Jazz at Wizards
Following a loss on the road against a sub-.500 team, the Washington Wizards return home to begin a challenging stretch beginning Sunday against the Utah Jazz. The contest marks the first half of a two-game homestand that also includes the Golden State Warriors, after which the Wizards play a home-and-home set against the Toronto Raptors.
They enter the four-game gauntlet after a 120-112 setback at Philadelphia on Friday, just the third defeat in Washington's last 18 contests. "First game back (after the All-Star break), we had terrible energy, terrible focus," guard Bradley Beal told the media after scoring 40 points in the loss. The Jazz won their final game before the break and then came out of it with a 109-95 triumph at Milwaukee on Friday to begin a three-game road trip. Gordon Hayward scored 29 points as Utah improved to 7-3 on the road against Eastern Conference opponents.
TV: 5 p.m. ET, ROOT (Utah), CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington)
ABOUT THE JAZZ (36-22): Hayward has scored 27 or more points in six of his nine games this month and is shooting 52.5 percent in nine February contests. He and fellow starters George Hill, Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors combined to shoot 65.9 percent in Friday's win while five reserves produced more than half of the team's 23 assists. "I think everyone was on the same page defensively and offensively," Hill told the media. "We started a little sluggish, but we started to move the ball and we were trying to make the extra passes. It was good for us to get back out there. We're going to need all 15 guys to contribute and to have a better season."
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (34-22): Philadelphia's 120 points matches the highest total in regulation for a Washington opponent since before Christmas. "The way we played defense was the reason we got behind," point guard John Wall told reporters after producing 29 points and handing out 14 assists. "They got whatever they wanted offensively." Newcomer Bojan Bogdanovic, acquired at the trade deadline in a deal with Brooklyn, was held to two points in 18 minutes in his debut with Washington.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Jazz G Rodney Hood shot 1-for-9 against Milwaukee after missing the previous eight games with a knee injury.
2. Washington has won 19 of its last 20 home games.
3. Wizards F Otto Porter Jr. entered Saturday leading the NBA in 3-point shooting (46.1 percent), while Jazz F Joe Ingles was third (44.1).