Taylor Hendricks Joins Jazz On Four-Game Road Swing
Jan 1, 2025, 6:57 PM
Utah Jazz forward Taylor Hendricks (0) looks at the referee during an NBA game against the Dallas Mavericks at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 25, 2024.
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NEW YORK, New York – With surgery to repair a fractured fibula in the rearview, Taylor Hendricks is well into his rehab to return to play. Hendricks was forced to rehab from home through December but has a prominent spot on the Jazz bench tonight in New York.
The Jazz (7-24) are in the Big Apple to face the Knicks (23-10) at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, January 1.
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Good to see Taylor Hendricks back on the road with the @utahjazz after the injury.
I’m sure he’s happy to be back with the team as much as possible.
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) January 2, 2025
The former lottery pick times his rehab to coincide with team practices and has been watching home games from the locker room.
“They pretty much fixed the leg — the fracture in the fibula, but it’s really just working on my ankle mobility,” Hendricks said. “Getting that back, doing the rehab with that, and making sure I could just keep my muscle working out different parts of my body.”
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While the loss of playing time is a major setback in injuries, so is the lack of camaraderie that comes with playing a team sport.
While Hendricks’s teammates practice, play, and travel together, Hendricks is forced to spend time alone working on his rehab.
“I think being on the road with the team is really important,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “I think being on the plane, the bus, being around his teammates in those moments where you’re just one of the guys you’re just a part of the team, I think is really important for him.”
In 43 career appearances, Hendricks averages 7.1 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 43 percent from the floor and 37 percent from three.
The Jazz trail New York 62-51 with 9:14 left in the third period.
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Jazz Face Knicks To Open Road Swing
The Jazz are attempting to snap a four-game losing streak when they travel to face the Knicks on New Year’s Day.
At 7-24, the Jazz own the second-worst record in the West and are tied with the Charlotte Hornets and the Toronto Raptors for the second-fewest wins in the NBA.
Starting off the new year in the garden 🎆
⏰ 5:30PM MT
📺 KJZZ | JAZZ+
📻 @kslsportszone#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/aBGEO4vmS5— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 1, 2025
The Knicks, meanwhile, own the NBA’s second-longest winning streak at eight games, including Monday’s blowout victory over the Washington Wizards.
At 23-10, the Knicks own the third-best record in the East and the fourth-best record in the NBA overall. New York’s 120.1 offensive rating ranks second in the NBA, while their 112.0 defensive rating ranks 14th.
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Tonight’s game against the Knicks is being televised on KJZZ, streamed on Jazz+, and heard on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone.
Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball coverage here.
