Hawks at Jazz
Paul Millsap and Kyle Korver did well in their return to Utah last March and they’ll look to repeat that performance when the Atlanta Hawks visit the Utah Jazz on Friday. Millsap spent his first seven seasons with the Jazz before departing via free agency at the end of the 2012-13 season and Korver spent 2 1/2 seasons in Utah before he was traded to the Hawks in July 2012. Korver scored 26 points in Atlanta’s two-point win in Utah last March and Millsap had 23 points and eight rebounds.
Millsap was even better when these teams met in Atlanta in November, producing 30 points and 17 rebounds. The Jazz had lost five of their first eight games prior to that meeting but have righted themselves well and have won six of eight entering this game. Utah did suffer a significant blow this week when Alec Burks was ruled out for the rest of the season because of a shoulder injury that required surgery.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Atlanta), ROOT Sports (Utah)
ABOUT THE HAWKS (23-8): Atlanta has won seven of its last eight and 16 of 18 to move into second in the East behind the Toronto Raptors. Jeff Teague finished December on a strong note, scoring 25 points and dishing out seven assists in Saturday’s win against the Milwaukee Bucks and finishing with 23 points and 11 assists in Tuesday’s victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Hawks were without injured forwards DeMarre Carroll and Mike Scott when they played the Jazz earlier this season but they’re back and should make a difference in the rematch.
ABOUT THE JAZZ (11-21): Trey Burke scored a career-high 26 points in Tuesday’s win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the third straight game without Burks and first since it was announced he’d miss the rest of the season. Rodney Hood has moved into the starting lineup in place of Burks and the rookie out of Duke is still trying to find his comfort zone, as he’s a combined 5-for-19 from the floor as a starter the last three games. Hood started two games in place of Burks earlier last month and produced his only two games in double figures.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Jazz head coach Quin Snyder was an assistant with the Hawks last season under Mike Budenholzer.
2. Utah G Gordon Hayward needs three 3-pointers to tie C.J. Miles for seventh (334) on the career 3-point list for the Jazz.
3. Jazz F Derrick Favors has the third-highest field goal percentage in the NBA among starting forwards (55.2).