Charlotte @ Utah preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 21, 2019 ) Utah 114, Charlotte 107

The streaking Utah Jazz look to record their eighth consecutive victory and 13th in 14 games when they host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday. The Jazz have won the past 12 home meetings with the Hornets and are a superb 24-5 against them in games played in Salt Lake City.

Utah kept its stretch of strong play going with Wednesday's 128-104 rout of the visiting New York Knicks and coach Quin Snyder was pleased that the effort was strong throughout the contest. "How you're playing is more important than whether you're winning," Snyder said afterward. "I think our group is getting better. I told them I felt we continued to play the right way the whole game and they know what that means." The Hornets aren't faring well of late and Wednesday's 112-110 overtime loss to the visiting Toronto Raptors was their eighth in the past 10 games. "You have to keep playing for 48 minutes and that's the bottom line," Charlotte coach James Borrego said afterward, not accounting for the extra five minutes. "No matter if you're up or down, you have to keep playing."

TIME: 9 p.m. ET. TV: FS Southeast, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain

ABOUT THE HORNETS (15-25): Point guard Terry Rozier scored 27 points in the loss to the Raptors and is averaging 28.5 points over the past four games. "He was terrific down the stretch," Borrego told reporters of Rozier. "He kept attacking the rim. He got to the rim. I liked the ball in his hands late." Second-year forward Miles Bridges made a career-best six 3-pointers and recorded 26 points and nine rebounds against Toronto for his fourth 20-point effort of the season.

ABOUT THE JAZZ (25-12): Backup point guard Emmanuel Mudiay scored a season-high 20 points in the win over the Knicks and he said the team's style of play allows everybody on the roster to contribute. "I think the main thing is getting out in transition. Playing fast-ball basketball and we've been doing a great job of that. It's just fun. Everybody's touching it and everybody's feeling involved, that's the main thing." Mudiay is 20-of-36 shooting over the past four games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Jazz won the past four meetings, including a 114-107 victory in Charlotte on Dec. 21.

2. Utah C Rudy Gobert collected 16 rebounds against New York and has grabbed 15 or more in 11 of the past 14 games.

3. Charlotte PF Marvin Williams (nose) could miss his third straight game.

PREDICTION: Jazz 104, Hornets 95