The Utah Jazz will look to repeat their biggest win of the season when they play the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night. This game marks the end of a five-game road trip for the Jazz, who defeated the Blazers by 42 points, 141-99, in Portland on December 6.
In that game, Johnny Juzang stepped up for the Jazz, scoring 22 points while Lauri Markkanen was sidelined due to a back injury. Walker Kessler also had a strong performance with 13 points, 17 rebounds, and five blocks. Utah led by as many as 46 points, which caused Blazers fans to boo their team on their own court.
“That’s a really good team win start to finish,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said after that victory. “I hope the guys feel good about it. They continue to work hard, they continue to stick together. We’ve had some tough moments, and they work through those. I hope they enjoy (the win), because they played really, really hard.”
Since that game, the Jazz lost three in a row but have won two of their last three, keeping it close in a 124-113 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday. In that game, the Jazz were just one point behind in the final minutes, but the Cavaliers finished strong.
Utah’s top players — Jordan Clarkson (27 points), Markkanen (26), and Collin Sexton (24) — all played well against Cleveland. The Jazz had momentum after winning back-to-back games against the Detroit Pistons (126-119) and Brooklyn Nets (105-94).
“The competitiveness, the togetherness that our group is showing has risen a ton in the last two weeks,” Hardy said after the Cleveland game. “I think it sets the environment up for real improvement to happen.”
Walker Kessler was a key player in the game against the Cavaliers, contributing nine points, 16 rebounds, three blocks, and three assists. Hardy praised Kessler for his ability to impact the game even without scoring many points.
“Walker has gotten so much better,” Hardy said. “His ability to impact winning without scoring a lot of points continues to grow.”
The Trail Blazers, meanwhile, are returning home after two losses in Texas, including a 114-94 defeat against the San Antonio Spurs and a 132-108 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Portland has dropped eight of its last nine games, with its only win in that stretch coming at home.
Deandre Ayton, who led the Blazers with 16 points against Dallas, mentioned that the team is still focusing on improving their fundamentals and communication.
“Our defense is what really creates our offense, and gets us moving and grooving,” Ayton said. “We just need to make shots.”
Portland has struggled recently, losing their last six games and 12 of their last 14 against Dallas.
