Jazz at Warriors
THE STORY: Don’t be surprised if Golden State goes to its bench when Utah visits Thursday night. Golden State certainly isn’t afraid to use its reserves. In fact, coach Mark Jackson played them almost exclusively Tuesday. No, the game wasn’t a blowout. The reserves actually carried the Warriors to a 93-90 victory over Sacramento. Reserve Brandon Rush scored a season-high 20 points, 15 in the fourth quarter. Golden State’s reserves outscored Sacramento’s 43-21. “Those bench guys elevated the energy level,” Jackson said. “Any time you have some home-run hitters in the starting lineup, it's a tough decision, but the (reserves) did a great job of closing out the game.” The Jazz will try to regroup after the Los Angeles Clippers snapped a 15-game losing streak in Utah with a 107-105 victory Wednesday. Utah edged the Warriors 88-87 in the teams’ first game this season. A free throw by Gordon Hayward with 11 seconds remaining proved to be the difference, giving him a team-high 18 points.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ROOT Sports (Jazz), CSN Bay Area (Warriors)
ABOUT THE JAZZ (12-8): Trailing 107-105 with 1.2 seconds remaining, Utah had one final hope against the Clippers. C.J. Miles intentionally missed his second free throw, but the game ended in a scramble for the loose ball. “It’s not something you practice — how to miss a free throw,” Miles said. “I probably should have shot it higher to give us a better chance.” Al Jefferson (right ankle) was considered a game-time decision against the Clippers, but had an impressive game with a team-high 27 points and 12 rebounds. Starting shooting guard Raja Bell (strained adductor) sat out his second straight game and is day to day.
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (7-12): Since the acquisition of guard Nate Robinson, the bench has been a big factor in Golden State's success, outscoring opponents' benches by nearly 10 points a contest (34.4 to 24.8) over the past 13 games. Robinson had 11 points and five assists in 23 minutes against the Kings. “The second unit did a great job of just battling on the defensive end,” Jackson said. “They did a great job of bringing it home.”
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Rush is now 14 of 17 from behind the 3-point line in his last six games. He's leading the league at 59.3 percent.
2. Utah plays 14 of its next 20 on the road starting with Golden State.
3. Utah coach Tyrone Corbin played 16 NBA seasons, trailing only Jackson (17) among all coaches in playing experience.