Rodney Hood listed as questionable vs. Lakers

Rodney Hood thought the worst at the first moment of impact.

That explains the smile on his face at Thursday's shootaround as the Utah Jazz made final preparations to face the Los Angeles Lakers.

When Hood went down with the knee injury in the final moments of a win over the Orlando Magic almost two weeks ago, he thought his season was over. The pain was that drastic.

"That's why I was screaming so loud," Hood said. "I definitely was thinking the worst, and I was frustrated."

Hood — and the Jazz — instead received good news. His knee didn't feature any torn ligaments, just a bone contusion that could be healed with rest and ice.

Hood is listed as questionable against the Lakers. He says he's not 100 percent. And in this case, questionable is really questionable. There's no guarantee that he's going to suit up and play.

But he went through much of shootaround Thursday morning, outside of true contact, and did so without any noticeable setback.

"It's just about trying to get back into the swing of things," Hood said. "Trying to get my rhythm back and my explosion back. We'll see how the knee feels closer to game time, and we'll make a decision from there."

If Hood doesn't play, expect Joe Ingles to make another start at shooting guard. Also expect Alec Burks to play a significant role off the bench. The Jazz enter Thursday night's game with the Lakers at 29-18 through 47 games. They are in the fifth spot in the Western Conference and on track for their first playoff appearance since 2011.

Utah is 3-0 against the Lakers this season, having won in Los Angeles twice, and at Vivint Smart Home Arena in the season's home opener. This will be the last time the teams meet this season.

"It's a potent scoring group, and they have a lot of talent," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said of the Lakers. "They have a lot of firepower, so we're going to have to play well."

— Tony Jones