Utah
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Utah Jazz: Game preview, prediction, time, TV channel
The Portland Trail Blazers are favored to win Friday night against the Utah Jazz.
It’s an unusual occurrence, to be sure. But not unexpected. The Jazz (4-17) are not good.
Utah ranks 26th in offensive rating (108.8) and 29th in defensive rating (119.0) for a net rating of minus-10.3 (28th). The Blazers are at minus-8.1 (27th).
However, the Jazz rank sixth in offensive rebounding percentage (32.8%). Defensive rebounding is a weak spot for the Blazers, who rank last in defensive rebounding percentage (65.6%).
The Jazz have lost five consecutive games. Their biggest problem has been Lauri Markkanen’s poor shooting. He appeared in four of those recent losses and shot 38.7% from the field and 23.5% from three-point range while averaging 17.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
Prediction: The Blazers got this. The Jazz appear very interested in getting a shot at landing Duke freshman forward Cooper Flagg in the 2025 NBA draft. The Blazers want the same thing but, so far, have been playing their way out of having a realistic shot. Teams such as the Jazz and Washington (2-17) are off to a better start toward finishing at the bottom.
BLAZER FOCUSED PODCAST
Be sure to check out the latest episode of the Blazer Focused podcast with Craig Birnbach. We reviewed the first quarter of the season.
• • •
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS VS. UTAH JAZZ
What: Trail Blazers (8-14) vs. Jazz (4-17), 7 p.m., Friday.
Where: Moda Center.
Radio: Rip City Radio (KPOJ 620 AM).
TV channel: KATU Charge (Antenna: 2.2 in Portland. Comcast: 302 and 1170. DirecTV: 688-1. Dish: Available Jan. 1).
b>How to Watch: Rip City TV Network. If you don’t have cable, you can still watch this game live for FREE with the help of an HDTV antenna on your local ABC affiliate (Charge 2.2 in Portland). These antennas are very easy to install and cost around $20. You can purchase one at your local Bi-Mart or Fred Meyer, or buy one online at Walmart or from Amazon and have it shipped quickly to your home. Here are some instructions on how to set up an HDTV antenna on your television or other display. You can find out more about which channel Rip City TV Network is on in your area by using the channel finder here.
• • •
ODDS (Oregon Lottery/DraftKings)
Moneyline: POR -142 | UTA +125
Spread: POR -2.5 | Over/Under: 225.5
INJURIES
Blazers: Scoot Henderson (left quad contusion) is questionable. Donovan Clingan (left knee sprain), Matisse Thybulle (right ankle sprain) and Robert Williams III (concussion protocol) are out.
Jazz: Jordan Clarkson (left plantar fasciitis) and Taylor Hendricks (right fibula fracture) are out.
NEXT UP
The Blazers play at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Los Angeles Lakers (12-10)
— Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook)
SALT LAKE CITY — A California man in Utah, as part of his duties with the National Guard, is accused of trying to solicit sex from a young teenager.
Joshua Ruben Rodriguez, 29, of Fresno, was charged Tuesday in 3rd District Court with attempted rape of a child, a first-degree felony, and enticement of a minor, a second-degree felony.
The investigation began when an agent with the Utah State Bureau of Investigation posed as a 13-year-old girl on a “popular social media site … in an attempt to locate and apprehend adults attempting to have sexual contact with children,” according to charging documents.
On April 16, Rodriguez sent the agent a message — believing he was talking to a teen girl — that stated, “I’ll be direct with you, I would like to get to know you and (have sex with) your mind into a daze to where you feel like a woman,” according to charging documents.
When the “girl” asked if he had a problem with her age, Rodriguez replied, “I don’t have a problem with your age,” the charges state.
The agent told Rodriguez to meet at an apartment complex in Salt Lake County where the girl lived, claiming her mother would be gone. When Rodriguez arrived, he was taken into custody, the charges state.
“(Rodriguez) does not have ties to Utah. He is a resident of Fresno, California. (He) was in town as part of his military service with the California National Guard,” prosecutors stated in charging documents while requesting he be held without bail pending trial.
ST. GEORGE, Utah (KUTV) — One person was hospitalized at the St. George Regional Hospital after a car rolled and caught fire just south of the Utah-Arizona border.
The Beaver Dam and Littlefield Fire Department in Arizona said its crews responded to the crash near the Black Rock Road exit – roughly two miles south of the state border – on Sunday night.
Upon arrival, crews put out the car fire and found the driver had left the scene. A single occupant, who was able to get out of the car on their own, was transported to the hospital by a Beaver Dam ambulance.
MORE | Crashes
Their condition has not been publicly released.
Details on what led to the crash and the condition of the driver were not immediately available.
The Beaver Dam and Littlefield Fire Department said law enforcement investigated the scene.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
_____
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz missed out on the NBA Playoffs, but still scored a big win thanks to a coin flip.
In Monday’s tiebreaker coin flip to determine who had the fourth-worst record in the league last season, the Jazz came out winners over the Sacramento Kings, who had the same 22-60 record.
Had the Jazz lost the coin flip, they would have been fifth in NBA Draft Lottery odds. Only the worst four teams are guaranteed to remain within the top eight of the lottery.
If Utah had fallen to fifth, there would have been the chance they could have dropped out of the top 8 teams in the lottery, and owed the draft pick to Oklahoma City, which was top-8 protected in a previous trade.
The Jazz now have an 11.5 percent chance to win the first overall pick in the NBA Draft Lottery, which is scheduled for Sunday, May 10.
-
New York3 minutes agoTrump’s Immigration Crackdown Pervades Long Island Suburbs
-
Detroit, MI33 minutes agoChris Simms projects Detroit Lions first-round NFL draft pick
-
San Francisco, CA45 minutes agoSan Francisco sets $3.4B price tag for public takeover of PG&E
-
Dallas, TX51 minutes agoGame Day Guide: Stars at Wild | Dallas Stars
-
Miami, FL57 minutes agoMay a steadying presence as Cards hold off Marlins in Miami
-
Boston, MA1 hour agoTyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe flex in Boston: Takeaways from Celtics-76ers Game 2
-
Denver, CO1 hour agoMotorcyclist seriously injured in Denver hit-and-run crash – AOL
-
Seattle, WA1 hour agoBrock: 2 drafts fits at edge rusher for Seattle Seahawks