Jazz at Warriors
The Golden State Warriors have been resting and the top-seeded team in the Western Conference plays for the first time in eight days when it opens the conference semifinals against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday. Golden State swept the Portland Trail Blazers in four games in the first round, while fifth-seeded Utah won a seven-game series against the Los Angeles Clippers that ended on Sunday.
The upstart Jazz received a stellar series performance from All-Star small forward Gordon Hayward while slaying the Clippers to give the franchise its first playoff series win since 2010. "We've never been in the second round, so now that's another first," Utah coach Quin Snyder told reporters in reference to his three-season tenure. "We don't have to prove that we're not young and inexperienced. We are. There's nothing wrong with that. Maybe that can be an advantage in some way." The extended rest has allowed Warriors All-Star forward Kevin Durant (calf) to recover from an injury that caused him to miss two games in the Portland series. Golden State won two of the three regular-season meetings, with Utah's win coming at Oracle Arena (105-99 on April 14) when Hayward was sidelined with a quadriceps contusion.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT
ABOUT THE JAZZ: Hayward averaged 23.7 points in the series against the Clippers, including a career-best 40 in Game 3, despite being sent home at halftime of Game 4 due to food poisoning. Utah will require another stellar effort from the pending free agent for it to have any chance of upsetting the powerful Warriors. "You can see his confidence out there," Snyder told reporters of Hayward. "He's played through missed shots, contact, hot streaks, you name it. He's handled that with poise, and he's a heck of an offensive player. He's so versatile that he's hard to guard, and we try to use him in a way that allows him to shine in those situations."
ABOUT THE WARRIORS: Golden State coach Steve Kerr (back surgery complications) is expected to miss the series and it will be up to acting coach Mike Brown to get his players focused, as several of them were chirping that they would have rather played the Clippers than the Jazz due to the lack of nightlife in Utah. Point guard Stephen Curry averaged 29.8 points and made 19 3-pointers in the sweep of Portland and he averaged 26.3 points in three regular-season meetings against the Jazz. Shooting guard Klay Thompson averaged just 18.3 points on 38.8 percent shooting against the Trail Blazers and registered just one 20-point outing.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. This is the second time the Jazz and Warriors are meeting in the Western Conference semifinals -- Utah won the series 4-1 in 2007.
2. Utah C Rudy Gobert (ankle) is close to full health after struggling Sunday.
3. Golden State backup SF Matt Barnes (ankle) is available to play after missing the sweep of the Trail Blazers, while backup PG Shaun Livingston (finger) is questionable after being injured in Game 1 of the series.