Vivint Smart Home Arena Will Be Rocking Tonight and the Utah Jazz Have to Follow Suit

Mar 27, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz fans react after center Rudy Gobert (not pictured) blocks a shot during the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 27, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz fans react after center Rudy Gobert (not pictured) blocks a shot during the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

With their playoff series shifting to Salt Lake City tonight, the Utah Jazz absolutely have to take advantage of their passionate fan base to come out swinging and finish the game strong.

For the first time in five years, the NBA Playoffs are finally back in Salt Lake City. Once heralded as among the league’s loudest fans and the toughest of arenas to play in, the recently renamed Vivint Smart Home Arena has largely remained vacant during the second half of April and into May in recent years.

But of course that’s all set to change tonight as the Jazz will take the court in Game 3 of their first round series against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Regardless of how things had gone in the first two games, there’s no question that the Utah faithful would have shown up in droves for this long overdue return to the postseason. But especially given the fact that the Jazz stole a game in LA to knot the series up at one game apiece, fans and the team can feel a potential path to victory and there’s no doubt that the atmosphere inside the arena is going to be electric.

And the Utah Jazz absolutely have to take advantage of that energy and passion that the incredible fan base is certain to provide.

https://twitter.com/utahjazz/status/855556164498538496

The Jazz have gotten off to slow starts in both of the first two contests so far. Of course, in Game 1 it was to be expected as they started out the game with the devastating injury to Rudy Gobert, but they bounced back quickly and trailed by just two points heading into the second. In Game 2, the Clippers came out swinging as expected and Utah fell down 11-3 and trailed 29-18 at the end of the first.

Their quick recovery in Game 1 would eventually lead to an incredible win, while their sluggish start in Game 2 would spell their doom.

Yet on their home court tonight, it will be absolutely vital that the Jazz avoid a slow start of any kind. There’s no questioning that after the pre-game hype and the team introduction, the fans are going to be in an absolute frenzy of excitement as they get set to spur their team onto victory. And with such being the case, the players absolutely have to take advantage and feed off of it.

If the Jazz are able to come out firing on all cylinders and get the already amped up crowed roaring from the get-go, it’s likely going to give the team an incredible amount of momentum that they can use to control the game and play with confidence throughout the 48-minute bout.

However on the flip side, if the Clippers are instead able to force the Jazz into a sluggish start as they’ve done so well all series and all season long, they may be able to momentarily lull the crowd, stifle the energy and by so doing, diminish one of Utah’s most powerful advantages going into this game. It took everything this Jazz team had to win Game 1 and steal back home court advantage. To let that go to waste now that they have it would be an absolute shame.

The excitement surrounding the Jazz as they make their return to the playoffs is almost palpable and the hype on social media alone is proof in and of itself of just how rocking Vivint Arena is going to be in tonight’s contest:

There’s no doubt in my mind that Jazz fans who have the anticipation and excitement of five long years of playoff drought bottled up inside are going to show up and be ready to do their part to create havoc for the Clippers. The one thing that remains beyond that is for the players to follow suit.

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If the team is able to ride the crowd’s energy and passion to get off to a fast start and an eventual victory in Game 3, the Jazz’s confidence will be sky high and they’ll be in prime position to take command of the series.

Let’s be ready to bring the noise tonight, Jazz fans.