Wizards at Jazz
The Utah Jazz are the hottest team in the NBA right now and they’ll shoot for their seventh straight victory when they host the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. The Jazz are a lot different team than the one that lost to the Wizards in mid-December to fall to 6-18. Utah has since won six more games than its lost in a turnaround similar to what the Detroit Pistons experienced earlier this season before starting point guard Brandon Jennings went down with a season-ending Achilles injury.
Utah youngsters such as Rodney Hood and Rudy Gobert have played huge roles in the recent surge. Hood established career-high point totals three times during the winning streak and Gobert posting three 20-rebound games. Washington has regrouped after a rough patch to win four in a row and the Wizards are within a game of the third-place Toronto Raptors and a half-game behind the fourth-place Chicago Bulls.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington), ROOT (Utah)
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (39-28): There was a Bradley Beal sighting Monday against the Portland Trail Blazers as the third-year shooting guard had 23 points on 8-for-13 shooting from the floor and distributed seven assists, his best game in about six weeks. Beal has battled injuries this season and his offensive numbers have paid the price, so Monday’s performance was a more-than-welcome sight. Beal scored 22 points with seven rebounds against the Jazz back in December.
ABOUT THE JAZZ (30-36): Utah is not only playing stifling defense during their hot stretch but are just as hot from long range. The Jazz tied a franchise record with 15 3-pointers on 24 attempts in Monday’s 94-66 win against the Charlotte Hornets while also compiling a season-high 61 rebounds. Gobert figures to put a lot of pressure on Wizards center Marcin Gortat, who hasn’t reached double figures in rebounds in the last five games after hitting that mark in the previous seven games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Wizards have had 10 different players lead the team in scoring this season and eight record at least 20 points.
2. Washington’s opponents have combined for 60 points in the fourth quarter of the last four games.
3. Gobert is averaging 17.8 rebounds in the month of March.