Key #1 – Cancel out fatigue with home court energy
The Utah Jazz logged an exhilarating win last night in LA that came thanks largely to an incredible fourth quarter push which saw the Jazz outscore the Clippers by a score of 32-20. While it was great to see them finish so strongly, there’s a good chance that the energy they had to expel to close out that game will have them feeling somewhat worn down as they prepare to play their second game in as many nights this evening.
Surprisingly, the Jazz are currently 3-1 in second nights of back-to-backs as they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, Brooklyn Nets and Orlando Magic in such a situation. Two of those took place at home where Utah will find themselves matched up against the Pelicans tonight.
Therefore, it will be crucial that instead of falling victim to tired legs and coming out flat-footed, the Jazz once again take advantage of an excited crowd that will be anxious to see their team attempt to earn a fifth straight win. If they can build off that energy and momentum that the crowd and familiarity of home court provide, then they should be very well able to forget any exhaustion they might be feeling and keep pace with the Pelicans.
Utah is currently boasting a very solid 9-4 record at home as they’ve punished several opponents who have set foot within Vivint Smart Home Arena. Despite the unfavorable scheduling situation, they’ll look to do the same thing once again tonight with New Orleans in town.