Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen completes the alley-oop slam

SALT LAKE CITY – A new long-term contract may have given Lauri Markkanen a bit of a boost as the forward went for an alley-oop dunk in the first quarter.

The Jazz will play the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2024-25 season opener on Wednesday, October 23rd.

Woah woah woah, Lauri gets straight to the point 🫡#TakeNote | @Markkanenlauri pic.twitter.com/WQWNhNADB3

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 24, 2024

With the Jazz trailing in the opening minutes, second-year guard Keyonte George threw a perfectly placed lob to the cutting Finnish forward. Markkanen towered over the defense and completed the pass with a right-handed slam.

The Jazz trailed Memphis 23-16 with 2:30 left in the first quarter. Collin Sexton leads Utah with six points, while Santi Aldama leads Memphis with nine points.

Markkanen signed a five-year extension with Utah in the offseason after averaging 23.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.2 three-pointers per game last season. Markkanen averaged 24.5 points on 49 percent shooting and 39.5 percent from distance in two seasons with Utah.

How to watch Memphis Grizzlies @ Utah Jazz

The Jazz open the regular season on Wednesday, October 23rd at home against the Memphis Grizzlies at 7:00 p.m. MST. The game will be televised on KJZZ, streamed on Jazz+ and can be heard on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone.

Expectations for the Jazz 2024-25

With a heavy emphasis on youth, the Jazz are not expected to compete in the crowded Western Conference race for a playoff spot.

While the Jazz are eager to learn more about their eight players on the roster who are 23 years old or younger, the extremely talented 2025 NBA Draft class will also likely influence how the front office manages the roster throughout the season.

𝐈𝐓'𝐒 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐀𝐘!

We caught up with Lauri and Brice ahead of the season opener to see what they're looking forward to and find out if they're still nervous about starting a new season 🤔#ShootaroundInterviews presented by @ZionsBank

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 23, 2024

The Jazz begin the year competing with the Portland Trail Blazers for the worst record in the West. At the same time, fans have to keep an eye on the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Hornets and Toronto Raptors among the cellar dwellers in the East.

Wins will not be the measure of success for the Jazz; Rather, at the end of the season, the development of the team's youth, cultural identity and lottery results will play a major role.

Utah Jazz-Memphis Grizzlies game day coverage

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Brian Preece is a KSLsports.com insider covering locals in the MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian's Bees and Beehive baseball coverage here.

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