3/14 Utah vs. Minnesota
7:00 pm MT – AT&T SportsNet/League Pass
Opponent record: 31-35
Season series: Jazz lead 2-1
Take away a magnificent performance from former MVP Derrick Rose in the first contest between the Jazz and Timberwolves this season, and the Jazz are likely up 3-0 in this series. Utah took care of business in the previous two meetings and fell by just three points in that first bout back in late October.
That said, the Timberwolves are still a dangerous squad and have proved it of late with recent wins over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets and LA Clippers. Then again, they’ve also balanced that out with losses to the Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards. In other words, this team is about as unpredictable and inconsistent as they come.
Nevertheless, with an All-Star talent like Karl-Anthony Towns and some formidable supporting role players, this is a team that simply can’t be counted out. The Jazz will be coming in on the back end of a back-to-back after playing in Phoenix the night before, so this won’t be an easy one for that reason as well.
The Jazz should win this game as they match up quite well against the Timberwolves. However, given Utah’s uninspiring play of late and the unfortunate scheduling situation, I’m going to give Minnesota the edge. We know the Jazz won’t win all of their games against inferior opponents in this final lengthy stretch of the season, and this feels like as likely of a contest as any for them to drop.
My Prediction: Timberwolves Win
Final Score: Minnesota 109, Utah 104