Washington @ Utah preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 31, 2017 ) Washington 88, Utah 95

The Utah Jazz are learning how to play without center Rudy Gobert by opening up the offense. The Jazz, who are averaging 115.4 points over the last five games, will try to notch their sixth consecutive victory when they host the Washington Wizards on Monday.

Utah dropped four of its first six games without Gobert but dominated the next five opponents, winning by an average of 19.4 points. "We've been a 'together' team," Jazz coach Quin Snyder told reporters. "Sometimes that's the impact that injuries have--they really pull a group together. I think we've got a pretty selfless group regardless, but right now even the guys that are out are happy for the guys that are playing, because everybody knows that everyone else on the team is putting in the time. When you're working at it and investing in your game, you're also investing in the team." The Wizards are dealing with a significant injury of their own with All-Star point guard John Wall (knee) sidelined. Washington improved to 2-2 since Wall went down with a 109-91 win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday and are embarking on a five-game road trip that starts with Utah.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, NBCS Washington-plus, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Utah)

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (12-10): Washington is looking for players to step up with Wall out at least another week and got 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting from power forward Markieff Morris in Friday's win. Morris sat out the first seven games after sports hernia surgery and failed to reach 20 points until Friday. "He came out and played with the force that we saw many times last year," Wizards coach Scott Brooks told reporters. "By playing hard it gives you a chance to play well, and I thought he did that (Friday) with coming back from his surgery. I think that's behind him. He knows that with John (Wall) out, that we're down a man and he needs to, not take over the scoring, but participate and get involved more of the scoring."

ABOUT THE JAZZ (12-11): Gobert is practicing with the team and could be ready to return as soon as Monday, and he'll return to a team that is enjoying sharing the ball. Rookie Donovan Mitchell took his turn to star with a season-high 41 points in Friday's 114-108 win over New Orleans, and both Derrick Favors and Alec Burks have enjoyed big games since Gobert went down. "All of us, we enjoy playing together," Favors told the Salt Lake Tribune. "We don't just like each other, we love each other. We trust each other to make the right play. If (Burks) gets going, he gets the ball. If Donovan gets going, he gets the ball. It I get going, I get the ball. It doesn't matter who it is. We just want to see each other succeed."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Wizards C Marcin Gortat collected a season-high four steals on Friday.

2. Favors is shooting 73.1 percent from the floor over the last five games.

3. Utah took the last three in the series, following a four-game winning streak by Washington.

PREDICTION: Jazz 113, Wizards 105