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Calvin Chappell
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Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images
The Jazz look to continue their win streak against Steph, Draymond, and their young teammates
The Utah Jazz (11-4) have won seven in a row, and have climbed near the top of the Western Conference standings. Following back to back home wins over the Pelicans, Utah is hoping to keep the winning going tonight.
The Golden State Warriors (8-7) come in to the game with mixed expectations. They’ve had some up and down play throughout this young season, highlighted by their previous two games. They dropped their most recent game to the surprisingly decent Knicks, but won the game before against the Lakers in LA.
Steph Curry has been his usual MVP-level self, averaging 28 points, six assists, and five rebounds per game. Draymond is doing what he does, which is everything outside of scoring. Rookie James Wiseman has shown flashes of high level play as a rim roller. Kelly Oubre and Andrew Wiggins have been incredibly inconsistent. When these supporting players have productive games, the Warriors are dangerous to anybody. When everything rests on Steph’s shoulders, well, they’re still dangerous because he’s Steph Curry.
Game Info
When: Saturday, January 23rd, 2021, 7:00 P.M. MST
Where: Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
TV: AT&T SportsNet, NBCSBA
Radio: 97.5 FM | 1280 AM The Zone, KTUBKGMZ-FM
NOTICE: This game was originally scheduled to tip off at 3:00 P.M., but has been pushed to 7:00
What to watch for
Battle of the Point Guards
Mike Conley and Stephen Curry know each other very well. They have matched up 30 times in their careers, including five times in the playoffs. Conley has stepped up as a leader of this Jazz team, and has been playing some great basketball. Utah will likely look to Mike to keep Curry in check on one end of the court, while also captaining the offense on the other end. If Mike can hold his own in this matchup, the Jazz will have good odds of winning this game. Conley is 16-14 against Curry all time. Let’s hope he can add another win tonight.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22254568/1065916334.jpg "Memphis Grizzlies v Golden State Warriors")
How will Donovan Mitchell respond?
After Mitchell’s latest big game, he received unwarranted criticism from the mouth of Shaquille O’Neal. Donovan seemed to shrug it off and move past it, but Jazz fans haven’t. Another 30+ point performance tonight would help fans feel “aight”.
| Spida with a season-high 36 points#TakeNote | @spidadmitchell pic.twitter.com/4d3d0oUnb6
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) January 22, 2021
Donovan Mitchell has been on an absolute tear as of late. During the current 7-game win streak, Mitchell is averaging 27.9 points, 4.9 assists, and 4.3 rebounds, while shooting 51.1% FG, 51.8% 3P, and 91.4% FT. Donovan Mitchell doesn’t need any extra motivation. He’s been working hard on his game since the day he entered the league, and it’s showing.
The Jazz are in the middle of an extended home stand. Now is the time to rack up wins and fight for the top seed in the West. In this conference, many of the playoff seeds will likely end up only separated by a game or two. Every game counts. Let’s go Jazz.
Stats via nba.com
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