Key #1 – Seize momentum immediately
No matter how resilient a group of players may be – and I expect the remaining healthy Clippers players to be just that – it’s always hard to bounce back when your best player gets hurt. LA had been struggling even with Blake Griffin. Without him, they may be doomed this season and will likely feel pretty down coming into this contest.
With that being the case, the Jazz can’t let a scrappy and potentially hungry Clippers team get any momentum rolling whatsoever. Instead, they need to start the game out fast and kick them while they’re down, so to speak. It’s definitely going to take them time to adjust without Blake Griffin leading the way, so Utah should look to take advantage of that fact and get off to a quick start.
In this week's #MACUMinute - @kristenkenney fills you in on the latest news and all things Jazz 🎷 https://t.co/kj7bmDyswc
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) November 29, 2017
In Utah’s latest wins, they’ve done a much better job of avoiding slow starts and they’ll need that to continue if they hope to earn just their second road win of the year. It wouldn’t be unexpected to see the Clippers come out somewhat downcast and sluggish without Griffin around to propel them, so rather than let a defeated team get any rhythm, Utah will need to nip that in the bud right away and leap out to a lead right from the game’s onset.
Taking control from the start of the contest will likely lead to a manageable lead all throughout the game.