Grizzlies at Jazz
The Utah Jazz boast a first-time All-Star in small forward Gordon Hayward and nearly had a second player make the Western Conference squad. Center Rudy Gobert was passed over despite becoming an interior force and he looks to continue his strong season in Saturday's tilt against the visiting Memphis Grizzlies.
Jazz coach Quin Snyder refused to term it a snub when Gobert wasn't selected, saying the 24-year-old is on the rise and will have many more chances. "He's one of the reasons that we are where we are — period — as important a reason as anything, certainly a helluva lot more important than my coaching," Snyder told reporters. "I'm proud of him for being considered, and I'm sure he'll handle this in a most productive way." Memphis dropped four of its past six games, including a 112-109 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday in the opener of a six-game road excursion. All-Star center Marc Gasol scored 32 points in the defeat two nights after recording a career-high 42 against the Toronto Raptors.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Memphis), ROOT (Utah)
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (27-21): Gasol is on a superb six-game roll in which he is averaging 31 points and he has scored 32 or more in each of the past three games. It will be interesting to see if he can continue his hot streak against the Jazz as he has struggled against them this season, averaging just 15.7 points and shooting 35.1 percent from the field. Power forward Zach Randolph posted 17 points and 13 rebounds against Portland for his sixth double-double in January and he is averaging 14.9 points and 9.9 rebounds this month.
ABOUT THE JAZZ (30-18): Hayward is in the midst of the best season of his seven-year career and is averaging 21.8 points after scoring 24 in Thursday's 96-88 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The 26-year-old's emergence as a big-time player is another prime reason why Utah is one of just six NBA teams to reach 30 victories and he credits his teammates for his All-Star selection. "It feels rewarding with all of the work I've put in," Hayward told reporters. "I wouldn't have got there without my teammates, without my coaches, the fans, so I really appreciate all of them, and I'm pretty happy."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Grizzlies are 2-1 against the Jazz this season and have held Utah to an average of 85.7 points.
2. Memphis PG Mike Conley is only 15-of-49 from the field over the last three contests.
3. Utah PG George Hill is just 12-of-42 shooting during the past three games.