The J-Notes
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Utah Jazz Week Nine Outlook: Jazz aim to battle back to .500

By Jared Woodcox

SAN ANTONIO,TX - DECEMBER 09: Ricky Rubio #3 of the Utah Jazz and Donovan Mitchell #45 listen to head coach Quin Snyder AT&T Center on December 9, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO,TX - DECEMBER 09: Ricky Rubio #3 of the Utah Jazz and Donovan Mitchell #45 listen to head coach Quin Snyder AT&T Center on December 9, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) /
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SALT LAKE CITY, UT – APRIL 27: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz shoots the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Six of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 27, 2018 at Vivint Smart Home 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – APRIL 27: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz shoots the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Six of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 27, 2018 at Vivint Smart Home 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) /

12/10 Utah at Oklahoma City

6:00 pm MT – AT&T SportsNet/League Pass

Opponent record: 16-8

Season series: Tied 0-0

People were worried about the Oklahoma City Thunder when they started the year 0-4, but they’ve since turned things around in a big way as they now find themselves in second place in the foreboding Western Conference. That should be a friendly reminder to panicked Jazz fans that even a four-game-below-.500 deficit can be reversed and that patience is certainly in order.

However, OKC’s current record feels a little bit misleading. Sure, their 16-8 mark is fantastic, but they’ve had an extremely light schedule up to this point. Save for a recent mind-boggling loss to the lowly Chicago Bulls, for the most part OKC has done a good job of taking care of business against lesser competition. But they’ve still shown ups and downs, especially against the more talented teams in the league.

Therefore, much like has been the case for the Jazz this season, it’s hard to get a read on what kind of team the Thunder really are. Are they a 16-8 powerhouse, or a team that’s drifted by on a weak schedule that’s due for a big letdown?

That question is anyone’s guess for now, but in focusing on the here and now, I think the Jazz will be hard-pressed to eke out a victory over them on Monday. Yes, the Jazz matched up well against them in the playoffs last season and were able to topple them, but we have yet to see that caliber of Jazz team show up consistently.

Not only that, but OKC has been off since Friday, whereas the Jazz come into this bout on weary legs. Utah’s defense hasn’t been up to par lately, and I could therefore see each of Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Steven Adams feast in this contest. The Jazz could surprise me, but I have a feeling that the Thunder are going to come out on top in this one pretty convincingly.

The good news about that is that Jazz fans would do well to remember that their team fell to the Thunder three times out of four in the regular season last year before ultimately winning in the playoffs. It would be nice to see Utah assert some dominance Monday night, but even if they fall to the Thunder in this first contest of the week, all will be far from lost.

My Prediction: Thunder Win

Final Score: OKC 107, Utah 91

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