Jazz at 76ers
The Jimmy Butler era began with a loss, but the Philadelphia 76ers seem to think big things are on the horizon. The 76ers will try to earn their first win since adding Butler to the mix when they host the struggling Utah Jazz on Friday.
Butler, who was acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves after a public trade demand and protracted drama, scored 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting in his Philadelphia debut on Wednesday as the 76ers dropped a 111-106 decision at the Orlando Magic. "Obviously, we didn’t get the win, and get the outcome we wanted to have," Butler, who noted the players were getting along with each other and communicating well, told reporters. "But we got a lot more of these things. I think we will all be better, myself included." Philadelphia will be taking on a Jazz squad that just suffered its worst loss since the franchise moved to Utah, 118-68 at Dallas on Wednesday. "There was a point where we stopped competing," Jazz coach Quin Snyder told reporters. "We all have to own that, and obviously the scoreboard reflected that."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Utah), NBCS Philadelphia
ABOUT THE JAZZ (7-7): Utah's 68 points marked the lowest total of any team in a game this season, and it managed just 22 points after the break. "We just didn’t play with a lot of pride defensively," guard Donovan Mitchell, who was one of three Jazz players to score in double figures with 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting, told reporters. "Obviously, when shots aren’t falling, our defense has to drive us even more." Utah shot 31.3 percent from the floor, including 6-of-35 from 3-point range, and committed 22 turnovers in the lopsided decision.
ABOUT THE 76ERS (9-7): Butler's acquisition pushed much-maligned former No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz to a reserve role, and the early returns were positive. Fultz delivered eight points on 4-of-6 shooting and two assists in 21 minutes while serving as the point guard on the second unit. "We played him exclusively as (point guard) tonight, and I saw him make plays out of a middle pick-and-roll, get into the paint," Philadelphia coach Brett Brown told reporters of Fultz. "I thought defensively he was good tonight as well."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. 76ers C Joel Embiid recorded his first career triple-double with 19 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists on Wednesday.
2. Utah SF Jae Crowder is 4-of-21 from the floor in the last two games, including 2-of-16 from beyond the arc.
3. Philadelphia, which is 7-0 at home, took both meetings last season.