This should be a fun game. It’ll pit the unpredictable and dangerous Golden State Warriors against the rising Utah Jazz. Each team has its own sweet-shooting, high-scoring guard too in and Stephen Curry and Donovan Mitchell, respectively.
Catch the game tomorrow, Sunday, at 10:00 AM, (Manila time).
HOME TEAM: Utah Jazz (11-4, 4-2 at home)
The Jazz are the hottest team in the league right now. They are holding a seven-game winning streak with an average winning margin of 15.5 points. Defense is looking solid as well, as they are holding opponents to just 41.9% shooting in that span.
Following his seemingly “routine” slow start to a season, All-Star Donovan Mitchell is now appearing to be in mid-season form. He’s scoring 27.9 points and splashing 4.1 threes per game in the streak, and also coming off a season-high 36-point performance. It should be interesting to see him do a heat check against the Warriors.
As always, the Jazz would also field a crew of other studs. Mitchell’s co-All-Star, Rudy Gobert (12.8 PPG, 13.5 RPG, 2.8 BPG) will look to feast on the paint over rookie James Wiseman, while sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic and Sixth Man Jordan Clarkson (20.1 PPG in the streak) will help boost the offense. Lastly, there’s two-way floor general Mike Conley, who’ll be in a fun match-up against Stephen Curry.
Utah is averaging 116.6 PPG over its last seven games.
ROAD TEAM: Golden State Warriors (8-7, 3-3 on the road)
After two strong victories, the Warriors returned to the loss column on Friday. They fell victim to the surging New York Knicks, 119-104, currently the number one-ranked defense in the league.
Confidence should still be high on the Dubs’ locker room. It could be argued that the recent loss was courtesy of Draymond Green getting automatically ejected after a second technical, which has since been rescinded. Look for him to come out focused on defense.
Top MVP candidate Stephen Curry should come out with guns blazing yet again. He may have a duel against the red-hot Mitchell. Curry heads to the contest averaging 28.2 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.1 threes per game.
Secondary scorers Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre have considerably woken up after a rough start, especially the former, whose 1.5 BPG ranks 12th overall, ahead of all swingmen and guards. The latter still has a woeful shooting clip, but he’s provided a couple of good performances. He scored 23 points in their comeback win against the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this week.
The Warriors are scoring 111.7 PPG this season.
PREDICTIONS:
Curry and Mitchell both scoring at will and shooting the lights out is to be expected, but Gobert’s favorable match-up could be something too. Watch out for a healthy double-double.
I expect a close affair, and considering the Warriors’ poise in such games, I see them ending the Jazz’s winning streak, 116-110.
