The Utah Jazz will be more shorthanded against the Brooklyn Nets than anticipated. The team announced on Saturday that reserve forward Thabo Sefolosha will miss tonight's game in Salt Lake City while managing tightness in his hamstring.
Thabo Sefolosha (left hamstring tightness) is OUT tonight.
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 16, 2019
Sefolosha initially tweaked his hamstring in a win over the Detroit Pistons on January 5th. He missed the next month of play while recovering, returning the lineup for a February 9th victory over the San Antonio Spurs. The 34 year old left his team's convincing win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday with hamstring tightness and didn't return.
Sefolosha's role this season has been the smallest of his 13-year career. He's averaging 3.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and .7 steals in a career-low 10.3 minutes per game. A streaky shooter throughout his playing career, Sefolosha is shooting a scorching 46.9 percent from three-point range this season, albeit on a small number of attempts. Expect little-known reserve Georges Niang to take his place in the rotation if Quin Snyder elects to go deep into his bench against the Nets.
Utah received far worse injury news earlier this week, when it was announced that backup guard Dante Exum suffered a partially torn patellar tendon in his right knee, likely ending his season. The former top-five pick has only managed one healthy campaign since entering the league in 2014. He was a major factor for the Jazz in the playoffs last season, especially defensively, acquitting himself well while checking MVP James Harden.
Utah, 39-29, is one game back of the sixth-place San Antonio Spurs and mere percentage points ahead of the eighth-place Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference standings.
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