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Utah Jazz at San Antonio Spurs: Keys to keeping win streak alive

Jared Woodcox|
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - DECEMBER 21: Kawhi Leonard #2 and Tony Parker #9 of the San Antonio Spurs look on during the game against the Utah Jazz on DECEMBER 21, 2017 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - DECEMBER 21: Kawhi Leonard #2 and Tony Parker #9 of the San Antonio Spurs look on during the game against the Utah Jazz on DECEMBER 21, 2017 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
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SAN ANTONIO,TX – JANUARY 30 : LaMarcus Aldridge #12 of the San Antonio Spurs enters the floor before the start of a game against the Denver Nuggets at AT&T Center on January 28, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. 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 Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO,TX – JANUARY 30 : LaMarcus Aldridge #12 of the San Antonio Spurs enters the floor before the start of a game against the Denver Nuggets at AT&T Center on January 28, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. 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 Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

Key #3 – Contain LaMarcus Aldridge

In the absence of Kawhi Leonard, several Spurs players have had to step up, but perhaps none as much as LaMarcus Aldridge. And he has done so in a big way. Despite struggling to fit in with the team last year, Aldridge has bounced back and done an admirable job of shouldering the load with Kawhi sidelined.

Aldridge is averaging 22.3 points per game, up five from last year, while shooting 49.3 percent from the field and hauling in 8.5 rebounds per game. His three-point shooting is down somewhat, but he’s been so solid in other areas that he’s helped keep the Spurs afloat and was certainly deserving of the All-Star nod he received.

However, in the last contest against the Jazz, Utah did an exceptional job of holding him in check. LaMarcus finished that game with just 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting. With Rudy Gobert back in action and thriving as well as Derrick Favors playing well of late, the Jazz should be able to give Aldridge trouble all night long.

If they can force him into a similar performance as the one back in December, the Jazz should be primed to overwhelm his San Antonio team as a whole as well.

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