Utah Jazz visits Charlotte Hornets on Monday night in a game that both front offices probably prefer to lose.
Jazz (16-59) participates in the competition with the worst record in the NBA, while Hornets (18-56) is on the heels. Both teams hope for a high choice in this year’s draft. Ending in the four lower ones would give them the best shot to win Cooper Flag Sweepstakes for Duke All-American, who has not yet announced its plans after the NCAA tournament.
Charlotte will try to beat Utah for third straight time after taking a nine game that loses the line to jazz earlier this season. Hornets picked up a road victory in Salt Lake City on January 15 and won 117-112 when Mark Williams netted a pile of career 31 points.
Hornets comes from a 98-94 loss in New Orleans on Sunday evening and will return home for the second part of a back-to-back set.
Charlotte had a half-time lead of 52-43 but was surpassed by 10 points during the third quarter on the way to a fifth loss in a row. It was Hornet’s second match since the team announced that star guard Lamelo Ball will miss the rest of the season to undergo operations on the ankle and wrist.
Coach Charles Lee liked how his young guys had the team in the thick of things against the Pelicans. Charlotte gave a late advantage before the Pelicans took the lead for good on a three -point game by Jose Alvarado with 31 seconds left in the narrow game.
“It’s huge for these guys to be able to have one in the game,” Lee said. “How do you close a game? How are you done with it? What do the offensive possessions have to look? How do you have to drive and everyone is on the same page?
“Defensively, understand the other team’s tendencies and were really tight with our coverage,” he continued. “Defending without Fouling, which is one of our absolutes. It is a very valuable experience for these guys.”
Experience is something that jazz gets in losses as well.
Utah started this five-match trip with a loss of 129-93 on Friday on Denver and continues this week in Charlotte, Houston, Indiana and Atlanta.
Like Hornets, the jazz has lost five straight and is in a rough stretch of suffering 15 setbacks in 16 excursions.
Utah shot only 35.5 percent (33 out of 93) from the field against the nugs.
“I thought we were generating a bunch nicely and they didn’t go,” said Jazz coach Will Hardy. “I don’t hide from the fact that we just got our butts kicked, but it’s not because the team didn’t compete and played hard. I think when you don’t make any pictures and you have an unseen defense for the whole game, it’s hard against a team like it.”
Hardy echoed his Charlotte -Mot.Smotiness feelings if this season was valuable for younger players who get more opportunities than they would if they were part of a playoffs.
“We are focused on trying to promote our own understanding of our young players right now,” Hardy said. “(See) what they can and try to push these limits a bit.”
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