3/18 Utah at Chicago
7:00 pm MT – Root Sports/League Pass
Opponent record: 31-34
Season series: Bulls lead 1-0
As I mentioned earlier in this piece, it wasn’t long ago that the Chicago Bulls were in the playoff mix, but their recent nosedive that has seen them lose four straight games has dropped them out of that group of teams for now. There’s still time for the Bulls to get back on track, but they’re in for an uphill battle given how well the Pistons, Bucks and Heat have all been playing of late.
However, it is worth noting that just prior to their four-game slide, the Bulls did top the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors (although they are slumping as well) and aside from the loss to the Magic, each of those four recent losses were to tough playoff teams in the Clippers, Pistons and Rockets.
Not to mention, the last time Utah and Chicago faced off, the Jazz put up one of their most sluggish performances of the year and fell 85-77 on national TV in what was a far from enthralling return to playing on TNT. Therefore, the Jazz must absolutely not sleep on a Bulls team that is plenty capable of being dangerous, especially with stars like Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade on their roster.
Nevertheless, as inconsistent as the Bulls have been and considering the fact that this game will be on the second night of a back-to-back for them, I like Utah’s chances in this one as they’ll look to pick apart a Chicago team that even at this point of the season has yet to solidify an identity.
My Prediction: Jazz Win
Final Score: Utah 97, Chicago 89
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So as Utah looks to make a push in the final stretch before the postseason, I have them pinned at 2-2 in this important week of NBA action. Unfortunately, if that 2-2 record does indeed include a loss to the Clippers as I’ve projected, there’s a good chance that the Jazz will find themselves out of fourth place by the end of the week. I certainly don’t want that to happen but it is a very real possibility.
Nevertheless, while it would obviously be very reassuring to see the Jazz go 3-1 or 4-0, given the difficulty of both the scheduling this week and the quality of opponents, finishing .500 for the week wouldn’t be all that bad. That’s especially true considering that after this stretch of games, aside from a couple of tough games, the rest of the month of March eases up significantly for the Jazz.
Therefore, even if this week is a bit rough (though hopefully the team will outperform my expectations), there will be no reason to panic as the Jazz will still have ample opportunities to make up ground and still grab a hold of home court advantage for the first round of the playoffs.
All stats courtesy of NBA.com