Jazz Face Bulls, Grizzlies In Midwest Double-Header
Jan 6, 2023, 12:56 PM | Updated: 12:56 pm
Brandon Clarke of the Memphis Grizzlies defends DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz will face a difficult midwest double-header this weekend when they face the Chicago Bulls and the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Jazz are coming off a much-needed 131-114 victory over the Houston Rockets Thursday night in which forward Lauri Markkanen scored a career-high 49 points.
At the midway point of the season, the Jazz sit at 20-21 and in the 10th seed in the West.
Lauri Markkanen continues to raise his ceiling in a @utahjazz uniform.
Plus, Ochai Agbaji offered an intriguing taste of his future as the Jazz hit the midway point of the season. #TakeNote https://t.co/OBwL7EojHp
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 6, 2023
Bulls Amid Best Stretch Of The Season
The Bulls have had a disappointing first half of the season sitting at 17-21 on the season and in the 10th seed in the East.
However, they’ve won six of their last nine games including a win Wednesday night over the Brooklyn Nets.
In addition to the Nets, the Bulls have wins over the Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, and Milwaukee Bucks in their last nine outings.
Patrick Williams was efficient vs. Brooklyn 🐾
22 pts | 6-8 FG | 3-4 3PT | 7 reb | 2 stl pic.twitter.com/0g3sv1tvh8
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 5, 2023
The Bulls will face the Philadelphia 76ers on the road Friday on the front end of a back-to-back before hosting the Jazz on Saturday evening.
Over the last nine games the Bulls own the ninth-best offensive rating in the NBA and the 22nd-ranked defensive rating.
DeMar DeRozan is averaging 28.8 points per game during the stretch while Zach LaVine is adding 24.3 per contest.
Grizzlies Share Top Record In West
The Jazz will have a quick turnaround when they face the Grizzlies on Sunday, tipping off less than 24 hours after facing the Bulls.
As of Friday, the Grizzlies are tied with the Denver Nuggets atop the West at 25-13 having won five straight games and 13 of their last 17.
going to bed the hottest team in the association 🔥
goodnight. say it back. pic.twitter.com/kcNynhNBfW
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) January 6, 2023
While the Jazz will be on the second night of back when they face Memphis, the Grizzlies will be well rested having not played since their 123-115 victory over the Orlando Magic.
The Grizzlies are the only undefeated team in the NBA over the last five games and own the best net rating in the league at 13.7.
Memphis owns the fifth-best offensive rating during the stretch and the second-best defensive rating.
Jazz Weekend Broadcast Schedule
The Utah Jazz and the Chicago Bulls will tip off at 6 pm MT on Saturday. The team will then travel to face the Grizzlies in Memphis on Sunday at 4 pm MT.
The games will be televised on AT&T SportsNet and can be heard on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. They can also be streamed on DirecTV Stream and FuboTV.
