Whiteside Throws Back Shot From Warriors Guard With Authority

SALT LAKE CITY – Jazz center Hassan Whiteside returned from injury with a massive blocked shot on the Warriors Jordan Poole.

The Warriors (48-29) are hosting the Jazz (46-31) at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California on Saturday, April 2.

With 3:27 left in the opening quarter, Warriors guard Jordan Poole spun by a Jazz defender before meeting Whiteside high above the rim for the denial.

return to sender 📬 https://t.co/7d3I8awRAl pic.twitter.com/dOZvENqTdc

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) April 3, 2022

Whiteside had missed the previous four games before returning to back up starting center Rudy Gobert against the Warriors. He is averaging 8.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and three blocks per game in first season with the Jazz.

Utah leads the Warriors 28-23 in a game critical to playoff seeding. Donovan Mitchell leads the Jazz with 11 first quarter points.

The Warriors have beaten the Jazz two out of the three times they have played the season. The Jazz won their last matchup in Salt Lake on February 9. Bojan Bogdanovic led the Jazz in scoring with 23 points in the 111-85 win.

Both teams have struggled with health as they fight for playoff position with the playoffs beginning in less than two weeks. The Jazz entered the nights action having lost five in a row before beating the shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers in Salt Lake on Thursday night. The Warriors have lost four straight and seven of eight since Steph Curry went down with a right foot sprain.

Entering the day, the Warriors lead the Mavericks by half a game for third place in the Western Conference. The Jazz sit 1.5 games behind the Mavericks, in fifth place. If the season ended today, Golden State would host Denver and the Jazz would travel to Dallas for a first round matchup with the Mavericks.

The Jazz and Warriors can be heard on The Zone Sports Network. The game is also televised on AT&T SportsNet and FuboTV.

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