Jazz at Grizzlies
The Utah Jazz have lost a season-worst four straight games and are in
danger of falling further behind in the Western Conference playoff race
when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. Utah is 0-2 on a
four-game swing and has been dismal away from home all season, losing
its last five as part of a porous 9-20 road mark.
The Jazz fell 104-94 to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday to slip 1 1/2 games behind the eighth-place Houston Rockets for the final playoff berth in the West. Fifth-place Memphis is trending in the other direction with six victories in eight contests since losing standout center Marc Gasol (foot) to season-ending surgery. The Grizzlies moved to a season-high 12 games above .500 after posting a 104-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday. Memphis power forward Zach Randolph is playing well with a 20-point average over the past three games and 13 consecutive double-figure outings.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ROOT (Utah), FSN Southeast (Memphis)
ABOUT THE JAZZ (28-32): Utah may be without shooting guard Rodney Hood after he suffered a minor head injury from colliding with Toronto center Bismack Biyombo during the loss to Toronto. Hood scored a career-high 32 points against Memphis earlier this season and small forward Gordon Hayward said Hood's absence would only make things tougher. "It's huge. He's another guy who can make plays for himself, make plays for our team,” Hayward told reporters. "A defense has to respect him. It was huge - a bad, bad loss for us."
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (36-24): Point guard Mike Conley has been more aggressive on offense with Gasol sidelined and scored 24 points for the second time in five games when he was 9-of-12 shooting against Sacramento. "I think I saw earlier in the game that I could have a lot of opportunities to make plays and score," Conley told reporters. "I decided just to go for my offense a little bit more when I had a shot, take it, don't pass up any open looks and they were falling for me." Conley has scored 20 or more points in five of the last nine games but is just 13-of-41 from the field in two games against Utah this season.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Jazz are 2-0 against the Grizzlies this season and have held Memphis to an average of 83 points.
2. Hayward scored 26 points against Toronto and has scored 20 or more points in eight of the past 11 games.
3. Memphis G Tony Allen (knee) will likely miss his seventh consecutive game.