Injuries Keep Piling Up for Jazz
It’s one step forward and two steps back on the injury front for the Utah Jazz. All-Star Lauri Markkanen will miss Sunday’s game due to back tightness, while Collin Sexton continues to miss time with a hamstring injury.
As for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be back in action after a five-game hiatus. This isn’t good news for the anti-tank fan that had high hopes for a Jazz playoff push post-All-Star break.
Currently, the Jazz have a loose grip on the No. 9 seed and are fading fast. With only 18 games remaining on the schedule, an undermanned Jazz squad will need to find a way to steal some wins if it’s going to qualify for postseason play for the seventh straight year.
According to Tankathon.com, the Jazz have the fourth-toughest schedule down the stretch, which includes games versus the Bucks, Nuggets, Suns, and (2) Celtics. Utah’s opponents have a .524 winning percentage the rest of the way.
Despite the odds being stacked against them, there’s still hope the Jazz could sneak into the play-in tournament when you consider the landscape of the NBA. The Western Conference has been bitten hard by the injury bug as of late. Superstars LeBron James, Zion Williamson, and Steph Curry are all currently on the shelf as we head down the home stretch.
This will be the third time the Jazz have faced the Thunder in their last five contests. Utah squeaked by in the final moments in their first contest, followed by being blown out by 27 points on Friday night. Las Vegas has Thunder favored by six points in the rubber match on Sunday.
Tip-off is at 5:00 pm MDT.
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