Wizards want payback against visiting Jazz

Washington • For the Jazz, it was a game to remember.

But while a 116-69 Utah win on Dec. 4 may have been a game the Washington Wizards would rather toss, they haven’t forgotten, either.

“We definitely are fueled by that,” Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. said. “You’re not just gonna forget a game like that where you get blown off the court. It’s just extra motivation.”

Washington (23-17) is hoping it’s in better position to compete on Wednesday night with the Jazz (16-24), given that All-Star John Wall is back in the fold and the Wizards have gone 9-4 with him in the lineup.

That wasn’t the case last month, when the Jazz racked up their biggest win of the season over the visiting Wizards.

“Communication was big defensively,” Porter said. “We had a lot of breakdowns defensively. We went back and looked at the drawing board and saw what we needed to do. We made the needed adjustments.”

The Capital One Center figures to host a very different game: The Jazz are as cold as any team in the NBA, losing 13 of their last 16 games. But desperation might be added motivation, particularly as the Jazz have benefited from two practices in Miami since their most recent 1-point loss to the Heat.

Could a taste for revenge be better motivation for the Wizards? Last time they were scalped by a bunch of Jazz players, led by Alec Burks. But Porter said the focus will be on play-creators for the Jazz rather than the scorers.

“We’re not really focused on him, because he is a scorer, and they’ve got him in the offense where he’s in position to score,” he said. “But we’re worried about Rubio and his playmaking abilities and Ingles and his playmaking abilities. Getting to the paint and finding 3-point shooters. That’s something that we have to be aware of.”