by Alma Bean
Feature Image: Photo by Rick Bowmer of the Associated Press.
The Utah Jazz (18-16) comes home for the holidays for their final matchup of the season against the Washington Wizards (12-20).
What to Look For
Utah got their first win on the road since November 19 against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night. Utah will need to bring attention to rebounding since Washington is a top-10 defensive rebounding team. Utah’s ability to rebound the ball on the offensive to create second-chance opportunities will be their way of evening the floor. With Walker Kessler and Jarred Vanderbilt, Utah should give Washington a hard time in the paint on both ends of the ball.
Keys for the Game
Try to force Washington to the free-throw line. Washington is currently shooting 76 percent from the line with nearly 23 attempts per game. By creating more press coverage on defense, Utah will have the opportunity to either commit a foul to stop an easy bucket or potentially lead to a turnover. Washington is in the top five in the league in the least turnovers per game with about 13 per game. With Collin Sexton‘s health in question for tonight’s game, his aggressive demeanor on defense may be a point of emphasis if he is cleared to play.
Injury Report
Utah- Kelly Olynyk: Out (ankle), Collin Sexton: Questionable (hamstring)
Washington- Deni Avdija: Questionable (back), Kristaps Porzingis: Questionable (illness), Delon Wright: Out (hamstring)
Where to Watch?
Tip-off between Utah and Washington will be at 7:00 p.m. MT on NBATV. For the local broadcast, go to AT&T SportsNet.
The Hive Sports 
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