We want to finish strong before the All-Star break. Go to New Orleans, come with high energy and play like we did (Saturday). – Elijah Millsap
NEW ORLEANS — Beginning later this week, the Utah Jazz will have a stretch of nine days off in a row.
They might want to keep that in mind as they visit Smoothie King Arena Monday night for a game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
It will be the Jazz’s fifth game in seven nights, and the team might need all the extra motivation it can get to muster up the energy to finish its pre-All-Star break schedule off strong.
Following this game against the Pelicans, Utah has an open day Tuesday and then travels to Dallas for a game Wednesday night.
That will wrap up a brutal stretch, which includes six games in nine nights.
Utah has played well for most of the first part of this portion of the schedule — all the tougher because of how easy it is to daydream about an upcoming vacation — but only picked up one win in its busy week last week.
That came Saturday against the Sacramento Kings after competitive losses to the Clippers, Blazers and Suns.
Finishing strong going into the extended All-Star weekend could give Utah some nice momentum to take into the final 29-game portion of this rebuilding season.
Players will reconvene next Tuesday following the All-Star game, but the Jazz won't play again until a week from Friday.
“(These games) are very important for us to finish strong before the break,” Jazz forward Trevor Booker said following Utah’s 102-90 win over the Kings on Saturday at EnergySolutions Arena. “We need to come out and play these next two games as hard as we can and realize we have a long break coming up to rest. Hopefully we’ll go out and get our job done.”
The Jazz might catch a break in New Orleans.
Rising superstar Anthony Davis crashed hard to the court Saturday night against Chicago and sprained his right shoulder. He is questionable against the Jazz and is listed as day to day.
In two games against the Jazz this season, the freakishly athletic and powerful Davis has averaged 37 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.5 steals.
“We know he's a special player who's just starting to scratch the surface,” New Orleans coach Monty Williams said earlier this season after Davis had career-highs of 43 points and 14 rebounds in a win at Utah.
The Jazz lost their second matchup against the Pelicans in December with center Derrick Favors sidelined due to a sprained right ankle.
Favors will play in this one, but the Jazz will likely be without another starter. Shooting guard Joe Ingles, who had replaced injured Alec Burks and Rodney Hood in the first unit, is listed as doubtful because of lower-back muscle spasms.
Fellow 27-year-old rookie Elijah Millsap started in Ingles’ place in Saturday’s victory over Tyrone Corbin’s crew. Millsap had a nice outing with seven points, seven rebounds and three assists in his first NBA start.
“I tried to bottle up the nerves,” he said. “I just wanted to come out and do my job.”
Millsap, the younger brother of All-Star power forward Paul Millsap, will have his first chance to play in his home state in this game against the Pelicans. The Millsaps grew up in Monroe, Louisiana, about four hours north of New Orleans.
“We want to finish strong before the All-Star break,” Millsap said. “Go to New Orleans, come with high energy and play like we did (Saturday).”
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