The New Jersey Nets play the third third of four games on the West Coast Saturday night when they take on the Utah Jazz. This will be the first time Nets point guard Deron Williams will return to Utah and play against the team that he played his entire career with before a late season trade to New Jersey last year.
Williams comes into the game with the Jazz playing his best basketball of the season. In Friday night's 110-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns, the point guard scored a season-high 35 points and dished out 14 assists while only turning the ball over twice.
Though it will get the most attention, there will be more familiar faces going against each other on Saturday. Nets center Mehmet Okur will play in Utah for the first time after spending seven years with the Jazz. Sundiata Gaines, Kris Humphries and DeShawn Stevenson also spent time in Utah.
Meanwhile, the Jazz still have Devin Harris and Derrick Favors who played for New Jersey last year before the Williams trade. Neither former Net is having a ton of success in Utah. Harris is averaging just 8.7 points and 4.5 assists, both the lowest numbers he has posted since he was a backup with the Dallas Mavericks. The former No. 3 overall pick Favors has shown flashes of his potential but is only scoring 8.9 points and 6.9 rebounds early on this season.
The Nets are playing a back-to-back while the Jazz will be fresh thanks to two days off. Last time out they last 90-87 in overtime to the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night, but had won five in a row before that defeat.
You can catch the game on YES or listen on Bloomberg 1130 with tip scheduled for 9 p.m..
New Jersey will wrap up their road trip Monday night when they take on Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Lakers.