10/9 Utah at Phoenix
The Utah Jazz made light work of the Phoenix Suns in their first preseason match-up as they came away with a 112-101 victory. Aside from a poor fourth quarter which saw the Jazz get outscored by a count of 30-19, they were dominant overall throughout the course of the game. Six Jazz players scored in double-figures and their well-rounded attack was far too much for the Suns to handle, even when the Jazz went to the bench.
And quite frankly, I expect a similar performance on Monday night. Although it will be Utah’s first test on the road, they simply appeared too deep for the Suns. Given that preseason is nearing a close, there’s a very good chance that Utah will play its starters for very limited minutes, but given how well their bench has looked throughout the preseason, that shouldn’t cause them to take too big of a step backwards.
Utah Jazz at Phoenix Suns preseason game primer and info https://t.co/YYMq1z1wna pic.twitter.com/7rcw7qv1Cv
— The J-Notes (@TheJNotes) October 8, 2017
Exum will obviously be very much missed, but if guys like Alec Burks, Joel Bolomboy and Donovan Mitchell can continue to step up, the Jazz should be in a good spot. The Jazz were able to contain both Devin Booker and Eric Bledsoe, who shot just a combined 6-of-18 from the field in Friday’s contest. If those two aren’t converting, Phoenix has few others they can turn to, so knowing Utah is plenty capable of shutting them down is a good sign.
In short, I expect another win for the Jazz in similar fashion to their most recent bout against the Suns. Playing on the road will be a challenge, but it’s also a great opportunity for the Jazz and given the poise they have shown thus far, I don’t expect that it will be that much of an issue for them.
My Prediction: Jazz Win
Final Score: Utah 108, Phoenix 99