New York @ Utah preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 15, 2017 ) Utah 101, New York 106

Rookie Donovan Mitchell will try to stay hot and lead the Utah Jazz to consecutive wins for the first time in over a month when they host the New York Knicks on Friday. After going 14-for-19 in a 34-point performance in Wednesday's 120-105 win at Sacramento, Mitchell is averaging over 25 points over an eight-game stretch.

Mitchell shot 50 percent or better in each of the last three contests and is adding a highlight-reel play or two seemingly every night. "He's ultra-athletic," teammate Rodney Hood said of Mitchell on Wednesday. "When he gets in the lane, we want him finishing like that. Before long, people will start giving him respect and they'll spread when he goes to the lane. We need him to keep doing that." The Knicks have some young stars of their own but wins remain elusive for a squad that has dropped 11 of 14. Kristaps Porzingis scored 21 points and hauled in nine rebounds in a 105-99 loss at Memphis on Wednesday that dropped New York to 5-16 on the road.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, MSG (New York), AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Utah)

ABOUT THE KNICKS (20-25): New York rallied from an 18-point deficit in the third quarter at Memphis to make it interesting but the Grizzlies were without three starters and coach Jeff Hornacek has indicated he wants more from his first five. "We're all frustrated," Porzingis told reporters. "We all want to win. We just need to understand in our minds what are the things we need to do throughout the game to be able to be in position to win late in the game. Not have all that pressure late in the game, and that's when we start playing and we turn it up. We need to have that early on and then we'll be fine." Porzingis has at least 21 points in five of his last six games and is averaging 3.3 blocks and 2.5 steals over the last four outings.

ABOUT THE JAZZ (18-26): Mitchell is an electrifying talent but has some work to do on the defensive end before he can be included with the league's elite players. "He played very well tonight," coach Quin Snyder told the media Wednesday. "There were a number of things on the defensive end that he's going to hear about. He's gotta keep getting better in every aspect of the game. That's what he wants to do." Hood, who had 30 points in a loss at New York earlier this season, added 25 points while shooting 9-for-16 in the win over the Kings.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Utah's last winning streak was a six-game run from Nov. 22 through Dec. 4.

2. New York PG Frank Ntilikina went scoreless in three of his last five games, shooting a combined 0-for-11 in those three contests.

3. The Knicks lead the all-time series 48-47.

PREDICTION: Jazz 109, Knicks 104