Game thread: Utah Jazz looking to enter break with a bang
By Caleb Manser
The Utah Jazz have an opportunity to enter the All-Star break on a four game winning streak. Will the Miami Heat allow that to happen tonight?
Things are going good for the Utah Jazz right now. After a five game blip where they were out of sorts on both sides of the ball, they are riding a three game win streak which included a huge morale booster in Houston.
They get one more home game tonight before heading into the week long All-Star break. Following the big celebration in Chicago, the team will start its longest stretch of home games for this season.
It will be a good time to make a run at the top of the conference standings, as the Nuggets will have to play the league’s fifth toughest schedule from here on out. If the Jazz can qualify for a top three seed in the playoffs this season, then all will be better.
Tonight they host a team that will truly test their status as one of the league’s best. The Miami Heat (35-13) boast two All-Stars in Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, and just an incredible system and culture that gets the best out of their players.
Pat Riley, their executive, and Erik Spolestra, their head coach, have been able to squeeze contributions out of guys that were in the G-League last year and turn it into a playoff team.
When Riley saw how well the team was doing, he decided to go all-in at the trade deadline by acquiring veteran Andre Iguodala. This team is hungry for a championship, and they’ve beaten up on some quality Eastern Conference teams to give them that right to aspire for a chip.
In their last meeting on December 23rd, the Jazz put up a good fight but couldn’t complete the comeback effort in the fourth quarter. Joe Ingles poured in 27 points that game, and Emmanuel Mudiay made six of his eight shots off the bench.
The Heat managed to shut down Donovan Mitchell to just 13 points on 18 shots, but fortunately for Utah their star guard was able to get his teammates involved with seven assists and finish with a team high in the +/- stat.
Historically Jimmy Butler has had good games against the Jazz, so you can count on him giving the Utah defense trouble tonight.
Game Data
Broadcast Info
Tip-off: 7:00 PM on February 12 from Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, UT.
TV: AT&T SportsNet, stream on fubo.tv
Radio: The Zone Sports Network (97.5 FM and 1280 AM Salt Lake City)
Projected Starting Lineups
Utah Jazz Position Miami Heat
Rudy Gobert C Bam Adebayo
Royce O’Neale PF Derrick Jones Jr.
Bojan Bogdanovic SF Jimmy Butler
Joe Ingles SG Duncan Robinson
Donovan Mitchell PG Kenderick Nunn
Injuries
The Jazz have Mike Conley listed as questionable due to an illness. Conley didn’t play in Monday night’s game against the Mavericks due to “injury management”, A.K.A back-to-backs.
Ed Davis is listed as doubtful, but not for back spasms. The report read that Davis has a left ankle sprain, which I’m guessing he sustained during practice.
Tyler Herro (ankle) will be out for tonight’s game.
Prediction
This is one of the toughest teams Utah will face this year. The Heat have the luxury of playing either slow and physical, or uptempo and spaced out.
Derrick Jones can fly with the best of them, Nunn and Robinson are incredible diamonds in the rough this season that can shoot like lazers, and Erik Spolestra is one of the best coaches in this league.
When the Heat need to turn to the bench, they have former All-NBA selection Goran Dragic and former Finals MVP Andre Iguodala, as well as former Jazzman Jae Crowder. When they need a bucket in crunch time, Jimmy Butler is their go-to man.
Suffice it to say, the Jazz will have to win several matchups tonight to win this game. Mitchell VS Butler, Gobert VS Adebayo, and Jordan Clarkson VS Dragic will be the ones I keep my eye on. I’ll predict the Heat take home the victory to the tune of 112 to 109.
Discussion
The Twitter hashtag #MIAatUTA can be used, as well as the comment thread of this page. Go Jazz!