Utah’s lone defeat in its past 10 games came just over a week ago against the Portland Trail Blazers. That makes Wednesday’s rematch in Portland compelling for a few reasons.
First off, the obvious ones — retribution for the loss, the ability to claim the season series against a top-four team in the West, extending their three-game winning streak to a four-game winning streak.
Beyond that, though, is a factor perhaps more oblique but certainly no less important — this stretch of success has come with the Jazz short-handed, but their near future could see them bolstered with reinforcements.