The Oklahoma City Thunder might avoid facing the two-time reigning Defensive Player of the Year on Wednesday.
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert is questionable with an illness, the Jazz announced. Point guard Emmanuel Mudiay is also questionable with an illness.
Gobert has been a key part of the Jazz’s success this season as he anchors the defense and averages 15.1 points, 13.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game.
The last time the Jazz and Thunder played, Dec. 9, Gobert had 19 points and 17 rebounds.
Mudiay has fallen out of the rotation since point guard Mike Conley returned from injury and has played in just two of the last nine games.
The Thunder hope to get a victory and leap into fourth place in the Western Conference. The Jazz (41-23) enter Wednesday’s matchup one game ahead of Oklahoma City (40-24); as both teams have beat each other once this season, the Thunder would gain control of the tiebreaker with a victory.
The two teams will play against each other one more time this year, on April 13.
