Jazz guard Mike Conley is listed as questionable to play in Game 2 of the team’s second-round series against the Clippers on Thursday night, per the NBA’s official injury report. Conley, who suffered a mild right hamstring strain in Game 5 of the first round against Memphis, was also listed as questionable leading up to Game 1 vs. the Clippers on Tuesday before being ruled out.
The Jazz have a reputation for being careful with injuries. The team held Donovan Mitchell out of the first game of the postseason last month, much to Mitchell’s dismay. So while it seems like Conley is getting closer to returning to action, we shouldn’t expect to see him on the court until the club is confident he’s 100% or close to it.
Here’s more out of Utah:
- The contributions of Bojan Bogdanovic are crucial to Utah’s title hopes, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. Bogdanovic’s decision to sign a four-year contract with the Jazz as a free agent in 2019 represented a big win for the franchise both from a basketball perspective and a symbolic one, as Jones details. “We were glad that he chose us because he had options,” Jazz executive VP of basketball operations Dennis Lindsey told Jones. “Him choosing us was a sign that we could be a destination market, and it’s just been an excellent marriage. He’s met our level defensively. He’s such a versatile scorer and he’s a huge weapon for us because of how many ways he can score and shoot the ball.”
- Even if the Jazz advance to the NBA Finals and don’t finish their season until July 22, don’t expect Joe Ingles to skip the Olympics this summer, tweets Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “I’ll get on a plane the next day and I’ll make my way over to Japan,” said Ingles, who will represent Australia at the Tokyo games.
- The Jazz haven’t forgotten the way the Clippers seemingly tanked at the end of the regular season to get into the No. 4 seed, avoiding a possible matchup with the Lakers in the Western Semifinals and lining one a series with Utah instead. Entering the second round, it sounded like Utah was using that as motivation, as Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register writes. “Obviously, we’re a matchup that the Clippers felt like was an advantageous matchup for them,” Jazz head coach Quin Snyder told reporters on Tuesday.
I remember saying Bogdanovic was a perfect fit for them just b/c of how desperately they needed help at that 4 spot, as well as shooting, for a couple of years, and he plays really well off them. Missing him last year was a big deal
…as well as obviously getting back Derrick Favors, who I’ve been a really big fan of for a long time
Well that’s who got displaced in a budget squeeze. Lindsay got him back but to defuse any awkwardness, emphasized Bojan as a get that made Utah a “destination market”. Smart because it is likely so!
DFavors definitely 1 of the best from my city since Clyde Frazier. Dwight obviously better but Derrick is a Atl Public School grad & a Tech great so he gets a lil more love
Favors would be starting on a lot of teams.
I bet Joe Ingles is still appreciative of air travel after all these years – his first trip to the Utah territory was by steamship and rail.
Tanking in order to face Utah instead of the Lakers (or Phoenix) was sheer stupidity.