Thunder at Jazz
THE STORY: After two close road victories, the Oklahoma City Thunder could not pull off a third, falling 106-101 at Sacramento on Thursday and slipping behind Chicago (22-6) for the NBA’s best record. Now the Thunder complete a five-game trip with the second of two back-to-backs on this sojourn, visiting Utah on Friday night. The Jazz are likely delighted to be back home after falling to 2-7 on the road with a 104-99 loss Tuesday at Indiana. Utah has lost four of five and seven of its last 11.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
ABOUT THE THUNDER (20-6): Russell Westbrook scored 33 points on the day he was chosen as an All-Star reserve. But the talented guard also had seven turnovers, two in the last minute as the Thunder couldn’t hold a lead against the Kings. Westbrook said the All-Star selection was a reflection of the team’s play. “We've grown together, gotten better and we're winning,” he said. “That's the biggest thing. As long as you're winning, you're in good shape.”
ABOUT THE JAZZ (13-11): The Jazz signed forward DeMarre Carroll for the rest of the season. He played four games for Denver but was waived Feb. 4. Carroll said he is not worried about how many minutes he will get. “I really don’t worry about that,” Carroll said. “Just come in here and do what I got to do. If I get the opportunity, I get the opportunity. The biggest thing about the NBA is opportunity.”
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Friday marks the one-year anniversary of the sudden resignation of longtime Jazz coach Jerry Sloan.
2. Thunder center Serge Ibaka tied a career high with 10 blocks against Sacramento and leads the league with a 2.96 average.
3. The Jazz have scored 101 points or fewer in four consecutive games.