This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder knows Russell Westbrook will have a big game Saturday afternoon. Oklahoma City's star point guard is averaging almost 32 points a game. He's registered 31 triple-doubles and is finishing off what has been a historic individual season.

What Snyder doesn't want is Westbrook to be the best player on the floor in the last five minutes when the Jazz and Thunder meet for the fourth time. More than anything, Westbrook has doomed the Jazz in the clutch. Westbrook in the first 43 minutes? Snyder can live with that.

"He's made plays to beat us," Snyder said. "First, he's made the plays to keep them in the game. But then he's made the plays at the end of the game. He's been good against us from a clutch standpoint. That's when you ask yourself what more could you have done."

The last time the Thunder took a visit to Vivint Smart Home Arena, Westbrook made the game-winning jumper to give OKC a 97-95 victory. Less than two weeks ago, the Jazz rallied furiously against the Thunder in the fourth quarter, and took a 106-102 lead with under a minute remaining. Westbrook then made a 3-pointer. And on the next possession, he drove the lane and converted a three-point play.

Westbrook isn't going to be stopped, and the Jazz know that. They want to make him an inefficient scorer, make him work hard for his offense. That's what happened in Utah's lone victory against Oklahoma City. In that 109-89 win, Westbrook scored a game-high 27 points. But he was 7 of 25 from the field in the process.

Could they be back?

Jazz starters George Hill and Derrick Favors are both considered questionable for Saturday's matchup. Hill didn't practice, but participated in shooting drills following. Hill has missed time with a sore toe, while Favors has been battling a sore knee.

"We need both of those guys healthy," Snyder said. "You go around any team in the league, you take away a starting point guard and a starting big, it makes a difference."

Briefly

The Thunder made 12 consecutive 3-pointers to begin the previous matchup between the two teams. … OKC will have the services of starting shooting guard Victor Oladipo on Saturday. He missed the last game against the Jazz. … The Thunder signed Norris Cole after their previous win over the Jazz. Cole, who won championships playing with the Miami Heat, is the backup point guard.