Spurs at Jazz
The Utah Jazz are finally starting to put together some momentum and will get a chance to see just how far they’ve come when they host the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. The Jazz are 5-5 since a 1-14 start and looked strong in a win at Denver on Friday behind Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors. The Spurs own the second-best record in the Western Conference but are also playing the second night of a back-to-back - an excuse they occasionally use to rest older players.
San Antonio might not want to sit Tim Duncan this time, as the Future Hall of Famer is putting together his most effective stretch of the season with three double-doubles in the last five contests. Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are the veteran trio of the Spurs and might have turned in their best collective performance with a combined 61 points in Friday’s 117-110 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Jazz don’t have nearly that level of experience but are starting to get consistent minutes from their young talent.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (San Antonio), ROOT Sports (Utah)
ABOUT THE SPURS (18-4): San Antonio sat Duncan on the second night of a back-to-back on the road once this season and played him in limited minutes in others as the team once again works to keep its star trio fresh throughout the season. The Spurs hit a small snag bridging November and December with three losses in five games but have since won three in a row while averaging 114 points. San Antonio earned a 91-82 victory at Utah on Nov. 15, with Parker scoring 14 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter to help overcome a seven-point deficit at the beginning of the period.
ABOUT THE JAZZ (6-19): Utah is seeking its first three-game winning streak after sweeping a two-game road trip through Sacramento and Denver. Hayward went for a season-high 30 points and a career-high 13 rebounds in the 103-93 win over the Nuggets on Friday and is averaging 21.5 points over the last four games. “I finally knocked down some shots and finished around the rim,” Hayward said of his performance in Denver, “It was a good feeling, just taking what the defense was giving me.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. San Antonio has taken seven of the last eight in the series, including three of four in Utah.
2. Spurs C Tiago Splitter (calf) and F/C Aron Baynes (ankle) are both questionable.
3. Utah has dropped its last three home games.