Watch: Lauri Markkanen posterizes Domantas Sabonis for dunk of the year candidate

Lauri Markkanen produced a monster dunk over Domantas Sabonis during the Utah Jazz’s NBA matchup against the Sacramento Kings.

With less than four minutes left, Markkanen received the ball on the 3-point line from Jarred Vanderbilt and decided to go for a dunk.

Sabonis, who is arguably the best defender on the Kings’ roster, tried to block the Finnish forward but was left gasping for air. Markkanen continues his impressive run of form and looks to have improved considerably since last season. The Utah Jazz are unlikely to emerge as playoff contenders and are firmly rebuilding for the upcoming season. Still, the 25-year-old has produced plenty of highlights in recent weeks and will be the major reason behind any potential charge for the playoffs.

Lauri Markkanen led the scoring heading into the fourth quarter for the Jazz and produced a poster dunk over Sabonis in the third quarter. It will be interesting to see whether the Sacramento Kings can hold on to a narrow lead and get the victory.

Sacramento Kings hold on to narrow lead at end of third quarter

The Kings had a four-point lead over the Utah Jazz with less than four minutes remaining in the third quarter at the time of writing this article. The Jazz traded All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert at the start of the season and are in rebuilding mode. They have a 19-18 record and are currently placed ninth in the Western Conference.

The Sacramento Kings, on the other hand, are sixth in the Western Conference and have relied on the likes of De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis as their primary scorers.

Markkanen has produced remarkable numbers in recent games and is averaging 28.8 points over his past 5 games. He looks set to continue in the same vein and had already scored 25 points before the end of the third quarter.

Domantas Sabonis’ role as a defensive anchor has been crucial for the Kings. He has a defensive rating of 110.6. He has quickly gained the trust of his teammates with his strong communication skills on defense. In addition to his ability to contest shots and protect the rim, Sabonis also excels at hedging on screens and demonstrating verticality at the rim.

Sabonis' solid defensive fundamentals, combined with his high defensive rebounding percentage, make him a valuable asset for the Kings as they look to end their playoff drought and build on their decent start to the season.