Utah Jazz vs Los Angeles Lakers: preview and player stats

Markkanen has been diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture in his right hand and will be sidelined for at least one month, Shams Charania of ESPN reports. Markkanen has missed two straight games due to what was being described as a right wrist sprain, but it appears the issue was much worse than initially thought. The talented big man now joins Jusuf Nurkic (foot) and Jaren Jackson (knee) on Utah's long-term injury list, while Keyonte George's status moving forward is unclear while dealing with an ankle sprain. Given all of the injuries, Ace Bailey and Darryn Peterson will have to lead the offense, while Isaiah Collier, Brice Sensabaugh, Svi Mykhailiuk, Josh Okogie and Josh Green are candidates for increased roles.

Jackson has been diagnosed with a torn MCL in his right knee and will be sidelined for 6-to-8 weeks, per Shams Charania of ESPN. Jackson sustained the injury early in Monday's loss to Memphis, and he's now expected to miss at least a month and a half of action. The star big man's absence creates a major void in the Utah lineup, one that is likely to be filled by a timeshare of Jaxson Hayes (shoulder), Kyle Filipowski and Mo Bamba. The Jazz could also shift Lauri Markkanen (wrist), when healthy, to the center spot at times, perhaps allowing Ace Bailey to spend more time at power forward.

Nurkic (toe) has begun participating in on-court activities as he continues recovering from a right foot injury sustained during an Oct. 4 preseason game against Denver. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks, the Jazz announced Friday. Nurkic is progressing in his recovery, but the two-week re-evaluation timeline indicates he remains some distance from returning to game action. His absence should continue to create opportunities in Utah's frontcourt, with Jaxson Hayes and Mo Bamba among the players positioned to benefit from additional playing time. Nurkic's next evaluation will provide a clearer picture of his potential return date.

Doncic finished Wednesday's 123-112 win over the Bucks with 32 points (10-25 FG, 5-12 3Pt, 7-10 FT), five rebounds, five assists and three steals across 32 minutes. He exited to the locker room late in the fourth quarter due to an apparent right ankle injury and did not return, Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times reports. Doncic didn't deliver his most efficient shooting effort, though he still led all players in scoring while knocking down a game-high-tying five triples. He has now reached the 30-point threshold in each of his last nine appearances. The superstar floor general also tied for the game-best mark in steals, logging multiple swipes for the fourth time over his last six outings. However, Doncic's status will be worth monitoring ahead of Sunday's game at Phoenix, as he landed on Kyle Kuzma's foot and exited to the locker room Wednesday.

Head coach JJ Redick said that X-rays on Reaves' left heel came back negative, but they won't have another update until he undergoes further imaging back in Los Angeles on Thursday, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports. Reaves hurt his heel coming down after a layup attempt, but the good news is that an Achilles injury has been ruled out. The Lakers are off until Sunday, but if Reaves needs to miss that game, Ziaire Williams would have a chance to start and Luka Doncic would be extremely busy on offense.

Grimes (finger) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Bucks. Grimes didn't play Monday in Atlanta after scoring 12 points in 32 minutes as a starter in Detroit on Sunday. However, it appears that absence wasn't simply rest during the second night of a back-to-back set, as Grimes will now miss a second straight game. In his absence, Collin Sexton and Cameron Carr could remain involved with the second unit.

Sexton did not return to Wednesday's 123-112 win over the Bucks and required stitches to close a cut on his forehead, Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times reports. Sexton knocked noggins with Ryan Rollins, but it sounds like he's avoided a concussion, so he should be able to get out there for Sunday's game in Phoenix. Austin Reaves (heel) also exited Wednesday's game, and if he needs to sit out Sunday, Sexton would have the chance for some extended minutes.