 from behind the arc.The Jazz led by as much as 37 in a game that was even easier than their recent easy victories. They started their winning streak with a 17-point win over Phoenix, then beat Minnesota by 20, Brooklyn by 16 and Washington by 21.That was a rather soft portion of their schedule and it got even softer with a game against the NBA-worst Knicks, who the Jazz had already clobbered 129-97 at home on Dec. 29. Utah trailed for less than a minute of this one and was shooting 63 percent through three quarters, a number that dropped to 56.5 by the finish only because the best players were on the bench for most of the fourth quarter.Kevin Knox scored 27 points and Mario Hezonja had 23 for the Knicks, who lost for the 10th time in 11 games in the opener of a six-game homestand that keeps them home into early next month.The Knicks played without starters Dennis Smith Jr. (back) and Noah Vonleh (right ankle) along with a couple backcourt reserves.Mitchell, a native of Elmsford, New York, put on a good show for his home fans, shooting 12 of 20 and throwing down one particularly sharp dunk in the first half.Hezonja's 3-pointer gave the Knicks a 3-2 lead, but Utah answered with nine straight points and never trailed again. The Jazz led 39-25 after one, shooting 65 percent, pushed it to 50-29 on Ingles' 3-pointer in the second, and the lead stayed in the 20s for the rest of the half.It went past 30 for the first time when Gobert's dunk made it 81-50 early in the third, and peaked at 100-63 on Mitchell's 3-pointer midway through the period.TIP-INSJazz: The 39 points were one shy of their highest this season in a first quarter, which they did against Miami on Dec. 12. ... Jae Crowder scored 15 points.Knicks: The Knicks were also without reserve guards Allonzo Trier (strained left calf) and Kadeem Allen (ill). Though he said Smith was day-to-day, coach David Fizdale indicated his absence could last at least one more game, saying Smith would probably be evaluated next week.BACK SOON?Frank Ntilikina appears close to returning from a groin injury that has sidelined him since Jan. 28. He practiced with the Knicks' NBA G League team on Tuesday, and Fizdale said the team's medical staff said they wanted the second-year guard to get another practice in before deciding if he was ready to return.GOOD TO BE HOMEAfter playing seven of their last nine on the road, the Knicks get to settle in New York for a while. They host Denver on Friday, the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, then follow with games next week against Toronto and Miami. They close the homestand against Chicago on April 1.UP NEXTJazz: Visit Atlanta on Thursday.Knicks: Host Denver on Friday.---More NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/-Sports)
Mar 19, 2019As the regular season reaches the stretch drive, the Utah Jazz are attempting to secure a playoff spot, and their defense is clamping down on opponents.The improved defense has the Jazz on a four-game winning streak and attempting to get another win Wednesday night when they visit the league-worst New York Knicks.Utah (41-29) has held opponents to 100 or fewer points in each of the four games and in a season-best five straight games. During its third winning streak of at least four games, Utah is allowing 97.5 points, 41.5 percent shooting and 30.2 percent from 3-point range, leading to a 96.3 defensive rating.Before a 98-89 loss to Oklahoma City on March 11, the Jazz had won six of 10 games, but allowed 110.7 points per game while scoring 117 points over that span.The latest instance of Utah's defensive proficiency occurred Monday when the Jazz held Bradley Beal to 15 points on 4-of-12 shooting and opened a four-game trip with a 116-95 rout of the Washington Wizards.The Jazz also shot 53.8 percent, improving to 21-1 when shooting at least 50 percent."We moved the ball," Jazz coach Quin Snyder told reporters after the game. "We're an unselfish team and we get sloppy at certain points, but for the most part, we did a good job. If we can generate open jump shots, that's great. Particularly, if we're attacking the rim and guys are making the extra pass, it gives you confidence when you shoot the ball." Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz with 19 points, just missing out on a seventh straight game with at least 20 points. He is averaging 27.0 points in his last nine games and has scored at least 20 points in 28 of his last 31 games.Jae Crowder added 18 points off the bench on Monday and played extensively in the second half when the Jazz gave Derrick Favors a chance to rest a minor hamstring injury that is not expected to keep him out of Wednesday.Rudy Gobert heads into Wednesday with five straight double-doubles after totaling 14 points and 14 rebounds Monday and being named Western Conference Player of the Week. He also has 56 double-doubles, two behind league leader Andre Drummond.The Knicks (14-57) are 2 1/2 games ahead of the Phoenix Suns in the "race" for the league's worst record. They are 1-9 since getting consecutive home wins over San Antonio and Orlando on Feb. 24 and 26.In that stretch, New York is averaging 101.2 points and 16.5 turnovers while shooting 43.3 percent, a figure slightly inflated by Sunday's 124-123 home win over the Los Angeles Lakers.New York is starting a six-game homestand and returning home after an ugly 128-92 loss at Toronto on Monday. In their most lopsided defeat of the season, the Knicks were held below 100 points for the sixth time in seven games, shot a season-low 32.9 percent, were outrebounded 50-36 and gave up 21 points off 14 turnovers.New York's starters totaled 44 points and coach David Fizdale is hoping for improvement Wednesday after pulling them 65 seconds into the second half."Not getting it done," Fizdale told reporters of his decision to pull the starters. "Not playing at a level I want to see the game played at. Everyone out there owned it. I can't waste a minute to let them wallow." The Knicks were without Dennis Smith Jr. (sore back) and Noah Vonleh (sprained right ankle). Smith missed his third straight game while Vonleh sat for the second straight contest. Both players are day-to-day.The Jazz are attempting to sweep the season for the third time in five seasons. On Dec. 29, Gobert totaled 25 points and 16 rebounds as Utah shot 54.8 percent and outrebounded the Knicks 60-35 in a 129-97 rout.--Field Level Media
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