due to back spasms. Markkanen practiced with 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. Jazz selected Filipowski with 32nd overall pick in 2024 draft. He’s averaging 4.0 points and 11.3 minutes this season.