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Utah Jazz 2017-18 Week 14 Outlook, Predictions

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 12: Jazz Bear, mascot for the Utah Jazz rubs a fans head during the game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the New York Knicks on January 12, 2018 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 12: Jazz Bear, mascot for the Utah Jazz rubs a fans head during the game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the New York Knicks on January 12, 2018 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
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OAKLAND, CA – JANUARY 10: Lou Williams #23 of the LA Clippers looks on against the Golden State Warriors during the first half of their NBA Basketball game at ORACLE Arena on January 10, 2018 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA – JANUARY 10: Lou Williams #23 of the LA Clippers looks on against the Golden State Warriors during the first half of their NBA Basketball game at ORACLE Arena on January 10, 2018 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

1/20 Utah vs. LA Clippers

7:00 pm MT – AT&T SportsNet/League Pass

Opponent record: 21-21

Season series: Tied 1-1

What a roller coaster season it’s been for the LA Clippers. They started out the league red hot as one of the NBA’s last standing undefeated teams, but between an unbelievable amount of injuries and adapting to life after Chris Paul with several new faces, the Clips took a nosedive from there. At one point, it looked like they were doomed to the NBA lottery as they suffered a nine-game losing streak and eventually fell to a record of 5-11 after starting 4-0.

But they’ve since battled back in a big way to now find themselves dead even at .500 and just a half-game out of the playoff picture. Suddenly, LA is looking alive and well and poised to make a further run from here. One might think that it’s been Blake Griffin or DeAndre Jordan who have helped push the Clippers to this surprising success, however while they’ve certainly played their part, in actuality it’s been Lou Williams that’s been leading the charge.

Williams is the team’s leading scorer at 23.1 points per game and has been extremely reliable as he’s knocking down well over 40 percent of his attempts from three. He recently dropped 50 points in a huge win over the Golden State Warriors and he has his Clippers team playing exceptionally well of late as they are 8-2 over the last 10 games.

Take all that into consideration and combine it with the fact that Utah has tended to struggle against the Clippers during the regular season and that Saturday’s game will be on the second night of a back-to-back for them and unfortunately I think I have a pretty good idea of how this is going to go. The Clips are red hot and the Utah Jazz, well, as losers of 14 of their last 18, are not.

The Jazz are much better at home than on the road, but even their 13-7 home record isn’t scaring anyone, much less the surging Clippers who have plenty of experience winning at Vivint Smart Home Arena. I’m betting that this one goes to the Clips.

My Prediction: Clippers Win

Final Score: Los Angeles 118, Utah 106

Next: Despite injury, Utah Jazz should aim to keep Thabo Sefolosha

You know it’s a bad sign when you’re feeling overly optimistic by pinning the Jazz to go just 2-2, but I’m feeling that way nonetheless. Fortunately, considering the lackluster competition that they’ll be up against for the most part during Week 14, it’s probably actually pretty reasonable.

Of course, I hope they surprise me and go an even better 3-1 or perhaps 4-0, but considering how poorly they’ve played of late, even a mediocre 2-2 would be a huge step in the right direction. Utah has this week and one more game to start next week to turn things around before they face a daunting stretch of tough opponents once again. Let’s hope they can take advantage this time around or their playoff hopes may be extinguished for good.

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