It’s uncertain whether Utah Jazz players will wear white headbands when they host the Toronto Raptors on Friday night in Salt Lake City, like most of them did in a coordinated decision Wednesday in Memphis.
Fashion statement aside, the Jazz will try to replicate the style of play they had while rallying back against the Grizzlies and taking the lead before coming up short in the end.
Collin Sexton and John Collins each scored 22 points against Memphis, helping Utah claw out of a 19-point deficit. The Jazz even took a one-point lead with just 1:16 remaining before Luke Kennard and Ja Morant hit 3-pointers that boosted the Grizzlies to a 122-115 win.
It was the Jazz’s seventh consecutive loss.
“I thought our team competed really hard, but honestly, (Wednesday) was a night where the turnovers make it really hard for us,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “The hardest part is the hard work that the team is doing in all the other categories of the game gets wiped away.”
Turning the ball over 23 times, as the Jazz did in the finale of a five-game road trip, certainly makes it harder to win.
“You hurt for the team some nights when you know how hard they are working, how locked in they are and how together they are,” Hardy said. “I don’t question the spirit of the team at all. This is one I really wanted for them.”
This will be a fairly quick rubber match for the Jazz and Raptors, who played in Toronto a week ago Friday. The Raptors cruised to a 118-109 victory thanks in part to a season-high 34 points from Immanuel Quickley, who also had five rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Scottie Barnes totaled 22 points, 12 rebounds and six assists that night for Toronto, which won its third straight at the time. Utah big man Walker Kessler had a huge night in Toronto with 18 points, 25 rebounds and eight blocks.
Since then, the Raptors split a pair of games with the Washington Wizards and beat Philadelphia 118-105. Toronto has won five of six.
A.J. Lawson led the Raptors with 28 points on Wednesday against the Sixers, while Jared Rhoden had a career-night in scoring (25), rebounding (12), assists (five) and steals (four). Toronto won despite having only nine players available.
“It felt really good,” Rhoden said. “It’s just a testament to the hard work I’ve put in to have this moment. It’s really special, and I’m really grateful to have the opportunity to be here and show what I can do.”
The Raptors come into this matchup with a 23-43 record, which does not look as bad when compared to Utah’s 15-51 mark. While Toronto remains mathematically alive for postseason action, the Jazz are the only team to have been eliminated from the playoffs.
Along with a long losing streak, Utah has gone winless in March while losing 14 of its last 17 games as it pursues a coveted high pick in this year’s draft.
