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SALT LAKE CITY -- Winners of three straight and six of their last seven, the Utah Jazz set to take on the Indiana Pacers Friday night in Salt Lake City.
The Jazz (10-7) have had a few days off after dismantling the Memphis Grizzlies 120-93 Monday. Six Jazz players finished with more than ten points while three had more than 20.
While the Jazz have been on a roll as of late, Indiana (6-10) is heading in the opposite direction. The Pacers have lost seven out of their last eight, giving up an average of 113 points.
"We're trying to share the basketball," Utah Jazz Head Coach Jerry Sloan said after Monday's victory. "When you do that, you get better shots."
The Jazz nearly shot over 60% for three consecutive games for the first time in franchise history, but fell below the mark against Memphis when Coach Sloan pulled the starters for most of the fourth quarter.
KSL takes a look back and ahead as we prep for the game against Indiana.
What did we learn about the Jazz against the Memphis Grizzlies?
- Unselfish basketball leads to higher percentage shots (28 assists, 58.4% shooting)
- Rookie Wesley Matthews is earning his spot on the team after his 17 point, 5 assist and 2 steal performance
What can the Jazz expect from Indiana?
- Scoring 30 or more points for the fifth time this season, Danny Granger led the Pacers with a game-high 33 points at Sacramento
- Roy Hibbert has been outstanding for the Pacers, averaging a double-double as Indiana's starting center. Hibbert, in his second year out of Georgetown, is averaged 11 points and 10.5 rebounds in the team's first five games while blocking nearly three shots.
Probable Jazz starting lineup
- C - Mehmet Okur, 6-11, 273 lbs., Turkey
- PF - Carlos Boozer, 6-9, 260 lbs., Duke
- SF - Ronnie Brewer, 6-7, 236 lbs., Arkansas
- SG - Wesley Matthews, 6-5, 224 lbs., Marquette
- PG - Deron Williams, 6-3, 207 lbs., Illinois
Probable Indiana starting lineup
- G 5 T.J. Ford 6-0 165
- G 1 Dahntay Jones 6-6 210
- F 33 Danny Granger 6-9 228
- F 3 Troy Murphy 6-11 245
- C 55 Roy Hibbert 7-2 278
Pacers leaders
Danny Granger 24.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg / Dahntay Jones 16.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg
Jazz Injury Updates
- Andrei Kirilenko - Probable (strained lower back)
- Kyle Korver - Doubtful
- CJ Miles - Game Time Decision
- Ronnie Price - Doubtful
Pacers Injury Updates
- Travis Diener (surgery on left big toe) - OUT
- Josh McRoberts (sore right big toe) - day-to-day
- Tyler Hansbrough (bruised left knee) - day-to-day
Conclusion
The Jazz have won six of their last seven, while Indiana is going the opposite way, losing seven out of their last eight. The Jazz should be in good shape if they can contain forward Danny Granger and continue to work the basketball around to the open guy.
