Jazz at Kings
The Utah Jazz are trying to lock up the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference and homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs - a goal that looks increasingly necessary. The Jazz will try to snap a four-game road losing streak when they visit the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.
Utah sits 1 1/2 games ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers in the battle for the No. 4 spot, with the Oklahoma City Thunder lurking 2 1/2 back, and still has trips to San Antonio, Portland and Golden State left over the final eight regular-season games. The Jazz suffered a 108-95 loss at the Clippers on Saturday but held off a hard charge from Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans at home on Monday to pick up a 108-100 win. The Kings are trying to play spoiler down the stretch and just finished knocking off two West playoff contenders with dramatic one-point wins over the Clippers and the Memphis Grizzlies. Sacramento is trying to turn the roster over to younger players following the trade of former franchise centerpiece DeMarcus Cousins but leaned on the veterans to pull out the last two victories.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ROOT (Utah), CSN California (Sacramento)
ABOUT THE JAZZ (45-29): Center Rudy Gobert publicly questioned the competitiveness of his teammates after Saturday's loss in Los Angeles, leading to a team meeting that seemed to clear the air. "I was just frustrated after the game," Gobert told reporters prior to Monday's contest. "It was more about the team, about us. We've still got a lot of room to get better. When you lose a game that matters a lot sometimes you can be frustrated." Gobert then went out and collected 20 points, 19 rebounds and five blocks in the win over the Pelicans, leading the team with All-Star small forward Gordon Hayward (quad) sitting out.
ABOUT THE KINGS (29-45): Veterans Ty Lawson, Darren Collison, Kosta Koufos, Garrett Temple and Anthony Tolliver were key to the last two wins, but they all seem to understand that Sacramento's direction is trending younger. "All of us that are still here from the beginning of this year, our mindsets haven’t changed that much," Tolliver told the Sacramento Bee. "Obviously with DeMarcus getting traded, some things changed. But at the end of the day, we want to win games; we want to continue to work and get better and allow these young guys to develop and get better." Coach Dave Joerger admitted after Monday's win that the team was likely to rest veterans over the final eight games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Hayward was diagnosed with a bruise after an X-ray came back negative and he is day-to-day.
2. Kings SG Ben McLemore is 0-of-9 from 3-point range over the last four games.
3. Utah took two of the first three meetings this season, including a 110-109 overtime triumph in Sacramento on March 5.