Preview: The 35-37 Jazz end a five-game trip that includes losses at Chicago and Oklahoma City and victories at Milwaukee and Houston. They're battling Houston, Dallas and Portland for the West's final playoff spot and are tied with the Rockets for that eighth spot. … The Jazz has won five of the past seven games between the teams, but they've split the first two this season. The Wolves won 94-80 over an injury-ravaged Utah squad in December and lost 103-90 in Salt Lake City a month later.
Wolves-Utah preview
The Wolves play host to the Jazz at 7 p.m. Saturday.
March 26, 2016 at 3:17AM
Players to watch: Since Jazz F Derrick Favors returned to the starting lineup Jan. 29 against the Wolves, he and Rudy Gobert have combined to be one of the NBA's best shot-blocking duos. Favors is third in the NBA during that time with 53, and Gobert is fifth with 48. Only Miami's Hassan Whiteside and Amare Stoudemire (105, with Whiteside having 73 of those) have more than the 101 blocked by Favors and Gobert. … In the spirit of March Madness: Five Jazz have played in the NCAA Final Four: Trey Lyles (Kentucky, 2015), Trey Burke (Michigan, 2013), Jeff Withey (Kansas, 2012), Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack (both Butler, in 2010 and 2011). All but Lyles played in a title game. Only Charlotte with eight and Memphis with seven have more who have played in a Final Four.
Injuries: Wolves F Kevin Garnett (sore knee) and C Nikola Pekovic (sore ankle) remain out, F/C Gorgui Dieng (hip) is probable. Utah G Alec Burks (fractured fibula) and G Dante Exum (knee surgery) remain out.
The Wolves cut a 19-point second-half deficit to two, but Naz Reid’s three-point attempt missed at the final horn against the defending NBA champions.
