Utah Jazz belong at All-Star Weekend
6 HRS AGO - Rudy Gobert making highlights in Atlanta among the league’s best | Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Expand
6 HRS AGO - Rudy Gobert making highlights in Atlanta among the league’s best | Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
All-Star weekend is better when the Jazz and its history are a part of the action Alas, the mid-season break begins, where fans wish for time to speed up for more NBA games while players hope for the opposite.
Fresh off the heels of the most jam-packed All-Star Weekend ever, with all events taking place in one evening, there’s extra time to mull over the weekend’s happenings given Utah Jazz fans won’t see the team back in action until Friday when they host the Houston Rockets.
Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, and Mike Conley represented Utah at his season’s festivities and gave everyone moments worth cheering for.
This got us thinking: the Utah Jazz belong at All-Star weekend, and the experience is better with Jazzmen involved.
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Donovan Mitchell entertains fans in the 3P competition
Sure, a Jazz fan saying the Jazz Collapse
It’s time for the Utah Jazz to embrace what they are destined to be, the villain
3 DAYS AGO - Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
This is the opportunity they should be embracing From a Expand
3 DAYS AGO - Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
This is the opportunity they should be embracing From a young age, every Jazz fan realizes something is different about rooting for the Utah Jazz than for fans of every other team. Growing up, I always wondered why, in a game where Karl Malone would decimate everyone in his path, the highlights would focus on the other team, even if the Jazz had beaten them. On SportsCenter a young Kobe Bryant would get all the screen time during the ESPN highlight of a midseason Jazz/Lakers game with the final score showing a Jazz 10-point victory. Young Jazz fans would switch off the cable TV, watch in disbelief as the round screen faded to black and mutter in the most Utah-way possible, “What the heck!?” then go to bed.
Jazz fans watched things like Dick Bavetta take an obvious 3-pointer away from Howard Eisley in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. (the video below is timestamped. Careful, if you’re a young Jazz fan and haven’t seen these they cause pain.)
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The Jazz are slacking on defense
5 DAYS AGO - Mary Holt-USA TODAY Sports
Three losses in six games come largely due to the failings on Expand
5 DAYS AGO - Mary Holt-USA TODAY Sports
Three losses in six games come largely due to the failings on that end The Utah Jazz have lost three of their last six games. It’s nothing to panic over, after all, Utah hasn’t lost back-to-back games since Jan. 5-6. But given the fanbase prides itself on Utah having the best record in the NBA and a loss total still in single digits, the sudden lack of long win streaks feels more worrying than it really is.
Utah’s problems in the last few games largely boil down to issues on one side of the ball. Offensively, they’ve maintained great play with the league’s second-best offensive rating since Feb. 18 and their shooting numbers are just as great in that span. The Jazz simply aren’t stopping teams as they did during the win streak. In that brilliant 21-game run where they won 20 times (17 by double-digits), eight of Utah’s opponents failed to score 100 points and 15 failed to reach the league average point total (112.1).
In a (definitely not) surprising Collapse
Should the Utah Jazz be Looking to Make a Move?
6 DAYS AGO - NBAE via Getty Images
The trade deadline is fast approaching The NBA trade deadline of Expand
6 DAYS AGO - NBAE via Getty Images
The trade deadline is fast approaching The NBA trade deadline of March 25th is fast approaching. The Utah Jazz have been pretty active in recent years, most notably bringing on Jordan Clarkson last season (although not truly at the deadline). Let’s take a quick look at the past few years of Jazz mid-season trades:
2020 - Dante Exum and two 2nd rounders for Jordan Clarkson
2018 - Joe Johnson and Rodney Hood for Jae Crowder
2016 - 2nd round pick for Shelvin Mack
2015 - Enes Kanter and Steve Novak for 1st rounder and Tibor Pleiss
Dennis Lindsey and now Justin Zanik have not been afraid to shake things up right at or near the trade deadline. Sometimes that has been absolutely necessary due to a player demand. But sometimes it was to try and fill a hole for a competing team.
But what about this season? The Utah Jazz currently find themselves with the best record in the NBA. They have championship aspirations and things have been going really well. Should Collapse
Common themes from Jazz’s 7 losses
7 DAYS AGO - Rudy Gobert warms up following Utah’s 7th loss of the season to the Miami Heat. | Photo by Expand
7 DAYS AGO - Rudy Gobert warms up following Utah’s 7th loss of the season to the Miami Heat. | Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images
As we near the season’s half-way point, let’s reflect on common lesson’s to be learned from Utah’s 7 losses Most things have gone extremely well for the Jazz this season.
