Trail Blazers at Jazz
The Portland Trail Blazers attempt to sweep the season series from Utah for the first time when they visit the struggling Jazz on Friday. Portland has won this season’s three previous matchups by an average of 17 points and is surging toward the finish line with six victories in its last seven overall games. The Trail Blazers are 1 1/2 games behind the fourth-place Houston Rockets in the Western Conference race.
The Jazz are experiencing their worst season since going 26-56 in 2004-05 and need to win three of their final four games to exceed that season’s victory total. That type of spurt could be an insurmountable task considering Utah has won just three of its last 21 games. Portland posted a 100-99 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday as Dorell Wright connected on the game-winning 3-pointer with 7.9 seconds left. The Trail Blazers are 22-18 on the road entering their final away game of the regular season.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, KGW (Portland), ROOT (Utah)
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (51-28): Portland’s strong recent play coincided with the return of All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge from a back injury. The Trail Blazers averaged only 90 points in three straight losses – to Charlotte, Miami and Orlando – just before Aldridge returned and they now look more like the squad that was one of the biggest surprises over the first half of the season. Aldridge has posted five 20-point outings in the seven games and point guard Damian Lillard has been able to go back to being an all-around standout as opposed to the stretch in which he had to carry the offensive load.
ABOUT THE JAZZ (24-54): Utah let proven big men Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap leave in the offseason as the franchise felt it could move on with Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter roaming the interior. That strategy backfired into one of worst campaigns in Jazz history as both players remain prone to uneven performances. Favors is averaging 13.1 points and 8.7 rebounds and doesn’t figure to ever be the elite scorer Jefferson was for Utah. Kanter has started 34 of 77 games and averages 12.1 points and 7.3 rebounds. He grabbed a season-best 19 boards in Tuesday’s loss to Dallas and has reached double digits in rebounds in nine of the last 14 games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Trail Blazers were 17-of-23 from 3-point range during a 130-98 rout of the Jazz on Dec. 6, setting an NBA record for percentage by a team with at least 20 attempts.
2. Utah’s only victories in the last 21 games have come against Philadelphia, Orlando and New Orleans.
3. Portland G Mo Williams (knee) sat out against Sacramento and is questionable to play against the Jazz.