Utah Jazz injury update: Ricky Rubio set to play tonight

Despite a previously shaky outlook, it appears that Utah Jazz point guard Ricky Rubio will indeed be ready for action tonight.

After playing some of the best basketball, not only of the season but also of his career, during the first eight games of the Utah Jazz’s current 11-game winning streak, unfortunately Ricky Rubio would go on to be sidelined with a hip injury. He went on to miss the next three contests and despite the fact that Utah won each of those, there were clear moments where they missed Rubio’s revamped play.

Many presumed that after resting throughout the All-Star break, Rubio would be all set to go by Friday’s contest against the Portland Trail Blazers. Unfortunately, initially his status appeared to be somewhat in jeopardy as he did not practice with the team on Wednesday due to ongoing treatment on his sore hip.

For a while, it seemed Utah could be without him as they look to get their post-break playoff push started out on the right foot tonight. However, on Thursday it was announced that he did go through practice and would be questionable for Friday’s bout, both of which seemed like good signs.

Well, those good signs went a little further today as it was announced that Ricky Rubio will indeed be available to play and will suit up for the Jazz in tonight’s battle against the Blazers.

That’s great news for the Jazz, especially if Rubio can get back to his lights out play from, specifically, the first seven games of Utah’s current winning streak. During that stretch, he averaged 20.7 points on 53.8 percent shooting from the field and 56.5 percent from three-point land while adding 5.9 rebounds and 7.7 assists. Additionally, he led the team in net rating during that span at an astounding 23.1.

It was an amazing turnaround for Rubio who had struggled for much of the year prior. If that play becomes the norm rather than just a brief spurt, he will become a critical key to Utah’s success. They’ll need him to play at that level tonight as the Jazz will be facing an extremely important contest against the divisional rival Portland Trail Blazers who currently hold a two-game lead over the Jazz for seventh place in the West.

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Rubio and backcourt partner Donovan Mitchell will have their hands full with Portland’s dynamic backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. However, the Jazz managed to take care of business against them in Rubio’s absence last time, so his addition should only help to further Utah’s chances.

The Jazz and Blazers tip off tonight at 7:00 PM MT.