Celtics Rule Out Two Starters for Jazz Matchup
The Utah Jazz are back at it on Saturday night, hosting the Boston Celtics. It'll be the first of four straight home games for the Jazz, which is a welcome development after the team's grueling six-game road stretch.
Absent from Saturday night's tilt will be point guard Collin Sexton, who, reportedly, is expected to miss another week with the hamstring injury that has torpedoed his season post-All-Star break. However, after practicing in full on Friday, shooting guard Jordan Clarkson is listed as questionable.
Meanwhile, the Celtics will be without Danilo Gallinari (knee), Al Horford (back), Payton Pritchard (heel), Marcus Smart (hip), and Robert Williams (hamstring), according to Dr. Justin Quinn.
Sitting at 33-36, if the Jazz are going to maximize the remaining 13-game schedule, they'll have to care of business at home over these next four games. That starts Saturday night, and Utah gets a little bit of a break with so many Celtics ruled out.
I like Clarkson's odds of playing, but with Sexton out, the onus remains on Talen Horton-Tucker to run the offense, with relief off the bench from the recently extended Kris Dunn. Lauri Markkanen will continue providing Utah with an All-Star presence, while Rookie of the Year candidate Walker Kessler dominates the paint.
I like Utah's odds of weathering the stiffest remaining schedule in the NBA, even without Sexton, so long as Clarkson returns to the lineup. With four days off between that Miami loss and the Boston matchup, Clarkson hopefully had enough time to fully heal up after missing six of the last seven games.
Fingers crossed.
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