G15 Utah Jazz (6-9) vs Brooklyn Nets (5-9)
The Jazz attempt to get their first road win of the season Friday night when their four-game trip continues with a meeting against the Brooklyn Nets.
Two of Utah’s road losses are by five points or less and following Wednesday’s 106-101 setback to the Knicks, the regrets were abundant along with the optimism about breaking through away from home.
Utah’s only win in the last two weeks was its 114-106 home victory over the Nets on Saturday. The Jazz scored 61 points in the first half and then shot 42.9 percent in the fourth quarter.
It was their first game with Derrick Favors at center in place of Rudy Gobert (knee). Favors totaled 24 and 12 against the Nets but totaled 15 points in the next two games.
Brooklyn also is slumping since getting a big home win. The Nets are 2-7 in their last nine games since a 112-107 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Oct. 25.
While the Nets average 110 points, they are down to 103.8 in their last nine games and shooting 42 percent in those games.
Their slump continued Tuesday when the Nets were handed a 109-102 loss to the Boston Celtics. D’Angelo Russell (left knee contusion) did not play after getting injured Saturday and is unlikely to play Friday.
Spencer Dinwiddie started for Russell at the point guard and will do so again. Dinwiddie played 34 minutes Tuesday and totaled 12 points and 11 assists but shot 4 of 14.
Chris LeVert also saw some time at the point and added 15 points while Joe Harris scored 19 and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson added 16. Still, it wasn’t enough as the Nets gave up runs of 19-6 and 10-0 in the second half, doing so after allowing Utah to go on a 22-4 run in the first half Saturday.
“I thought guys competed. We just have to do it for longer stretches,” coach Kenny Atkinson said.
Those runs seemed to put the Nets in bad situations offensively such as forcing shots late in the clock or playing isolation
“Yeah, I think when we play the way that we’re supposed to, playing together with the pass, the way that Kenny and the rest of the staff kind of preaches, we get good shots, and everybody gets good touches and when it starts to go into isolation, that’s when we kind of struggle,” Harris said.
The Jazz are 6-1 in the last seven meetings with the Nets.
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