Continuity, health, experience, and refined strategies have all aided in a blistering hot start to the season that’s carried Utah to a 27-7 record with just two games left in the first half schedule: @NOP and @PHI.
While important to be self-aware and self-critical for continuous improvement, there’s not much to nitpick, frankly.
Here how the Jazz measure up to highly correlated metrics of team talent and success:
Point Differential: +12.6 (1st) per CleaningTheGlasseFG% Advantage: +6.1% (1st) per NBA StatsAdjusted 4 Factors: 0.132 (1st) per NBA StufferSimple Rating System (SRS): 10.31 (1st) per Basketball ReferenceFull-Strength Rating: 1698 (1st) per FiveThirtyEight
In short, the Collapse
Utah Jazz melt under the Miami Heat
2/27/2021 - Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
The Jazz couldn’t overcome a great game from Jimmy Expand
2/27/2021 - Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
The Jazz couldn’t overcome a great game from Jimmy Butler The Utah Jazz fell to the Miami Heat in a Friday night slugfest. The Jazz played admirably, however, the suddenly surging Heat played a gritty defensive game and super star Jimmy Butler imposed his will at the end leading the heat to a 124 - 116 victory.
Jimmy Butler nearly had a triple double and was dominant on the offensive end for the whole game. In the first quarter Butler did a good job of getting stretch big Bam Adebayo involved in the game which was key because if Bam is in a rhythm he can make life really difficult for Rudy Gobert. The game went back and forth with lead never going over 10 points for either team but in the forth quarter the Heat clamped down on the Jazz and created enough separation to put it away. The Jazz were able to pull within 116-115 with 2:30 left in the game but then Butler scored the next five points unanswered for the Heat to ice the game.
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Utah Jazz blow out the Los Angeles Lakers with ease
2/25/2021 - Donovan Michell and the Jazz challenge Lebron’s Lakers claim to the throne On a night that most Expand
2/25/2021 - Donovan Michell and the Jazz challenge Lebron’s Lakers claim to the throne On a night that most Jazz fans had penciled in their calendars for months to see how the Utah Jazz would stack up against the Los Angeles Lakers, it felt a little empty as the Lakers were without both Anthony Davis and Dennis Schroder to injury. The Jazz won easily in a game that was never in question 114 - 89.
Mike Conley, fresh off his latest all-star snub, played with a little bit of fire with a three pointer to start the game followed by a quick steal and a layup. Conley added a couple of assists and another three as he controlled the tempo and put the Jazz up early 13-9 early.
Mountain Mike with 8 points early #TakeNote | @MCONLEY10 pic.twitter.com/1oxXjIx5zA— utahjazz (@utahjazz) February 25, 2021
The Jazz were hitting plenty of their shots early on, but couldn’t pull away due to turnovers and undisciplined defense. The turnovers seemed mostly unforced mental lapses. Rudy Gobert, despite Collapse
Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert selected to Western Conference All-Star reserves
2/24/2021 - Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images
Not having Mike Conley on the All-Star Expand
2/24/2021 - Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images
Not having Mike Conley on the All-Star team is a Shams According to Shams Charania, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert have been selected to the Western Conference All-Star reserves.
Sources: 2021 NBA All-Star reserves:West: Chris Paul, Paul George, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Zion Williamson, Anthony DavisEast: James Harden, Julius Randle, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Zach LaVine, Ben Simmons, Nikola Vucevic— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 23, 2021
The Utah Jazz duo are now both multi-year All-Stars and deservedly so. Donovan Mitchell has put up big numbers as the focal point of one of the best offenses for the best team in the NBA. This season he’s averaging 24.5 points, 5.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds, all of those being career highs.
Rudy Gobert is also having a huge season as the DPOY front runner and the cornerstone of one of the most dominant defenses in the league. Gobert is averaging a Collapse
Jazz are looking like a historically dangerous team
2/22/2021 - Jordan Clarkson launches a corner 3 against the LA Clippers | Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Expand
2/22/2021 - Jordan Clarkson launches a corner 3 against the LA Clippers | Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images
As Utah closes the first half of the season, a look at their nightly shooting advantage indicates the Jazz are a very dangerous team The Utah Jazz sit at 24-6 as they prepare to close out the final six games of the first half schedule, starting tonight against the Charlotte Hornets at home. That’s 2.5 games ahead in the loss column of the LA Lakers and 4 games ahead of the LA Clippers (if you count Utah winning the season series).
