Jazz at Celtics
The Utah Jazz are not in the playoff hunt but are quietly putting together a strong stretch of basketball and showing off some hope for the future. The Boston Celtics, who host the Jazz on Wednesday, are in the postseason race but are not looking quite as promising of late. Both clubs will be playing the second night of a back-to-back as Utah searches for a season-best fourth straight win and Boston quickly tries to push past an embarrassing loss.
The Celtics had won seven of 10 to put themselves in the hunt for the No. 7 and 8 spots in the Eastern Conference but has since dropped two in a row, including a 110-79 loss at Cleveland on Tuesday. "It’s important for it to hurt; it better hurt," Boston coach Brad Stevens told reporters. "We’ll find a lot more about ourselves in 24 hours.” The Celtics were outrebounded 52-42 by the Cavaliers and will be going against a Utah team that dominated the Memphis Grizzlies on the glass behind Rudy Gobert on Tuesday.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ROOT (Utah), CSN New England (Boston)
ABOUT THE JAZZ (24-35): Gobert was handed a bigger role on both ends of the floor when Utah sent Enes Kanter to Oklahoma City at the trade deadline, and the young center is proving himself worthy of the responsibility. Gobert grabbed a career-high 24 rebounds to go along with 15 points in a 93-82 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday and has recorded double digits on the glass in four of the last five contests. The Jazz have won seven of their last nine, including three of four on the road.
ABOUT THE CELTICS (23-35): Boston let a 26-point lead slip away in a 106-101 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Sunday but were never even in the game against the Cavaliers, who led by 44 early in the fourth quarter. “Everybody’s been patting (our players) on the back for the last week," Stevens told reporters. “We have to get back to being a good team.” The Celtics are making a brief stop at home to take on Utah before heading back out for three straight on the road and remain two games behind the eight-place Brooklyn Nets and Charlotte Hornets in the East.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Celtics have taken seven of the last eight in the series, including a 99-90 win at the Jazz on Jan. 26.
2. Utah F Derrick Favors is averaging 19 points on 29-of-45 shooting in the last four games.
3. Boston G Isaiah Thomas went 0-of-3 from 3-point range Tuesday after knocking down multiple 3-pointers in each of his first five games with the team.