The J-Notes
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Utah Jazz at Indiana Pacers: Keys to a fourth straight win

By Jared Woodcox

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JANUARY 15: Domantas Sabonis #11 of the Indiana Pacers fights for the ball with Derrick Favors #15 of the Utah Jazz in the first half of their game at Vivint Smart Home Arena on January 15, 2018 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. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JANUARY 15: Domantas Sabonis #11 of the Indiana Pacers fights for the ball with Derrick Favors #15 of the Utah Jazz in the first half of their game at Vivint Smart Home Arena on January 15, 2018 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. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images) /
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SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JANUARY 15: Domantas Sabonis #11 of the Indiana Pacers fights for the ball with Derrick Favors #15 of the Utah Jazz in the first half of their game at Vivint Smart Home Arena on January 15, 2018 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. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JANUARY 15: Domantas Sabonis #11 of the Indiana Pacers fights for the ball with Derrick Favors #15 of the Utah Jazz in the first half of their game at Vivint Smart Home Arena on January 15, 2018 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. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images) /

The Utah Jazz could be in for a hotly contested bout as they’ll visit the Indiana Pacers, who also are riding a three-game win streak, on Wednesday night.

After a bumpy return to action after the All-Star break that saw the Utah Jazz lose two of their first three contests, they’ve turned things around pretty significantly by earning three straight victories, included a crucial win over the divisional foe Minnesota Timberwolves. However, Utah will be facing an extremely daunting task on Wednesday night as they’ll visit the surging Indiana Pacers.

Ironically, the Pacers find themselves with an identical three-game winning streak, meaning this will be a clash of a pair of red hot teams. Indy’s streak has included a pair of victories over the Milwaukee Bucks with a win over the Washington Wizards in between. That win in DC put Indiana into fourth place in the Eastern Conference, an impressive task considering how low expectations were for them coming into the season and a strong indication of how solid they’ve been this year.

And that’s bad news for the Jazz who find themselves in the midst of a tightly contested playoff race in the Western Conference and in desperate need to earn as many wins as possible. Utah has found a way to win four of their six games since the break, but the victories haven’t all been pretty. They’ll need to be on their A-game if they’re going to take care of business against an Indiana team that has been phenomenal at home.

The last time Utah and Indiana met, it was all Pacers as they ran away with a 109-94 win that wasn’t even as close as the final score indicated. Fortunately for the Jazz, though, they’ve been a different team since that contest as they currently find themselves winners of 15 of their last 17. They also hold an active streak of eight consecutive road wins, so they’ll be looking to further prove their ability to win away from home in this bout.

A win over a Pacers team that’s playing exceptionally well is going to be no easy task for the Jazz, but if they are to do it, they’ll have to thrive in the following areas.

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