3/4 Utah vs. New Orleans
7:00 pm MT – AT&T SportsNet/League Pass
Opponent record: 29-36
Season series: Jazz lead 1-0
The New Orleans Pelicans have been a mystery since the trade deadline in which many thought Anthony Davis would be dealt but instead he stayed put. After making his intentions clear to the franchise that he has no intention to re-sign with the Pelicans, it seemed logical that New Orleans brass would move on from him. However, considering he has another year under contract and that there will be plenty of suitors this summer, they don’t have to be in any rush.
As such, in some games Davis has appeared less than competitive or focused. The Pels have been put in an impossible situation of playing him despite him not being motivated to contribute to the team. New Orleans has actually earned some big wins without him as well such as Saturday against the Denver Nuggets and an earlier bout against the Los Angeles Lakers, the team Davis presumably wants to end up with.
And it appears that the Pelicans could very well be without his services yet again on Monday as he’s currently listed as questionable for the bout with illness. Neither Davis nor the Pelicans have much reason for him to suit up, so they’ll likely take any excuse possible for him to sit out.
But that’s not necessarily a good thing for the Jazz. The rest of the New Orleans squad led by the likes of Jrue Holiday and Julius Randle isn’t going to cave in lightly. Expect them to compete and refuse to go down without a fight.
Nevertheless, while there are certainly some players the Jazz will have to watch out for and the Pelicans embody a ‘chip-on-the-shoulder’ mentality right now, I think this is one where Utah gets the job done. The Jazz have won 16 in a row against teams with a worse record than them, and at 29-36 and likely without their star in Davis, this is a game Utah should be able to win so long as they come in prepared.
They can’t get complacent, but if recent wins over Denver and Milwaukee are any indication, the Jazz are set to be focused and energized in their pursuit to take down the Pelicans and should do so quite handily.
My Prediction: Jazz Win
Final Score: Utah 118, New Orleans 102