76ers-Jazz Preview
A broken leg has added Alec Burks to the growing list of injured major contributors for the Utah Jazz.
The Philadelphia 76ers are hoping their top scorer is back as they try to win back-to-back road games for the first time in a year.
The Jazz will try to withstand Burks' first absence of the season and continue their home dominance of the 76ers on Monday night.
Shoulder injuries limited Burks to 27 games last season, and he only played one more in 2015-16 before breaking his left fibula during Saturday's 109-104 defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The guard, who is out indefinitely, is third on the Jazz (12-16) in scoring with a career-high 14.3 points per game as a reserve. His absence is a serious blow since Utah is already without guard Dante Exum (torn ACL) for the season while center Rudy Gobert (sprained MCL) is out indefinitely. Back spasms sidelined Derrick Favors against the Clippers, and the forward is reportedly questionable for Monday.
Favors is second on the team with a career high average of 16.8 points.
"Try to fight through the adversity," forward Gordon Hayward said. "I think we'll be better through it, but it's tough to play right now with some of the guys banged up. Hopefully we get some of these guys back soon."
Until then, the scoring onus will fall on Hayward, the team leader with 18.9 points per contest. He scored 28 against the Clippers, giving him an average of 26.0 points in the last three home games.
Hayward has 15.5 points per game on 36.7 percent shooting in four career home matchups with Philadelphia (2-30).
The Jazz are 24-2 at home against the 76ers since 1988, recording a 10th straight win with an 88-71 victory Dec. 27, 2014. They extended their overall winning streak in the series to six games after Burks, Favors and Gobert combined for 43 points and 30 rebounds in a 99-71 win at Philadelphia on Oct. 30.
The 76ers, who last won at Utah on Jan. 5, 2005, are dealing with an injury to a key player of their own as star rookie Jalil Okafor is reportedly doubtful with right knee soreness.
The center averages a team-best 17.6 points while his 7.9 rebounds per game are tied with Nerlens Noel for the team lead.
The 76ers, however, overcame Okafor's absence Saturday, beating Phoenix 111-104 to end a 23-game road losing streak.
They haven't won consecutive road games since Dec, 21-23, 2014, losing 44 of 47 away from Philadelphia since.
Ish Smith is looking to build on an impressive season debut with the Sixers on Saturday. He had 14 points and five assists to begin his second stint with the club after being acquired in a trade from New Orleans on Christmas Eve.
Smith isn't fazed by Philadelphia's status as the team with the worst record in the NBA.
"I didn't come from a situation where we were winning a lot in New Orleans, either," Smith said. "For me a win is a win and we have to keep coming closer together, through wins, through losses. If we do that, we will put us in a good position to win games."
Isaiah Canaan had 22 points Saturday, hitting 6 of 12 from the floor, including half of his eight from beyond the arc.
Canaan missed 8 of 9 from the field and needed to hit 6 of 7 free throws to finish with 10 points against the Jazz in October.