Utah @ Indiana preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 15, 2018 ) Indiana 109, Utah 94

The Indiana Pacers worked their way into the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference with wins in three straight and are aiming for No. 3. The Utah Jazz, who visit the Pacers on Wednesday, are in their own playoff battle but are on the outside looking in at 10th place in the West despite their own three-game surge.

Indiana entered play Tuesday a half-game behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for the No. 3 spot but just three games above the No. 8 spot in a tightly packed East. "It says that we're a good team and we can play," Pacers All-Star guard Victor Oladipo told reporters after a 92-89 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday. "There are guys in this locker room that can play at a high level. It's great to have those guys. I'm happy to be a part of this program and this team. We just have to continue to keep getting better." The Jazz are winners of 15 of their last 17 games but still entered play on Tuesday 1 1/2 games out of the No. 8 spot in the West -- just four games behind the No. 3 Portland Trail Blazers. "We've won three games in a row," Utah point guard Ricky Rubio told the Salt Lake Tribune. "Maybe we have some things that we can do better, but the winning is all that matters."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Utah), FS Indiana

ABOUT THE JAZZ (34-30): Center Rudy Gobert is one of the key players leading the charge up the standings for Utah and he delivered 21 points on 9-of-10 shooting, 17 rebounds and a pair of blocks in Monday's 94-80 win over Orlando. "Rudy's playing out of his mind right now," Utah guard Donovan Mitchell told reporters. "I think it's him being aggressive on both ends. We're doing well. But it starts with Rudy, and he's been leading us." Gobert is averaging 14.9 points on 62.6 percent shooting, 11.2 rebounds and 2.3 blocks over the last 17 contests.

ABOUT THE PACERS (37-27): Oladipo committed a career-high 10 turnovers on Monday but shooting guard Bojan Bogdanovic stepped up to carry the offense with 29 points. "I think (Bogdanovic is) a good shooter and you have games or a week or so where you may lose your rhythm, might be fatigued and you have to find that by working and maybe getting some rest," Indiana coach Nate McMillan told reporters. "He's been pretty consistent for us all season long and tonight and nights where Victor doesn't have anything going, we need guys like that, guys that can go and get something." Bogdanovic is averaging 21.6 points on 56.5 percent shooting, including 57.7 from beyond the arc, over the last five games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Jazz PF Derrick Favors (neck) sat out Monday and is day-to-day.

2. Pacers PF Trevor Booker, who signed with the team on Saturday, is expected to make his debut against the Jazz.

3. Indiana earned a 109-94 win at Utah on Jan. 15 in a game Gobert missed.

PREDICTION: Jazz 102, Pacers 99