11/9 Utah vs. Boston
7:30 pm MT – ESPN
Opponent record: 6-3
Season series: Tied 0-0
That’s right, Jazz fans. The moment we’ve all been waiting for – Gordon Hayward’s long-awaited return to Salt Lake City – is finally taking place on Friday night.
Except, it might actually not happen. Much like has been the case with Leonard, Hayward has been resting on back-to-backs, and considering that the Boston Celtics play the night before in Phoenix, there’s a good chance that Hayward will sit this one out. Such a move would kind of be par for the course, right?
Whether or not Hayward plays is still to be determined, but the Celtics will assuredly be without another star as Kyrie Irving will miss the contest so that he can attend his grandfather’s memorial service. My sincere condolences go out to the Irving family for their loss and although his absence certainly hurts the Celtics, I would have much preferred he could have been in action and especially didn’t have to go through such a difficult experience as losing a family member.
That said, there’s a very good chance that the Celtics could be without two of their starters. However, they showed last year just how potent they were even while both Irving and Hayward were sidelined with injuries. In other words, regardless of who suits up, this Boston team is dangerous and the Jazz will have to be prepared.
Honestly, on a level playing field with all players in action, especially considering how poorly the Jazz have been playing, I’d pick the Celtics to win quite easily. However, given that it’s a back-to-back for them and they could have a pair of stars out of commission, I’m going to lean towards optimism and say that Utah is going to find a way to come out on top.
Vivint Smart Home Arena is going to be rocking as the fans aim to cheer their team on to victory against Hayward’s new squad, and the Jazz will likely have a bit of a chip on their shoulders as they aim to show him what he passed up on. Expect an awesome game, but due to fatigue and missing players, I think the Jazz will find a way to narrowly come out on top.
My Prediction: Jazz Win
Final Score: Utah 103, Boston 101
So call me overly optimistic, but I’m feeling a major return to form for the Jazz this week. Quite truthfully, that has nothing to do with how they’ve played, but simply due to the fact that they have the fortune of taking on three teams that will be quite weary. As I said earlier, if Kawhi Leonard suits up, I think the Raptors win and if Gordon Hayward plays, there’s a good chance the Celtics will find a way to win as well.
But with Kyrie Irving out of action, and Hayward and Leonard both up in the air for their respective teams, the Jazz have a chance to pull off an undefeated week. You would have never expected that when seeing these opponents on the schedule, but circumstance, health and scheduling could very well present such a result.
Let’s just hope that fortune is in Utah’s favor as far as which game Leonard decides to sit for, and that they can finally start getting their act together to get back on a winning track.