Utah Jazz at Denver Nuggets: Keys to the Game
Key Performer – Gordon Hayward
The last time the Jazz and Nuggets faced off, Gordon Hayward was far and above the best player on the court as he finished with 32 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 from deep.
And I fully expect Hayward to be the key guy this time around as well. He always seems to match up well against Denver’s leading scorer and starting small forward, Danilo Gallinari, and beyond him the Nuggets have few defenders that will be able to mark Hayward.
He’ll also likely be looking to bounce back from last night’s tough loss in which he struggled mightily to find his shot. Gordon went just 6-of-17 from the field and was a -17 for the night.
The Jazz definitely didn’t play anywhere close to their best basketball against the Thunder in last night’s loss and may struggle to do so again tonight given the fatigue they’ll be facing. Nevertheless, if Hayward is able to bounce back and Utah is able to fully lock in on defense, they may be able to overcome tired legs and grind out a win against the fast-paced Nuggets.