Jazz at Suns
The Utah Jazz are making their push to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2011-12 and can’t afford a loss when they visit the struggling Phoenix Suns on Sunday. The Jazz have three road games left against teams who won’t be in the postseason and took care of another with a 98-85 triumph against Minnesota on Friday - their ninth victory in the last 12 contests.
“We’ve been in these types of games before, where we didn’t come out with the right mindset. ...,” Utah guard Rodney Hood told reporters. “But now we’ve got those under our belt and we know every game is not going to be a blowout because you think it’s going to be a blowout.” The Jazz are tied with Dallas for seventh in the Western Conference, one game ahead of ninth-place Houston with six contests to go. Phoenix is finishing one of the worst campaigns in franchise history and will miss the playoffs for the sixth straight season. The Suns have dropped five in a row and talented guard Brandon Knight (groin) is considered day-to-day.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, ROOT (Utah), FSN Arizona (Phoenix)
ABOUT THE JAZZ (38-38): Derrick Favors missed Friday’s contest with a sore right knee and is a game-time decision for Sunday, but rookie Trey Lyles stepped up to score 18 in his spot against Minnesota. “He’s become a good player,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder told reporters of Lyles. “Obviously there are still things he needs to do … but I think you see a confident player.” Gordon Hayward, who leads the team at 19.7 points per game, has scored at least 20 in the last two games and Hood is averaging 22.3 over the past three.
ABOUT THE SUNS (20-56): Knight is averaging 19.6 points, but the injury which has limited him to 52 games flared up again and he could be shut down for the rest of the season after missing the 106-99 loss to Washington on Friday. Rookie guard Devin Booker averaged an impressive 22.4 points in March, but will need to rebound from a 6-for-22 shooting performance that produced 14 points on Friday. Center Tyson Chandler and small forward P.J. Tucker have notched double-doubles in each of the last two contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Jazz have won all three meetings this season, including 103-69 at home March 17.
2. Phoenix F Mirza Teletovic recorded his second double-double of the season Friday with 24 points and 12 boards.
3. Utah G Shelvin Mack, acquired from Atlanta at the trade deadline, is averaging 12.5 points with the Jazz – 15 in the last three games.