The J-Notes
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Utah Jazz Week Six Outlook: Can Utah turn the corner?

By Jared Woodcox

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - NOVEMBER 17: Joe Ingles #2 of the Utah Jazz talks with head coach Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz during the fourth quarter of the game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on November 17, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - NOVEMBER 17: Joe Ingles #2 of the Utah Jazz talks with head coach Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz during the fourth quarter of the game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on November 17, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 14: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers is introduced before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on November 14, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 14: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers is introduced before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on November 14, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /

11/23 Utah at Los Angeles

8:30 pm MT – AT&T SportsNet/NBA TV

Opponent record: 8-7

Season series: Tied 0-0

This one is bound to be fun. The Los Angeles Lakers have been a pretty easy opponent the last couple years, but with LeBron James on their roster, such is no longer anywhere close to the case. The Lakers have had their fair share of ups and downs this season, including big wins over the Portland Trail Blazers and mind-boggling losses to the likes of the Orlando Magic, so it’s hard to predict how they’ll fare in any given contest.

However, one thing isn’t and never has been hard to predict – if LeBron goes off, his team is probably going to win.

That’s exactly what the Jazz will need to watch out for on Friday evening. James is still as prolific as they come and displayed that in full force in a recent win over Portland in which he dropped a whopping 44 points. Overall, the Lakers rag-tag roster has performed well offensively while relying on solid ball movement, but they’ve been putrid defensively.

They hope that the addition of Tyson Chandler can help toughen them up on defense, but it should be noted that JaVale McGee has been a surprisingly positive addition, if not always on defense, then certainly on offense. Kyle Kuzma continues to have a strong second year while playing alongside The King, and guys like Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart can still be a problem.

I’m quite torn on who to side with in this contest. I think the Jazz are certainly the more overall talented team, but the Lakers clearly have the best player. Not only that, but Utah’s erratic play throws a further wrench into things.

With all that said, though, considering that this game will be right in the midst of a travel-heavy portion of Utah’s schedule and that the Staples Center isn’t always kind to the Jazz, I’m going to project a big game for LeBron and a hard-fought win for the Lakers.

My Prediction: Lakers Win

Final Score: Los Angeles 112, Utah 109

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