Utah Jazz vs. New York Knicks: Keys to the Game

Key Stat – Three-Point Percentage

There have been a lot of factors contributing to Utah dropping three straight games. However, one of the most glaring issues has been their struggling offense and inability to find their shot from beyond the arc. The Jazz failed to hit the 30 percent mark from behind the three-point line in each of their recent losses, finishing at 23.8 percent against the Cavs (5-of-21), 28 percent against the Bulls (7-of-25) and 23.1 percent against the Pacers (6-of-26).

The discrepancy between Utah’s three-point shooting in wins and losses has grown dramatically since the early season as they’re now posting a three-point percentage of 38.9 in wins as compared to 32.9 in losses.

https://twitter.com/utahjazz/status/843280422716895232

One of the main culprits over the last three games has been George Hill who has made just three of his last 17 attempts from deep (.177). He hasn’t been alone though as Joe Ingles has gone just 4-of-13 (.308) in the last three while Joe Johnson has gone 0-of-10 (that’s a percentage of .000 in case you were wondering) as well as just 4-of-20 (.200) in his past five games.

Therefore as Utah gets set to face off against a Knicks team that ranks just 17th in the league in three-point percentage at 35.5 percent, the hope would be that they could turn their recent cold shooting around and take advantage of New York in this area.

However, that may actually prove to be easier said than done as, surprising though it may be, the Knicks rank fourth in the league in perimeter defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 34.6 percent from deep. Therefore, while the Jazz are definitely the favorites to win this game, the Knicks’ chances of pulling off the upset will likely depend on their ability to defend the three and whether or not Utah’s struggles continue from deep.