What a spot to be in! As we look back on season so far, you can’t help but smile at the seemingly improbable run the Jazz have had.
As unlikely as it may seem, the Jazz were seesawing in the early going. Utah showcased a bit of what the team was capable of in solid wins over POR, LAC, and SAS, yet left fans scratching their heads at the losses to MIN and PHX.
Jazz were 3-3 prior to the back-to-back losses in the Big Apple to BKN and NYK. Collapse
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Team Lebron takes on Team Durant in the NBA All-Star Game
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images
They may have been picked last but no Expand
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images
They may have been picked last but no team has more players represent them than the Utah Jazz For Jazz fans, tonight’s All-Star Game has more intrigue than usual. The first is for the impressive amount of all-stars from their team. Jazz fans will get to see Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert all represent the Utah Jazz. The other reason was created for no reason by Lebron James making things personal with Mitchell and Gobert. In James’ incessant, neverending desire to be the center of attention and headlines, he and Kevin Durant picked Mitchell and Gobert last to prove ... who knows what.
And so there may be some sort of strange dynamic in this game that didn’t need to be there. This game will likely be mostly exhibitional in every aspect but it will be interesting to see what awkwardness exists between James and Gobert who he may share the floor with. If anything it will be like every team James has been a part of. Collapse
Jazz enter All-Stear break with a new sense of motivation
4 DAYS AGO - Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
The way the Jazz reacted to last night’s tough loss Expand
4 DAYS AGO - Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
The way the Jazz reacted to last night’s tough loss shows that they are anything but complacent heading into the All-Star break. It’s always been a thing among NBA teams to try and “finish strong” into the All-Star break. It seems like every year you hear it various times in the final games prior to the break, this desire for teams and players to end the break on a positive note. The final stretch before this break for the Utah Jazz was definitely not what they had in mind.
After a brutally tough overtime loss to the Sixers last night, the Jazz are coming off back-to-back losses for just the second time this season. Although it was just their ninth loss of the season, it is their third loss in five games, and some hard ones to swallow at that. It wasn’t just the losses that hurt, it was how these losses came to be, especially last night’s in Philadelphia.
Several Jazz players uncharacteristically lost their cool and came a bit unraveled Collapse
Jazz look to end road trip on a high note in Philadelphia
5 DAYS AGO - Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
Can Utah grit out a win against a full strength 76ers Expand
5 DAYS AGO - Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
Can Utah grit out a win against a full strength 76ers squad? The Utah Jazz have come back down to earth after a 20-1 run including going 12-2 in the month of February. Granted no one expected the Jazz to win approximately 95% of their games for the whole season but we no longer look like the buzzsaw that we did even two weeks ago. It kind of feels like the team is limping into the all star break and they have a pretty big test against the Philadelphia 76ers tonight if they want to salvage a 2-2 record for this road trip.
The Jazz are coming off a tough loss to the New Orleans Pelicans 129.124. The Jazz were in control through the first two quarters and even up at halftime but ultimately fell behind in the third quarter and were never able to recover. It should serve as fuel for the game tonight according to Donovan Mitchell, who said after the game “This is a tough loss…….we just didn’t have the urgency and that can’t happen”. Quin Snyder Collapse
Utah Jazz comeback comes up short against the New Orleans Pelicans
6 DAYS AGO - Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Jazz lose 129-124 on the road The Utah Jazz have been one of Expand
6 DAYS AGO - Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Jazz lose 129-124 on the road The Utah Jazz have been one of the hottest teams in the league for several months now. With the best record in the league, things have been mostly good for the Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell led squad.
But not tonight. Despite a fantastic offensive effort from Bojan Bogdanovic, the Jazz didn’t have much going for them this evening on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans.
The first quarter was fairly typical for an NBA game with the back and forth you would expect on any given night. Oh other than a Rudy Gobert 20 foot jumper! The Jazz struggled to make shots a little bit out of the gate, which resulted in a 3 point deficit at the end of the first quarter. Nothing insurmountable here. Wow Bojan’s 3 is on tonight! He’s due for some good games after a rather poor February. I love watching him play when he gets it going.
