Jazz Look To Snap Losing Streak When They Host Knicks
Nov 14, 2022, 4:02 PM | Updated: Nov 15, 2022, 1:16 pm
Quentin Grimes, RJ Barrett, and Obi Toppin of the New York Knicks (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz will look to snap their two-game losing streak when they host the New York Knicks on Tuesday night at Vivint Arena.
The Jazz suffered back-to-back losses for the first time this season falling on consecutive days over the weekend to the Washington Wizards and the Philadelphia 76ers.
New York meanwhile travels to Utah having lost six of their last nine games.
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Jazz Look To End Losing Streak
The Jazz had two of their worst performances of the young season over the weekend dropping winnable games against the Wizards and 76ers.
Lauri Markkanen was largely unimpactful in the two outings despite averaging 16.0 points nad 7.5 rebounds. The Finnish forward had been putting up career numbers prior to the weekend’s double-header, but the Jazz were outscored by 28 points in Markkanen’s 66 minutes on the floor.
Joel Embiid scored a career-high 59 points as the @sixers downed the @utahjazz 105-98. #TakeNote https://t.co/hbny6fmbk0
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 14, 2022
Several key Jazz players have struggled to shoot the ball during the mini-losing streak. Mike Conley connected on just 2-15 field goal attempts in the losses including 1-9 from the three-point line.
Rookie Walker Kessler has made just 2-7 from the floor in his last two outings, while Jordan Clarkson and Talen Horton-Tucker went a combined 18-50 for 36 percent.
After opening the season 10-3, the Jazz will need to find their stroke when they host the Knicks to get back to their winning ways.
The team will be without veteran Rudy Gay against the Knicks due to a left hand sprain.
Knicks Untouchable Guards Struggling
The Jazz and Knicks were heavily involved in trade talks for Donovan Mitchell during the summer, but the New York front office reportedly made RJ Barrett and Quentin Grimes untouchable at separate times throughout the negotiation.
So far this season, their stingy trade offerings haven’t produced as they’d expected.
Barrett is averaging 18.9 points per game, down from last season’s 20.0 average, while shooting a career-low 30 percent from the three-point line.
"Members of the Knicks felt they didn’t get a fair shake from the Jazz in their trade negotiations for Donovan Mitchell," according to @SBondyNYDN#TakeNote #Knicks #Cavs https://t.co/jDmbO5HJSh
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) September 5, 2022
The fourth-year guard played a season-low 19 minutes in the Knicks 145-135 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder and was benched for all but the opening two minutes of the second half.
Unfortunately for the Knicks, Grimes has fared even more poorly.
The second-year guard was sidelined by an injury to open the season and has averaged a meager 2.0 points on 33 percent shooting from the floor and 25 percent from the three-point line in his five appearances.
Mitchell meanwhile is off to a career start averaging 31.6 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.7 rebounds in 11 appearances for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Prior to facing the Jazz, the Knicks reportedly held a players-only meeting in Utah in an effort to reverse their recent struggles.
The Knicks opened the season 3-1 before dropping six of their last nine.
Utah Jazz vs. New York Knicks Broadcast
The Jazz and Knicks will tip off at 7 pm MT in Salt Lake City. The game will be televised on AT&T SportsNet and can be heard on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. The game will also be streamed on DirecTV Stream and FuboTV.
