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SALT LAKE CITY -- Let’s try this again.
The Utah Jazz (6-3), winners of five straight are looking to extend their winning streak to six games and their home record to 6-0 as they face the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday at the EnergySolutions Arena.
The Lakers (7-4) handed the Jazz their most lopsided loss of the season in a 96-71 rout on opening day.
Since then, the Jazz have been better — much better — amassing six wins in their next eight games, steady improvement from their opening day dismantling at the hands of the Lakers.
“We’re coming together,” said Millsap after the Jazz’s 113-105 win over the Cavaliers on Tuesday. “The chemistry is going to continue to get better. Every game we get better. Hopefully, we can keep it up.”
For as good as the Jazz have been defensively this season, it was the offense that carried them in their victory over the Cavs on Tuesday. Center Al Jefferson led all scorers with 30. Millsap shot 90 percent from the field and finished with 19. Favors added 14 points and Howard 17.
Cavs coach Byron Scott said Jefferson was a force on the inside.
“Their post players are just too good,” Scott said. “When Al has it going like that, I don’t think there is anyone in the league who can stop him.”
“We’re doing a good job of getting shots close to the rim before we take jump shots,” said Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin. “And that’s going to be the key for us going forward.”
The Lakers enter tonight’s contest with a three-game winning streak and are coming off a 99-83 win over the Suns. Kobe Bryant scored 15 of L.A.’s final 17 points en route to a 48-point night —the highest point total for any player this season. Kobe has scored 25 points or more in the Lakers' last five games, covering for the Lakers’ deficiencies with his offensive efficiency.
“He’s always going to be aggressive and assertive to score, but he’s picking his spots and he’s doing it in a very efficient manner,” former Jazzman and Lakers guard Derek Fisher said after LA’s win against Phoenix. “That ranks it right up there with the best of them because it doesn’t look like he’s trying to do it. He’s just doing it within the flow of the game. That’s been very effective for him and for us.”
As good as the Lakers have been this season, they still haven’t won a game on the road, going 0-for-3 with losses at Sacramento, Denver and Portland, something they look to correct as they face this youthful Jazz team.
Tonight’s game takes place at 7 p.m. and can be seen on Root Sports.
Jarrod is a freelance writer who writes Jazz previews for KSL.com. You can follow Jarrod Hiatt on Twitter at @jarrodhiatt.