THIS IS NOT A DRILL pic.twitter.com/2lzxzifB0p— utahjazz (@utahjazz) March 2, 2021
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Utah makes a little magic happen in Orlando
2/28/2021 - Joe Ingles was a steadying force for Utah without the contributions of Mike Conley | Photo by Expand
2/28/2021 - Joe Ingles was a steadying force for Utah without the contributions of Mike Conley | Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images
Jazz bounce back from last night’s loss to the Heat with a 124-109 victory over the Magic 24 hours removed from a disappointing loss to the Miami Heat, the Utah Jazz turned in a nice outing on both ends over the depleted Orlando Magic; final score 125-109.
Orlando has missed key rotation pieces for large portions of the season, including starters Markelle Fultz and Aaron Gordon. Nonetheless, the Magic kept the game close through the first half.
Nikola Vucevic was the driving force for the Magic, particularly with his stroke from deep. He ended the game with 34 points, going 5-7 from distance. But his production alone wasn’t enough to keep up with 7 Jazz men with double figures, led by Donovan’s 31.
Utah took serious control of the game in the 3rd quarter, behind an incredible 15 point effort by Mitchell on just 8 shots. Revisit some of the highlights Collapse
Utah Jazz look to continue their winning ways against the Miami Heat
2/26/2021 - Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images
The wins are so plentiful we got a surplus up in here! Expand
2/26/2021 - Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images
The wins are so plentiful we got a surplus up in here! The Utah Jazz will look for win number 27 tonight against the Miami Heat who are on a 4-game winning streak.
Cute.
Utah’s winning so many games it’s getting almost boring at this point. It’s like the Jazz found the up, up, down, down B, A, Start cheat code for the NBA and no one can stop them. More likely it’s that the Jazz have spent years molding a roster around Rudy Gobert’s strength spearheaded by a legist superstar in Donovan Mitchell.
Utah has beaten the Heat the last two times they’ve played and it doesn’t look like much is going to change. The Heat may be more difficult this time than last simply because their best players are available. Although Bam Adebayo has recently been listed as questionable and that may mean another easy win for the Jazz.
NEW: Bam Adebayo added to Heat injury report for Friday's game vs. Jazz. And latest on Tyler Herro’s status https://t.co/CFaK4jarxy Collapse
Royce O’Neale: Ultimate Glue Guy
2/24/2021 - Russell Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
O’Neale’s unselfish play and defensive versatility keep Expand
2/24/2021 - Russell Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
O’Neale’s unselfish play and defensive versatility keep Utah’s engine humming 3-and-D wings. One of the rarest and most sought after player archetypes in the NBA. Typically, these players are low-usage 3-point specialists on offense, and serve as on-ball lockdown defenders or off-ball disruptors on the other side of the ball. These players are often tasked with guarding the most dangerous offensive player on the opposing team.
Royce O’Neale fits that description to a T. He’s taken that role and stretched it to aggressively exaggerated extremes for this Utah Jazz team.
Pictured below is a breakdown of O’Neale’s offensive and defensive profiles from craftednba. The chart on the left shows his offensive possessions by play type (hello, 3-point specialist). The chart on the right shows how often he defends each position (hello, versatility).
O’Neale’s offensive profile and defensive versatility from craftednba.com
O’Neale’s Collapse
The Utah Jazz should be Favorites to Finish 1st in the West
2/23/2021 - A look forward to the remaining schedules The Utah Jazz currently hold a 3.5 game lead for first Expand
2/23/2021 - A look forward to the remaining schedules The Utah Jazz currently hold a 3.5 game lead for first in the Western Conference. Tied for 2nd and 3rd are the Los Angeles Lakers and the LA Clippers. You couldn’t ask for better playoff positioning than that exact scenario right there. The Lakers and Clippers having to see each other in the Conference Semifinals would be very important to Utah’s odds in making it to the Conference Finals. And even give them a shot at the Finals themselves!
So how likely is it that the Jazz finish 1st in the West?
At this point, I’d say very.
Today is a fairly simple downbeat where we take a look ahead at the remaining schedules of the 3 most likely to win the West this year.
