Lakers at Jazz
The Utah Jazz were six games below .500 just 2 1/2 weeks ago and are now
in position to even up their record when they host the lowly Los
Angeles Lakers on Monday. Utah has won seven of its last nine games and
sits in seventh place in the Western Conference while battling the
Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks for the final two playoff spots.
Utah is a half-game ahead of the Rockets and one full game ahead of the Mavericks as it opens a three-game homestand after completing a five-game road trip with a winning record. "It was a long five games and 3-2 is definitely not bad against some of the competition we've played," small forward Gordon Hayward told reporters. "Now we've got a big game on Monday." The Lakers have dropped seven of their past eight games after suffering a 101-88 home loss to the Washington Wizards on Sunday. Los Angeles is closing in on its second straight 60-loss campaign and needs to go 7-2 down the stretch to avoid matching the franchise record for losses (61) set last season.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, TWC SportsNet (Los Angeles), ROOT (Utah)
ABOUT THE LAKERS (15-58): Retiring Kobe Bryant scored 17 points in 23 minutes against the Wizards and is expected to play in his final visit to Salt Lake City despite his troublesome shoulder remaining an issue. Bryant said after the loss to Washington that he wants to play in each of the final nine games "unless something drastic happens, God forbid." Rookie point guard D'Angelo Russell didn't appear hampered by a sprained ankle suffered Friday as he scored 22 points in the loss to Washington.
ABOUT THE JAZZ (36-37): The defense has been fantastic during the last nine games — Utah is allowing an average of 89.7 during the stretch — and five of the last seven opponents have been limited to 87 or fewer points. The Jazz set the tone for Saturday's 93-84 victory over Minnesota by allowing just 10 first-quarter points and Utah's offense finally came alive with 33 fourth-quarter points. "The early part of the game we weren't scoring, but we were defending," Jazz coach Quin Snyder told reporters. "And that's just what we've tried to say: 'Let's just guard, let's guard, let's guard, and eventually find a way to score.' Not only did we score, we got a little hot there."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Jazz have won the past three meetings and 10 of the last 14.
2. Los Angeles SGs Jordan Clarkson (two points) and Lou Williams (11) each were 1-of-7 from the field in the loss to Washington.
3. Utah rookie F Trey Lyles has scored 14 or more points in three of the past four games.