NETS VS JAZZ
The Brooklyn Nets continue their franchise-record nine-game road trip on Saturday night in Utah.
They should be feeling good about their game after a decisive 116-106 win over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night, improving to 1-1 on their trip and 3-3 over their last six games overall.
The Nets are looking to avenge a 108-86 loss to the Jazz earlier this season at Barclays Center. A lopsided 37-17 third quarter proved to be the difference and while seven different Jazz players hit double-digits, containing Gordon Hayward – who had a game-high 21 points – will be paramount. Hayward is Utah’s leading scorer, averaging 19.9 points along with 5.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists-per-game.
The Nets are looking to snap a three-game losing streak to the Jazz.
BOGDANOVIC BACK IN STARTING FIVE:
Bojan Bogdanovic was back in the starting lineup on Thursday, taking the place of Joe Johnson, who was waived by the team that afternoon. Tasked with filling the shoes of one of the NBA’s most proficient active scorers is no easy task, but Bogdanovic answered the call Thursday, scoring a season-high 24 points (8-of-16). When Bogdanovic is scoring, it usually bodes well for the Nets, who are 8-2 over the past two seasons when he scores 20 or more points.
The 6-foot-8 shooting guard is the Nets’ top 3-point option, shooting .469 from deep (23-of-49) in 10 games this month.
JAZZ PLAYING FOR PLAYOFFS:
After rattling off seven straight wins, the Utah Jazz have gone 2-4 in their last six games, most recently losing 96-78 to the San Antonio Spurs.
For Utah, now is not the time to start losing, as the Jazz find themselves on the outside of an extremely tight Western Conference playoff picture. They are a half-game back of the Houston Rockets for the eighth and final seed, but only two games back of sixth-place Dallas. The Nets should expect a hungry Jazz team on Saturday night.
JAZZ ADD SHELVIN MACK:
Utah is taking its drive to the playoffs seriously, as they acquired point guard Shelvin Mack from the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal at the NBA’s trade deadline. Mack, who had seen his stock fall in his third season in Atlanta, made an immediate impact on the scoresheet, racking up a combined 33 points and eight assists in his first two games with the Jazz, well above his season line (5.0 ppg, 1.8 apg).