Jazz host Thunder in game 4 tonight

Jazz host Thunder in game 4 tonight

THUNDER AT JAZZ

Jazz lead 2-1. Game 4, 8:30 p.m. MDT, TNT.

NEED TO KNOW: Utah has won each of its last five first-round series
as the No. 5 seed, and the Jazz are halfway to extending that
streak. The crowd in Salt Lake City was extremely loud on Saturday
and will likely be again on Monday. The Thunder are 5-6 in their
last 11 games, and no one needs to remind them of how low the
success rate is for teams that go down 3-1 in a series.

KEEP AN EYE ON: Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook from deep.
Paul George has been great from 3-point range (15 for 31) in the
three games, but Westbrook and Anthony are a combined 9 for 31. The
Thunder need to get something going consistently from the perimeter
to soften up Utah’s stout interior defense.

PRESSURE IS ON: Utah. Most would think it’s the team trailing that
would feel the most pressure, but Utah has a chance to take total
command of the series. A loss would be doubly deflating; not only
would the Jazz lose home-court, but they would go back to Oklahoma
City for Game 5 with the Thunder thinking they have control of the
matchup.

INJURY UPDATE: Westbrook was getting treatment on some sort of
upper-body issue in Game 3 and was coy about it afterward, pointing
out that most players are ailing at this time of year. But if he’s
limited in any way, that’s obviously a huge problem for the Thunder.