Jazz at Pelicans
The Utah Jazz have recorded one victory this season and again face the team they defeated on Wednesday when they visit the New Orleans Pelicans. Utah recorded a 111-105 victory over the Pelicans on Nov. 13, which also is the only time the sluggish offense has reached 100 points. New Orleans snapped a three-game skid with a convincing 135-98 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday that featured 26 points from Ryan Anderson in his season debut.
New Orleans shot 60.5 percent from the field, made 13 3-pointers and had eight players score in double figures in the rout of Philadelphia. The Pelicans scored at least 32 points in every quarter of the easy win. The Jazz are beginning a three-game road swing and have been largely uncompetitive away from home. Utah is 0-6 on the road and its last five away defeats have been by an average of 17.6 points.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ROOT (Utah), FSN New Orleans
ABOUT THE JAZZ (1-11): Utah’s lack of scoring punch has boosted support player Gordon Hayward into a lead role, and the fourth-year pro is averaging 19.2 points. He has scored 22 or more five times and his best all-around performance of the season came in the win over the Pelicans, when he had 27 points and a career-best 10 assists. Hayward has slumped since that big outing, averaging 15.7 points on 16-of-49 shooting during the ensuing three-game losing streak.
ABOUT THE PELICANS (4-6): Anderson missed the first nine games with a broken toe and made an immediate impact with 14 points in 14 first-half minutes. He was 6-for-10 from 3-point range and the presence of the sharpshooter who made a career-best 213 3-pointers last season opened up the floor for his teammates. “When guys are double-teamed, there is always somebody open,” Anderson said. “There are a lot of different weapons on this team. Guys draw a lot of attention. When we find the open man off that, it’s huge.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Utah has won the last four meetings.
2. Pelicans F Anthony Davis has six double-doubles, including a performance of 29 points and 15 rebounds in the loss to the Jazz.
3. Jazz F Marvin Williams will sit out after undergoing a procedure to re-set his broken nose.