Jazz at 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers look to build some confidence from a near miss against the league’s top team and snap a long losing streak when they host the Utah Jazz on Monday. The 76ers have dropped 42 straight games in the months of October and November – five this season – after unbeaten Cleveland pulled out a controversial 102-101 victory on Saturday.
The 76ers thought guard Gerald Henderson was fouled in the final seconds of the loss to the Cavaliers, and three of their home defeats (Oklahoma City, Orlando and Cleveland) have come by a total of nine points. “We really need a win,” Philadelphia center Joel Embiid, who leads the team at 18.5 points per game, told reporters. “I thought we should have at least three wins by now. But that’s basketball. Great players make plays. Next time, everybody’s got to show up.” Utah began a five-game road trip with a 114-109 victory over New York on Sunday as Gordon Hayward, last campaign’s leading scorer, made his season debut after suffering a broken finger in training camp and recorded 28 points. The Jazz posted their season high in points with Hayward back and have won three of their last four contests.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBA TV, ROOT (Utah), CSN Philadelphia
ABOUT THE JAZZ (4-3): Point guard George Hill, a key acquisition in the offseason, has been productive in his first seven games with Utah - registering at least 18 points in six of them and shooting 50 percent or better in five. Hill poured in 23 points and dished out nine assists in Sunday’s victory while Rodney Hood scored 18. Power forward Derrick Favors snapped out of a slump to make six of his 10 shots against the Knicks, finishing with 13 points after shooting 28.6 percent over his previous four games, and pulled down six rebounds in 27 minutes.
ABOUT THE 76ERS (0-5): Embiid continued his strong play with 22 points against Cleveland and averages 6.3 rebounds along with three blocks, which puts him among the league leaders. Recently acquired forward Ersan Ilyasova has been outstanding in his first two games with Philadelphia, averaging 17.5 points – including an 8-of-13 performance for 21 against Cleveland. Forward Robert Covington is off to a very slow start, managing just 20 points in five games and making three of his 30 shots from the floor over the last four contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Jazz have won the last seven meetings in the series, including a 99-71 triumph at Philadelphia last October.
2. 76ers rookie F Dario Saric is shooting better from 3-point range (40 percent) than from inside the arc (34.2).
3. Utah veteran G Joe Johnson did not start for the first time since 2003 and scored 10 points off the bench on Sunday.