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The Utah Jazz may receive a boost in Sunday night's Game 4 against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Rudy Gobert, who has missed all but 11 seconds of the series with a hyperextended knee, has been upgraded to questionable for Sunday night. He had previously been listed as doubtful.
"He's making a lot of progress," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "He's a lot farther along than I thought he'd be at the time of his injury."
Gobert didn't go through Sunday morning's shootaround in the typical sense, Snyder said. Rather, Gobert more observed his teammates. But Snyder did confirm Gobert is back to running. Should he be able to play, Gobert would probably be inserted into the starting lineup.
"His affect is obvious," Snyder said. "He's a dynamic player and he makes us better."
When assessing Sunday night's Game 4 of a Western Conference first round series against the Los Angeles Clippers, Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder stops short of calling it a must win.
"It's an important game for us," Snyder said. "It's a must win when a team has three wins. I think every game on some level is a must win. We have to play well, that's for sure."
After winning the opening game of the series, the Jazz have dropped two consecutive games to a Clipper team led by all-star point guard Chris Paul. Sunday's game has a different dynamic, with Los Angeles power forward Blake Griffin out for the remainder of the postseason with a toe injury.
The Clippers will compensate for that significant loss by going smaller around DeAndre Jordan, so it could give the Jazz a chance to go small around Derrick Favors as well.
Even if Sunday isn't technically a must win for the Jazz, it's pivotal at the very least. Get a victory over the Clippers, and the series goes back to Los Angeles tied at 2-2, giving the Jazz a reasonable path to winning the series. Lose a third straight game, and the Clippers take a stranglehold on the series at 3-1, making it difficult to imagine the Jazz winning the series.
"We can't take anything for granted," Utah forward Joe Johnson said.
If Gobert doesn't play, the Jazz will again start Derrick Favors at center. He played a season-high 38 minutes on Friday night, so how well he holds up under the increased workload will be critical for Utah's chances.
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