Phoenix @ Utah preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 14, 2018 ) Phoenix 97, Utah 107

The Utah Jazz have a golden opportunity to continue their rise in the Western Conference while facing a string of lesser opponents at home. They began the stretch in dominant fashion against the stumbling Detroit Pistons and look to make it two in a row on the homestand when the Phoenix Suns visit on Thursday.

Utah used a 42-point first quarter and shot 55.3 percent overall in a 110-79 rout of the Pistons on Tuesday, its seventh straight win and 19th in the past 21 games. "We haven't moved the ball like that all season in my opinion," guard Donovan Mitchell told reporters after the win. "We were clicking and hitting shots." That figures to continue as the homestand progresses against the Suns - losers of six straight - and then Sacramento and Atlanta, two other teams playing out the string. Phoenix has allowed an average of 121.3 points during its losing streak and sits percentage points ahead of Memphis in the race for the worst record in the NBA.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, FS Arizona (Phoenix), AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Utah)

ABOUT THE SUNS (19-50): Devin Booker represents the future for Phoenix and the young star was candid about the team's current struggles after the 129-107 loss to Cleveland at home Tuesday night. "We have been babied a little bit and it shows," the 21-year-old Booker told the media. "I think our whole team has been spoiled enough, including myself, with playing time at a young age to where you get to play through mistakes. We still have to learn basketball. A lot of one-and-dones on this team. Nineteen, twenty, 21-year-olds, including myself that are still learning the game." Booker averaged 21 points in three earlier meetings with Utah but shot just 34.9 percent in those games.

ABOUT THE JAZZ (38-30): Utah improved to 20-4 since center Rudy Gobert returned from a knee injury in mid-January and he has six double-doubles in seven games this month after posting 22 points and 12 rebounds versus Detroit. Five others scored in double figures, with Jonas Jerebko contributing 16 points to go along with eight boards in just 19 minutes off the bench. "It just gets better and better the longer the season goes, the more time we play together, the more we start getting to know each other," Jerebko told reporters. "We're clicking right now and we're just going to keep building."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Suns PG Elfrid Payton is 0-for-7 from 3-point range in March and 4-for-20 since being traded to Phoenix last month.

2. Mitchell averaged 32 points in Utah's two victories over the Suns in February.

3. Jazz PF Derrick Favors shot at least 50 percent from the field in eight straight games.

PREDICTION: Jazz 116, Suns 103