Overview
- Utah faces Charlotte in Salt Lake City on Saturday at 9:30 p.m. EST in a non-conference matchup.
- The Jazz are coming off a 116-114 win over Dallas keyed by late stops, with Lauri Markkanen scoring 33 and coach Will Hardy praising the fourth-quarter paint defense.
- Charlotte has won three of its last four on the road but dropped two straight on game-winning shots, and it has taken four in a row against Utah including a 126-103 win on Nov. 2.
- LaMelo Ball recently shifted to a sixth-man role and delivered 33 points with seven threes and eight assists in the loss to Indiana, earning praise for his energy.
- Injury reports list Lauri Markkanen out for rest, Walker Kessler out for the season, and Mason Plumlee out, with Grant Williams and Ryan Kalkbrenner probable and Jusuf Nurkic questionable.