Preview: The 8-8 Jazz has won two consecutive games, beating Denver and Atlanta big at home, after it had lost four consecutive games before that. The Jazz's points allowed in Friday's 95-68 thumping of the Hawks were the fewest it has allowed and the fewest Atlanta has scored this season, by 24 points. It was also the second-fewest allowed in the NBA this season. …The visiting team has won seven of the past 11 games in this series. The Jazz won last season's series 3-1, splitting a pair of games at Target Center and winning both in Salt Lake City.

Players to watch: Jazz forward Gordon Hayward has scored at least 20 points in half of his team's 16 games so far this season after he scored 24 points Friday against the Hawks. He is the first Jazz player to score at least 20 in his first five games of a season since Karl Malone did so in 2000. Hayward also is fifth in the league in free-throw percentage with a 93.3 percent average. … Jazz center Rudy Gobert leads the NBA in field-goal percentage (.642) and he is second in the league in total blocked shots (42) and third in blocks per game (2.5).

Injuries: Wolves C Nikola Pekovic is out for the season because of recurring ankle pain. Jazz G Alec Burks has missed the past 17 games because of an ankle injury and is out. F Derrick Favors has missed the last five because of a knee bone contusion and is questionable.

Jerry Zgoda