Knicks at Jazz
The Utah Jazz are struggling at a bad time and aim to halt a three-game losing streak when they host the woeful New York Knicks on Wednesday. Even a career-best 38-point effort from All-Star small forward Gordon Hayward couldn't prevent Utah from suffering a 107-100 setback to the Indiana Pacers on Monday.
Hayward fell two points short of becoming the first Jazz player to score 40 in a game since Paul Millsap (46 in 2010-11) but he wasn't happy about the latest defeat. "I would absolutely prefer to win the game," Hayward told reporters. "I would rather have zero points and win the game." Fading New York fell for the seventh time in nine games with Monday's 114-105 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in the opener of a four-game road trip. All-Star small forward Carmelo Anthony scored 16 points against the Clippers and has reached 20 points just twice in nine games played in March.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, MSG (New York), ROOT (Utah)
ABOUT THE KNICKS (27-43): Power forward Kristaps Porzingis (thigh) returned from a one-game absence to record 18 points and 11 rebounds against the Clippers and he recently expressed his opinion that he could tell early in the season that the club wasn't very good. New York has a building block in the 21-year-old from Latvia and coach Jeff Hornacek is hopeful Porzingis will step up his leadership capabilities next season. "He does a great job leading this team with the way he plays effort-wise," Hornacek told reporters. "He practices hard every practice, does it in the game. I think that's a start for leadership. He's a young guy with some veterans on this team. Sometimes you got to defer to letting them to do the talking. Pushing his teammates more is probably his next step. He understands that."
ABOUT THE JAZZ (43-28): Utah is trying to hold off the Los Angeles Clippers for the fourth seed in the Western Conference, which would mean homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Hayward drained 16-of-24 shots against the Pacers after enduring a two-game funk in which he averaged 13.5 points on 9-of-30 shooting. Standout center Rudy Gobert blocked a career-best eight shots to go with 16 points and 14 rebounds and has seven double-double in the past eight games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Jazz beat the Knicks 114-109 on Nov. 6 and are looking for their first season sweep of New York since 2009-10.
2. New York PG Derrick Rose scored 18 points against the Clippers and has recorded 17 consecutive double-digit scoring efforts.
3. Utah SG Rodney Hood (knee) had 11 points on Monday in his return from a two-game absence.