After starting the exhibition season with three-straight home games, the Portland Trail Blazers (1-2) finish off their 2019 preseason schedule with a road back-to-back starting Wednesday night in Salt Lake City versus the Utah Jazz (1-3).
SERIES NOTES
ALL TIME: Jazz lead, 102-87IN PORTLAND: Trail Blazers lead, 64-31AT UTAH: Jazz lead, 71-23LAST PORTLAND WIN: 132-105, 1/30/19LAST UTAH WIN: 117-96, 12/25/18CURRENT WIN STREAK: Two (Portland)
GAME NOTES
• Wednesday’s game is the only preseason meeting between the Trail Blazers and Jazz in 2019. The teams will play four times during the 2019-20 season, with the first matchup on Thursday, Dec. 26.
• LAST SEASON: The Trail Blazers and Jazz split the season series in 2018-19, 2-2.
• In four games against the Jazz last season, Damian Lillard averaged 25.3 points (48.7% FG, 40.0% 3-PT, 88.2% FT), 6.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.25 steals. Lillard recorded a double-double of 36 points and 11 assists in his last outing against Utah on Jan. 30. It was his fifth career double-double against the Jazz.
• CJ McCollum averaged 16.8 points (42.9% FG, 40.0% 3-PT, 63.6% FT), 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.75 steals in four games against Utah in 2018-19. McCollum scored 30 points (12-17 FG, 3-5 3-PT, 3-4 FT) in his last game against the Jazz on Jan. 30. Prior to that, he had been held below 20 points against Utah in four consecutive games.
• In four games against the Trail Blazers last season, Donovan Mitchell averaged 20.0 points (40.3% FG, 25.0% 3-PT, 70.8% FT), 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.00 steal.
• Rudy Gobert averaged 13.5 points (57.9% FG, 55.6% FT), 11.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 3.75 blocks in four games against Portland last season.
• CONNECTION: Trail Blazers guard/forward Rodney Hood played his first three-plus seasons in Utah (2014-18), averaging 13.1 points and 3.1 rebounds.
• CONNECTION: Jazz center Ed Davis played three seasons for the Trail Blazers (2015-18), averaging 5.6 points and 6.9 rebounds in 205 games.
INJURY NOTES
Both Pau Gasol (left foot) and Nassir Little (left ankle) are out for Portland's remaining preseason games. Just Nurkic (left leg) is out until at least the new year.
As for the Jazz, Dante Exum (right knee) is out.
BROADCAST NOTES
Travis Demers and Michael Holton will have the call on Rip City Radio 620 AM and on all of the stations on the Trail Blazers Radio Network. There is no television broadcast for Wednesday's game.