Average Record of Remaining Opponent
Utah Jazz: 0.481
Los Angeles Lakers: 0.520
LA Clippers: 0.495
So the Utah Jazz actually have the softest strength of schedule the remainder of the season. At least based on how teams have performed thus far. Also, don’t forget that the Jazz own the Collapse
Utah Jazz look to rebound against the Charlotte Hornets
2/22/2021 - Photo by Brock Williams-Smith/NBAE via Getty Images
The Jazz look to start another streak Expand
2/22/2021 - Photo by Brock Williams-Smith/NBAE via Getty Images
The Jazz look to start another streak The Utah Jazz (24-6) have had a few days off since the showdown in LA. They come back home with the opportunity to continue their dominance against the Charlotte Hornets, who won a crazy game against the Warriors (without Steph) 102-100 on Saturday in Charlotte. Down 2 with 9 seconds to go, Draymond Green got two technicals and was ejected. Terry Rozier sank both free throws and hit the game winner, capping off a 36 point night with 8 insane threes (on 11 attempts, including a made half-court buzzer beater).
With that said, the Hornets aren’t that great of a team, especially with team leader Devonte’ Graham still out with injury. The fact that they had to go the extra mile against a Warriors team playing 6’6” forwards Draymond Green, Juan Tuscano-Anderson and Eric Paschall at center should tell you a lot about this guard-heavy team. This again opens up opportunities for rookie Collapse
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Mike Conley selected to NBA All-Star Game
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images
Conley will replace Devin Booker who is injured Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images
Conley will replace Devin Booker who is injured According to Tony Jones, Mike Conley has been selected to replace Devin Booker in the 2021 NBA All-Star Game.
BREAKING: Mike Conley pending medical protocol is invited to the all-star game, league sources tell The Athletic— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) March 6, 2021
This is fantastic news for Mike Conley who should have already been selected. But regardless of how he makes the team, Conley is as deserving as anyone to be an all-star.
The Utah Jazz have had an incredible season and Mike Conley has been one of the driving forces of their #1 record in the league. When Mitchell has been out of the lineup the Jazz haven’t missed a step because of Mike Conley’s play.
For the season Conley is averaging 16.1 points, 5.7 assists and 3.5 rebounds. He also has led the league in +/- for much of the season for his control of the Jazz offense that has been top 5 in the league.
This is one of the Collapse
Utah Jazz lose a tough one to the Philadelphia 76ers
4 DAYS AGO - Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
There’s going to be a fine for Donovan Mitchell after Expand
4 DAYS AGO - Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
There’s going to be a fine for Donovan Mitchell after his rightful comments about the officiating In a tough, playoff-style game the Utah Jazz came up short in overtime against the Philadelphia 76ers, 131 - 123.
There’s a lot to unpack here but let’s start with what will fill the headlines tomorrow and that’s Donovan Mitchell’s comments after the game. (nsfw fyi)
"It's really getting out of hand" Spida talks frustrations after getting ejected in OT loss to 76ers pic.twitter.com/XQhgpitcl6— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 4, 2021
Mitchell is surely talking about multiple questionable calls, and no-calls, at the end of regulation that turned the tide in the Sixers favor.
For example, this play right here with the game on the line was called as an offensive foul against Donovan Mitchell.
So this was called an offensive foul on Donovan Mitchell and I give up, folks pic.twitter.com/byF2aT1kYc— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) Collapse
Utah Jazz Head Coach Quin Snyder wins Coach of the Month for February
6 DAYS AGO - Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images
The accolades for this team keep adding up Expand
6 DAYS AGO - Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images
The accolades for this team keep adding up and a lot of them are centered around Snyder’s coaching Another month, another Western Conference Coach of the Month award for Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder. Snyder wins the award for leading the Jazz to a 12-3 record through a difficult February schedule. Steve Nash was awarded Coach of the Month for the Brooklyn Nets for the Eastern Conference.
NBA Coaches of the Month just announced: Quin Snyder and Steve Nash— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) March 2, 2021
The Utah Jazz continue to impress with their high level of play. Even though they’ve stumbled a few times this road trip, their record speaks to how well they’ve been coached by Snyder.
Snyder will also coach in the upcoming All-Star game in Atlanta. These awards and honors are lining Quin Snyder up for a possible Coach of the Year award when the season ends, but the Jazz will have to keep up this level of play to make sure that Collapse
Jazz continue down the road to New Orleans to take on Pelicans
7 DAYS AGO - Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images
Utah looks to widen the growing gap between Expand
7 DAYS AGO - Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images
Utah looks to widen the growing gap between first place and the rest of NBA Tonight, the Utah Jazz will take on the Pelicans in New Orleans. It’s a game that the Jazz (-7) should win easily under normal circumstances. Yet, considering the Jazz are playing their third game in four nights, all in different cities on the road. Thus, it could be a dangerous game for a road weary team. According to Coach Quin Snyder however, the Jazz are “not allowed to be tired.”
