4:00pm: Rubio will not be available for the Jazz against the Rockets for Game 4 tonight, the Jazz announced (via Twitter).
8:52am: The Jazz are hopeful that Ricky Rubio will be back on the court for today’s Game 4 against the Rockets, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
Rubio missed the first three games of the conference semifinals with a strained left hamstring he suffered nine days ago in the closeout game with the Thunder. He will get treatment on the hamstring this morning, and the Jazz will decide on his availability based on how he responds.
With Rubio sidelined, point guard duties have fallen to Donovan Mitchell, whose numbers across the board have fallen off as he tries to handle an unfamiliar role. He’s shooting just 32.2% from the field against Houston while averaging 16 points, 6.3 assists and 3.3 turnovers per game.
“We’re asking Donovan right now to be a point guard, and it’s different,” Utah coach Quin Snyder said. “There’s a lot of things when you take someone out of your lineup as instrumental as Ricky that you have to adjust.”
Rubio is officially listed as questionable for tonight’s contest, as is power forward Derrick Favors, who left Game 3 with a sprained left ankle. Favors has been a strong frontcourt presence in the playoffs, averaging 10.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per night.