The Utah Jazz will be in for quite a challenge as they look to produce a similar result tonight against the Cleveland Cavaliers as they did last game against the Boston Celtics.
After losing four straight games during the tough month of December, at least two of which were very winnable, the outlook for the Utah Jazz was beginning to look quite bleak. However, they bounced back in an enormous way last night by toppling the Boston Celtics by a score of 107-95 despite losing both Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors to injury early in the contest.
It was a much-needed statement win over the team that ultimately won the Gordon Hayward sweepstakes, much to the dismay of several Jazz fans. Fortunately, with the way Donovan Mitchell has played including in the fourth quarter against the Celtics last night, it’s been easier than presumed to forget about Hayward ever having a presence on this team.
https://twitter.com/utahjazz/status/942090331104862208
Therefore, with that big win under their belts, the Jazz will look to take that momentum into Cleveland tonight when they visit LeBron James and the red hot Cleveland Cavaliers on the second night of a back-to-back. Despite the fact that Boston owns the better record, the Cavs have won 16 of their last 17 contests and are viewed by many as not just the hottest, but also the most formidable team in the Eastern Conference.
I would agree with that sentiment, in fact, I’d argue that it’s hard to dispute when considering just how well LeBron James has played of late. Therefore, this game is going to be potentially an even bigger challenge for the Jazz than the one they played last night. If they’re to have any hope of once again shocking their opponent and coming away with a big win inside Quicken Loans Arena, they’ll have to be sure to excel in the following key areas.