Jazz at Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been sputtering of late and are bracing for the upcoming return of Kevin Love from knee surgery. Cleveland won't have the All-Star power forward back for Thursday's home game against the Utah Jazz, but Love may play for the first time in five weeks when the Cavaliers visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.
Cleveland's 128-96 rout of Detroit on Tuesday was only its fourth win in 10 games, and coach Tyronn Lue can't wait to get Love back in the mix. "Whenever the medical staff clears him, he'll be ready to go," Lue told reporters after Wednesday's practice. "He reacted well. After the practice, he said he felt good. Hopefully continue to keep progressing as well. That's a good sign for us." Utah arrives as a hot team with six victories in seven games and recorded a 100-92 home triumph over the Cavaliers earlier this season. "Considering where we are in the standings, knowing it is a tight race, we really have to value each and every game," veteran swingman Joe Johnson told reporters after the Jazz opened a four-game road trip with Wednesday's 97-83 road win over the Pistons. "It's going to be a playoff-type game every time we play."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ROOT (Utah), FSN Ohio (Cleveland)
ABOUT THE JAZZ (43-25): All-Star small forward Gordon Hayward scored 25 points in the win over the Pistons and has tallied 23 or more in five of his last six contests, but he wants to pass around the credit. "We just have a lot of weapons and a lot of guys who can make plays," Hayward told reporters after the win over Detroit. "A lot of guys who can shoot and drive, especially when the floor is spaced like we have it sometimes when Rudy (Gobert) is rolling." Hayward was the star of Utah's win over the Cavaliers on Jan. 10 as he scored 28 points on 10-of-12 shooting.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (44-22): Cleveland was 19-of-30 from 3-point range against Detroit - a season-best 63.3 percent success rate - and is three makes away from breaking the franchise mark (880) set last campaign. Point guard Kyrie Irving has knocked down a team-best 144 3-pointers and is on a roll with a career-best 17 consecutive 20-point performances. Irving is averaging 27.5 points during the stretch and shooting 90.2 percent from the free-throw line this month.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Jazz have lost each of their last four visits to Cleveland.
2. Utah likely will be without PF Derrick Favors (knee) for the fifth straight game, while the status of SG Rodney Hood (knee) is uncertain after he missed the second half of the contest against Detroit.
3. Cleveland swingman Kyle Korver (foot) is likely to miss his fifth consecutive game.