The Utah Jazz are taking their first encounter against the Boston Celtics seriously.
After announcing that Mike Conley Jr. would be removed from the starting lineup at shootaround Wednesday, the team reportedly changed it again a few hours before tip-off.
Conley is back in the starting five in favor of Joe Ingles, who’s been removed from the lineup, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Tony Jones.
With Utah having lost eight of its past 12 games, the Jazz likely want to make a switch in attempt to make up for lost ground in the Western Conference standings.
The flip-flopping was a result of the fifth-place team potentially trying to accommodate Royce O’Neal back into the starting lineup to benefit from his perimeter defense and toughness against Boston.
The Jazz acquired Conley in a summer trade, and the point guard took on a ton of expectations given what Utah gave up for him. Benching him could imply that he hasn’t been a great fit, but against a tough team like the Celtics, his defensive reputation should help.
Boston and Utah are scheduled to play Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. ET.
