Utah Jazz at Portland Trail Blazers: Keys to the Game

Key Stat – Rebounds

I recently pointed out just how noticeable the absence of Jusuf Nurkic has been for this Blazers team. While the Jazz were able to step up against the Blazers last game even with three starters sidelined, Portland looked absolutely out of sorts without their recently acquired center who has been a key piece of their success.

Perhaps the main area where his absence was most notable was in rebounding as the Jazz crushed the Blazers on the boards by a margin of 47-29. Such an enormous differential gave Utah a clear advantage to win the game.

Before Tuesday’s game against Portland, I had pinned rebounds as the key stat and that prediction certainly held true. I also noted that Utah’s rebound differential was significantly higher than that of the Blazers and the difference in that statistical category between these two teams certainly grew after last game’s lopsided performance.

And if Utah can match that effort on the boards tonight, it’s going to be very difficult for Portland to come out on top.