The Jazz, 2-1 on their current road trip, looked a little sluggish to start their last game in Orlando against the Magic. Nonetheless, the Jazz were able to avoid a two game losing streak with a strong third quarter and, as usual, a balanced effort with seven players scoring in double figures. Overall, the Jazz have a four game cushion over the Los Angeles Lakers with the best record in the league and franchise history, 27-7. The Jazz have won 23 of their last 26 games Collapse
The Utah Jazz look to bounce back in Orlando
2/27/2021 - Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images
The road trip continues as the Magic host the Jazz The Expand
2/27/2021 - Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images
The road trip continues as the Magic host the Jazz The Utah Jazz (26-7) are coming off their seventh loss of the season, this one at the hands of the Miami Heat. They put up a good fight but ultimately fell short as Jimmy Butler and company handed Utah a rare L. The Jazz now take a quick turn to Orlando to finish up the Florida back to back.
The Orlando Magic (13-20) are sitting at 13th in the East. Having lost their last two games to the Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons, Orlando will really be looking for a win here. The Jazz have won 7 of their last 8 matchups with Orlando, dating back to 2016.
Game Info
When: Saturday, February 27th • 6:00 PM MT (8:00 PM ET)
Where: Amway Center, Orlando FL.
TV: AT&T SportsNet, FSFL
Radio: 97.5 FM | 1280 AM The Zone, WYGM-FM/AM
What to watch for
Battle of the All Star Big Men
Photo by Harry Aaron/Getty Images
Both Rudy Gobert and Nikola Vucevic were named NBA All-Stars earlier Collapse
Mike Conley: The All-Star that never was
2/25/2021 - Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images
After missing out on another All-Star selection, a Expand
2/25/2021 - Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images
After missing out on another All-Star selection, a look back at his amazing underrated career, and a look forward to the ultimate goal of an NBA championship. There was hope this season that Mike Conley would finally make a much-deserved All-Star game. When Conley and the Jazz caught fire and the wins started rolling in, many hoped that this would be the year. It’s pretty insane to think that in 2021, we’re still waiting for Mike Conley to be an All-Star. Talk about a guy that has just been a stud his entire career, in about every way you can imagine. Plays his heart out, a complete class-act, a winner, clutch, and just an all-around good dude. It’s crazy to think that every year there is 24 players selected as All-Stars, and for 12 seasons not one of those selections has been Mike Conley. It’s what makes him probably one of the more underrated players not just active right now, but in NBA history.
This season, Conley is averaging 16.4 Collapse
Utah Jazz vs. Los Angeles Lakers: Jazz take on LeBron and company
2/24/2021 - Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images
The Utah Jazz look to keep rolling against Expand
2/24/2021 - Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images
The Utah Jazz look to keep rolling against the defending champs The Utah Jazz and their newly minted all stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell face the depleted Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday night in Salt Lake City. For the Jazz it has to be a bit of letdown as they were looking forward to measuring themselves against the defending champs with a healthy roster. That won’t be the case with Lakers starters Anthony Davis and Dennis Schroeder out for this match. Still, the Jazz will face a tough test going up against Lebron James and company and it will feel great to be able to beat the Lakers and avenge last years loss at home when LeBron so audaciously stepped out onto the court to celebrate DURING the game.
The Lakers come into this game struggling mightily since they lost their big man Anthony Davis to injury last week. Losing their last three games including, an inexplicable loss to the Washington Wizards on Monday in which they Collapse
Utah Jazz go nuclear from 3 to comeback and win against the Charlotte Hornets
2/23/2021 - Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images
After a brutal first half, the Jazz go ballistic from Expand
2/23/2021 - Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images
After a brutal first half, the Jazz go ballistic from downtown to snag the win On a night where the Utah Jazz showed glimpses of themselves at both their absolute worst and absolute best, they came out on top against the Charlotte Hornets, winning 132 to 110.
The first 36 minutes of this game were UGLY for the Jazz. Utah’s defense was just about non-existent and the decision making by their ball handlers was probably at the lowest level it has been all season. Donovan Mitchell, for one, had 6 turnovers through three quarters, which by most metrics, isn’t really something that you want to happen.
The Hornets, on the backs of LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward, took Utah completely out of their system. Charlotte’s defense seemed to be focused on not letting Rudy Gobert get any easy buckets from under the basket, holding him to zero points in the first half. They were also able to use their athleticism to force Utah into a plethora of off Collapse
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