Brooklyn @ Utah preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 3, 2017 ) Brooklyn 97, Utah 112

The Utah Jazz have dropped four straight games and their offense was missing in the latest setback. Utah attempts to recover from scoring a season-low 74 points when it hosts the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.

The Jazz tallied only 25 second-half points during Friday's 10-point loss as they shot a porous 33.8 percent from the field. "It's no time to think about it and pout about it," shooting guard Rodney Hood said afterward. "We play (Saturday). We know they eventually will fall. We're getting the looks, which is better instead of turning the ball over." Brooklyn is 2-2 on a five-game road trip after posting an impressive 101-97 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday. "I credit our defense a lot," swingman Allen Crabbe said after the win. "We just kept playing together. Those stops at the end and some of the plays we made at crunch time were big."

TV: 9 p.m. ET, NBATV, YES (Brooklyn), AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Utah)

ABOUT THE NETS (5-7): Brooklyn has held two of its last three opponents below 100 points - winning both times - after allowing 122 or more in each of the previous three contests. The victory over Portland was fueled by holding both members of the Trail Blazers' high-scoring backcourt below 20 points - Damian Lillard was held to 19 and CJ McCollum tallied 17. "Honestly, I think we played defense for all 48 minutes," point guard D'Angelo Russell told reporters after contributing 21 points and nine assists. "We had maybe a minute-and-a-half lapse. For 48 minutes, everybody played their part."

ABOUT THE JAZZ (5-7): Utah is lacking an offensive identity after seeing star Gordon Hayward depart as a free agent in the offseason. Rookie guard Donovan Mitchell is trying to pick up the slack but is 8-for-35 shooting over the past two games, while Hood is 9-for-33 over the last two games despite scoring 19 in each. "There were a lot of open looks that we didn't make," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said afterward. "Whether it's confidence, or continuity or connectivity or whatever the case is, we've just got to grind through it. There isn't a magic bullet right now."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Jazz swept last season's two meetings and have won five of the past six matchups.

2. Brooklyn F Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (hip) returned from a one-game absence and had 11 points and eight rebounds versus Portland.

3. PG Ricky Rubio is 9-for-40 shooting during Utah's four-game slide.

PREDICTION: Utah 93, Brooklyn 89