Timberwolves at Jazz
The Utah Jazz posted their largest margin of victory in their
most recent game and can't afford to suffer a letdown when they host the
lowly Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. Utah rolled to a 102-73 victory
over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday and is locked in a three-team
battle with Portland and Sacramento for the final Western Conference
playoff spot.
The Jazz lost to Minnesota earlier this season but hope for a different outcome in this meeting. The Timberwolves registered a 94-80 victory in the Dec. 30 encounter and that win is one of just three they have posted in the last 20 games. Minnesota point guard Ricky Rubio matched a career best with 17 assists and rookie center Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points in that contest. The Timberwolves gave a solid effort in Wednesday's game against Oklahoma City - shooting 55.6 percent from the field - but suffered a 126-123 defeat.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), ROOT (Utah)
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (14-33): Second-year guard Zach LaVine exploded for a season-best 35 points on 14-of-17 shooting against the Thunder and is averaging 28 points over the past two games. "He's playing the game fast but he's thinking slow," interim coach Sam Mitchell told reporters. "We want him to play with pace, and before, he was playing with pace but his mind was going just as fast. Now his mind is slowing down and he's letting things develop." LaVine's output was two shy of the 37-point effort he had last season against the Golden State Warriors.
ABOUT THE JAZZ (20-25): Power forward Derrick Favors averaged 13 points in his first two games since returning from a back injury and his minutes should start to increase. Favors played 20 and 21 minutes in the contests and the team wants to work him in slowly after he missed 16 games due to the back issues. "I feel good after his one," Favors said after the blowout win over Charlotte. "No pain. No stiffness. I feel good."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Jazz have won four of the past six meetings.
2. Utah SF Gordon Hayward is averaging 25.6 points over the last five games and SG Rodney Hood is averaging 23 points over the past four contests.
3. Rubio has 10 or more assists in each of the past four games but is just 6-of-29 shooting during the span.