Bobcats at Jazz
The Utah Jazz are saddled with a three-game losing skid as the lowly Charlotte Bobcats arrive in Salt Lake City for Friday’s contest. Utah is in seventh place in the Western Conference and could soon face a threat from the charging Los Angeles Lakers for one of the eight playoff berths. The Jazz have a four-game road trip looming after the home game against the Bobcats and are just 10-19 on the road.
Charlotte possesses the worst record in the NBA. The Bobcats have lost four straight games and 12 of their last 14 after being routed by the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday. The Bobcats are just 6-22 on the road as they play the second contest of a four-game road trip. Utah is 21-8 at home after falling to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday for its second straight home loss. The Jazz beat the Bobcats 112-102 in Charlotte on Jan. 9 when center Al Jefferson had 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Charlotte), ROOT (Utah)
ABOUT THE BOBCATS (13-44): Rookie forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was scoreless in 22 minutes in the loss to the Clippers after putting together three consecutive double-digit outings for the first time since early January. The second overall pick in last June’s draft has been prone to inconsistency while averaging nine points and 5.6 rebounds. Kidd-Gilchrist’s development will be a key element over the final 25 games of the season with the Bobcats’ season going nowhere. “We’re giving heavy minutes to a lot of young guys,” said Charlotte coach Mike Dunlap “and that’s a lot of seeds in the earth that will eventually be harvested.”
ABOUT THE JAZZ (31-27): Forward Paul Millsap could miss his second straight game due to the sprained left ankle he suffered in Monday’s loss to the Boston Celtics. Millsap had started every game before sitting out the loss to the Hawks. Derrick Favors stepped in and had 17 points and 15 rebounds. The double-double was Favors’ third of the season and first since Nov. 23. Favors averages 9.5 points and 6.4 rebounds but doesn’t bring the level of consistent performance that Millsap does. “We missed him a lot,” Utah coach Tyrone Corbin said afterward. “Paul is a big part of what we do here. We miss his experience.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Utah has defeated Charlotte seven straight times since falling to the Bobcats on Dec. 19, 2007.
2. Jazz G Randy Foye has made 129 3-pointers, matching the single-season franchise record set by Mehmet Okur in 2006-07.
3. Bobcats G Ramon Sessions has scored in double figures in 13 of his last 16 games, averaging 15.4 points during the stretch.