Game-Day Preview: Nets at Jazz
Tonight the Nets try to bounce back in Salt Lake City against the Utah Jazz after a demoralizing 123–84 loss Thursday night to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Nets forwards struggled to contain All-Star Blake Griffin who had as many points as he did minutes, going 11 for 14 from the field for 24 points.
Utah is going through their own growing pains this season, as the young team is near the bottom of the Western Conference at 15-28. Tonight the Nets’ forwards have their work cut out for them again with yet another rising star forward, Derrick Favors. Favors is having a stellar season, scoring 16 points a game and pulling down nearly nine rebounds.
The entire team will have their hands full with fifth year forward Gordon Hayward, who leads Utah in scoring with 19 points per game. Rounding out the lineup are young, explosive guards Trey Burke and Alec Burks. Coming off the bench is the highly-touted fifth overall pick in last summer’s NBA Draft, Dante Exum. Exum made his name in Australia, with dominant games overseas. Much allure and mystery surrounded him as he did not hold many workouts for NBA scouts, but his phenomenal play in limited games elevated him in the draft.
Utah is coming off a 101-99 win versus the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night.
The team will be without one their few bright spots this season, stretch-four Mirza Teletovic. The team announced Friday that Teletovic would miss the remainder of the season after being diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs.