Jazz-Warriors Preview

By SCOTT GARBARINI

(AP) -- Winning three consecutive games has been an elusive goal for the Utah Jazz. It may very well remain so considering their next opponent.

The Jazz get their shot at ending the Golden State Warriors' 30-game regular-season home winning streak when the teams square off Wednesday night.

Utah (12-14) downed Denver and Phoenix on its recent homestand to record back-to-back wins for the fifth time this season. It's the Jazz's seventh two-game streak since they last won three straight March 28-April 1.

Breaking that trend seems unlikely against Golden State (26-1), which has won 49 of its last 50 in Oakland in regular-season play, with a 113-111 overtime defeat to Chicago on Jan. 27 the lone blemish.

The Jazz could be catching the defending NBA champions in a trap-game scenario, however. The Warriors are coming off Friday's emotionally charged 121-112 win over Milwaukee to avenge their only defeat this season and host Cleveland on Christmas night in their first meeting with the Cavaliers since the NBA Finals.

Golden State fell 108-95 in Milwaukee on Dec. 12 and was pushed hard in the rematch, trailing by 15 in the third quarter and 100-89 with under nine minutes left before rallying behind Draymond Green and Stephen Curry.

"We were very public about the fact that we wanted to get revenge. Then we didn't come out and play with that edge and that mentality," interim coach Luke Walton said. "If you're going to say that about another team you should expect ... they're not going to fold."

Green scored the first eight points of an 11-0 run that tied the game and was involved in a contentious moment afterward when he and the Bucks' O.J. Mayo exchanged words and shoved one another before several players intervened.

"We were searching," he said. "I know I needed to step up and make plays."

Curry scored 10 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, rising to the occasion much like he did during a 106-103 win in Salt Lake City on Nov. 30. The reigning league MVP scored 10 of his 26 in the final 6:20 to help Golden State overcome a 90-87 deficit.

Curry and Klay Thompson combined to go 8 of 15 from 3-point range that night and each enter this matchup in top form. Thompson followed a season-high 43-point effort in a 128-103 rout of Phoenix on Dec. 16 by recording 27 against Milwaukee.

Green also is going well, averaging 21.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists over a four-game stretch following Friday's 21-point performance.

Gordon Hayward has totaled 50 points in Utah's last two wins to support a pair of strong defensive displays. The Jazz held both Denver and Phoenix to 39.2 percent shooting and a combined 25.0 percent on 3s.

"Thought we had a lot of focus defensively tonight, that's where it was," coach Quin Snyder said after Monday's 110-89 victory over the Suns. "When we're precise and committed there, usually good things happen the rest of the game. Usually we take care of the ball and do things like that."

The Jazz will try to halt a four-game skid in Oakland with Rudy Gobert still sidelined by a knee injury. The third-year center hasn't played since registering 13 points and 11 rebounds in the last meeting with the Warriors.

Golden State, which has won eight of nine in the series, may be without its top center as well after Andrew Bogut exited Friday's game with back spasms.

With Walton down because of illness Tuesday, head coach Steve Kerr ran the Warriors' practice, though he said he still isn't 100 percent and gave no timeline for when he'll return to the bench after complications from back surgery.