Milwaukee • For the Utah Jazz, being on the road for 12 days could’ve been difficult. Or, as forward Thabo Sefolosha said, the Jazz are going to have to pace themselves through six games to make sure they don’t tire out.
But, with a four-day gap between Saturday night’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks and Wednesday night’s game against the Chicago Bulls, the Jazz are going to split the difference.
They will come home on Saturday night, spend a few days regrouping in Salt Lake City and then fly back to Chicago on Tuesday. It’s a move welcomed by players and coaches, especially since everyone involved knows the potential is there to be road weary in two weeks.
“It’s going to be a chance to go home and sleep in our own beds,” Sefolosha said. “I’m going to get to go home and see my family, and that’s the good thing about it.”
The Jazz will likely take Sunday off to catch their legs, before practicing Monday and possibly Tuesday in Salt Lake. Saturday was their fourth game in six nights, and they looked like a team playing with tired legs.
Many of the players and coaches have families. And after Wednesday’s Chicago game, the trip gets tough. The Jazz will face the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets in a four-day span. They then finish the trip in Oklahoma City, before coming back to see the San Antonio Spurs on a back-to-back.
So, the Jazz need to take a break when they can.
“I definitely want to go home for a few days,” Utah forward Derrick Favors said. “In this league, whenever you can sleep in your own bed and have familiar surroundings, you have to do it. We know this trip is going to be tough, so we have to be ready for it.”
Hood not back yet
The Jazz played their seventh consecutive game Saturday night without shooting guard Rodney Hood, who sat out with ankle soreness. As has been the case, the Jazz missed his scoring with the second unit.
Hood is nearing a return. He’s doing more work in shootaround and pregame. He’s walking better, and he says the pain has subsided in large part. According to sources, there is a chance Hood will be able to play on Wednesday night in Chicago.
Another injury
Jazz backup point guard Raul Neto left the game for good in the first half due to concussion-like symptoms and didn’t return. He was injured when he went to the basket and was hit in the face by Bucks center Thon Maker.
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