Utah @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 22, 2017 ) New York 101, Utah 108

The New York Knicks will try to bounce back from a second-half collapse when they host the Utah Jazz on Wednesday in the finale of a three-game homestand. After routing Sacramento in the opener of the homestand, the Knicks built a 23-point lead against a listless and seemingly frustrated Cleveland Cavaliers squad Monday night before LeBron James helped the visitors storm back to steal a win.

"We can't keep having games like this," guard Courtney Lee told the New York Post. "We're going to give fans — I know my mother is going to have a heart attack. We let it slip away. For us to get up 20 on this team it speaks volumes for how far we've come, but still got to go a little ways." New York will take aim at a struggling Jazz squad that is without star center Rudy Gobert (knee) for about a month and remains the only Western Conference team without a road win (0-4). Utah completed a stretch in which it played eight of nine at home with a 109-98 loss to Minnesota on Monday, its fifth defeat in six games. Rookie Donovan Mitchell scored 24 points on 10-of-19 shooting but his fellow starters were 9-for-29 from the floor as the Jazz scored fewer than 100 points for the eighth time.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Utah), MSG (New York)

ABOUT THE JAZZ (6-8): Utah began the home-heavy stretch with three straight wins but it lost four of its next five in Salt Lake City, and coach Quin Snyder knows his squad will not succeed on its four-game road trip unless something changes. "The road provides additional adversity," Snyder told reporters after the loss to Minnesota. "And to do those things on the road, it's generally harder, and so it requires more concentration and certainly more than we had tonight." Point guard Ricky Rubio could probably use a change of scenery after averaging seven points on 24.3 percent shooting with 20 assists and 13 turnovers in the last four games at home.

ABOUT THE KNICKS (7-6): New York rallied around 19-year-old Frank Ntilikina in Monday's loss when the rookie was involved in a near-altercation with James in the first quarter. "It showed the chemistry of the team, our thinking. We'll fight together in all our games," Ntilikina told reporters after recording six steals off the bench. "It was good to have them right here and they know I'll be here for them. That's just how we are." Tim Hardaway Jr. recorded his second double-double in the last three games with 28 points and 10 rebounds while Enes Kanter notched his sixth of the season with 20 and 16.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Knicks PF Kristaps Porzingis is averaging 31 points on 52.9 percent at home.

2. Utah PF Jonas Jerebko made his first start of the season Monday and scored a season-high 13 points.

3. The Jazz have won three straight over the Knicks to tie the overall series at 47 wins apiece.

PREDICTION: Knicks 109, Jazz 100