12/29 Utah vs. New York
6:00 pm MT – AT&T SportsNet/League Pass
Opponent record: 9-25
Season series: Tied 0-0
Week 11 is going to mark a lot of firsts for the Jazz. First of all, it’s their first time playing exclusively at home for an entire week (which is an incredibly nice change). But it’s also their first time playing a bottom-five team in the league as they’ll welcome the New York Knicks into town. It’s pretty crazy that it’s taken this long for such to occur.
The Knicks have some intriguing young talent and may be poised for a quick jump if they can land some top talent in next summer’s free agency, especially if that’s coupled with a healthy return from All-Star Kristaps Porzingis. But for this year, the Knicks aren’t much to write home about.
They’re well-coached by David Fizdale, but simply don’t have the talent or depth to keep up with top teams in the league. As such, this should be a runaway contest for the Jazz, and I expect them to win big.
My Prediction: Jazz Win
Final Score: Utah 112, New York 88
I have good news and bad news, Jazz fans. The good news is that I’m pinning the Jazz to go an impressive 3-0 this week, which would finally put them back above .500. The bad news is that whenever I’m optimistic, the Jazz seem to falter, and whenever I’m pessimistic, they seem to thrive. Is it too late to go back and change my projections to 0-3? It might help!
Jokes aside, I really am feeling good about this week. The first two contests will be challenging, but hopefully the Jazz can set a good tone on Christmas Day by toppling the Blazers, then ride momentum from there to finish out the week strong, perhaps even undefeated. It might take a Christmas miracle, but it certainly is that time of year, so that’s exactly what I’ll wish for at this time!
Merry Christmas to all from everyone here at The J-Notes!