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Rudy Gobert peered over the heads of the reporters gathered around him Friday morning to catch a look at the last player still shooting in a corner of the team's practice facility.

"Hopefully," Gobert said. "He's working hard. He's getting treatment, still working on his game. Hopefully we get him back as soon as possible."

Derrick Favors' 2016-17 season has been a frustrating one for the power forward. Hampered by a series of injuries mostly involving his left knee, Favors has missed 28 games this season.

When he has played, his numbers have taken a serious hit. The forward has managed 9.8 points per game over 46 contests, after averaging more than 16 points a game last season.

The Jazz, however, would benefit greatly from even that reduced production from Favors as they gear up for the postseason. A bone bruise in his left knee has kept him out of action since March 6, 12 straight games.

The only possible good news: With six games left in the regular season after Friday night's meeting with the Wizards, the Jazz still believe there is a chance Favors could return in time for the postseason.

"I'm hopeful," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said Friday. "But the one thing we've found out is those are things that are out of our hands and out of Fav's hands. All he can do is continue to do what he's doing and try to prepare himself for when he's bale to come back."

"He's tough," Snyder added. "He's going to play if he can. But we have to have him be effective, too."

Milestone in reach

Rodney Hood knows what it feels like to be on the outside looking in, so the Jazz shooting guard is glad to already have a spot in the playoffs secured.

But with two weeks left in the regular season, Hood and the Jazz still have a couple of goals left on their regular-season checklist.

"It would feel right to get to 50 wins, and hopefully win a couple series if we can," Hood said. "I think it would be special."

The Jazz entered Friday night with 46 wins on the season.

The breaks

A bad break for Portland could make life a little easier for the Jazz. The Trail Blazers have been surging, winning eight of their past 10 games to move into eighth place in the West, thanks in no small part to the play of center Jusuf Nurkic. But Nurkic will miss at least the next two weeks — likely including two meetings with the Jazz — after suffering a fibular fracture in his right leg, the Blazers announced Friday.

afalk@sltrib.com Twitter: @aaronfalk