NEW ORLEANS, LA – MARCH 22: Kyle Kuzma #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on March 22, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Key #1 – Stop Kuzma and Randle
Along with Donovan Mitchell, Kyle Kuzma has undoubtedly been one of the biggest rookie surprises this season and clearly deserves to be considered one of the steals of the 2017 NBA Draft. He’s played a huge role in the Lakers improving upon last season and appears to be an instrumental piece of what could be a bright future in LA.
He is averaging 16 points per game to go along with 6.3 rebounds on the season and has been a solid deep-ball threat at 36.5 percent. He’s been even better of late while injuries have required him to assume a larger role as he’s putting up 19.7 points per game on 46.7 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from deep while grabbing 8.4 rebounds per game in LA’s last 12 contests.
Julius Randle, meanwhile, is having a terrific second half of the season and could create some difficult decisions regarding his impending restricted free agency. Though he’s at 16.3 points and 8.3 rebounds on the season, in February he went 19.4 and 9.0 while in March he went 22.3 and 9.9. In his last 12, he’s up to 22.6 points per game on 57.7 percent shooting from the field while nabbing 10.1 rebounds.
https://twitter.com/LakeShowFamily/status/977971663651434498
In short, this pair of prolific frontcourt players could cause some issues for the Jazz based on how well they’ve been playing of late, their versatility and their ability to stretch the floor. Utah’s bigs will certainly have their work cut out for them and the Jazz may have to go small at times to hold both Kuzma and Randle in check, especially if Lopez isn’t playing.
Fortunately, despite how solid these two have been, with all the injuries their team has had to deal with, the Lakers just haven’t had the firepower to string together all that many wins of late. If that trend continues, it will likely take a big game out of someone besides Kuzma or Randle for them to win, and I feel confident that Utah’s overall superior talent and depth will be able to handle whatever Los Angeles throws at them.
Utah Jazz</a> in terms of their playoff odds after logging a convincing road win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday to propel themselves into sixth place in the Western Conference with just five games remaining in the regular season. That leaves Utah’s magic number to solidify a playoff spot at just three more wins, a feat they can accomplish this week if the chips fall right.</p>
<p>That will need to begin with a critical home contest on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Jazz haven’t seen the Lakers since October where they won a low-scoring 96-81 affair in relatively convincing fashion.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, and just as a refresher, that was the game where <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/04/03/utah-jazz-vs-los-angeles-lakers-keys-vital-home-win/2/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mitchdo01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Donovan Mitchell</a> did this:</p>
<div class="embed "><iframe loading="lazy" width="500" height="281" src=https://thejnotes.com/2018/04/03/utah-jazz-vs-los-angeles-lakers-keys-vital-home-win/2/"https://www.youtube.com/embed/PsyWZHVqOpg?feature=oembed%22 frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>It was the first of many highlights that have since come from the rookie phenom.</p>
<p>The Lakers have been eliminated from playoff contention, but with nine games separating them and the ‘tankers’ in the bottom four of the Western Conference standings, it doesn’t make much sense for them to look to do anything other than play their hardest and rack up as many wins as they can, which will be vital for the experience of their young guns.</p>
<p>The Lakers went on a bit of a run in January in February where they posted a 15-10 record which included a 7-3 mark in February. They were never truly a threat for a playoff spot, but they certainly flirted with tenth place and logged some big wins during that span including against the San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics, and Oklahoma City Thunder (twice).</p>
<p>In the month of March, they toppled the Spurs once again as well as the Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets. In other words, this is a team that has been playing spoiler and Utah can’t afford to be caught unaware.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lakers injury update: Brandon Ingram (concussion protocol) stayed back in Los Angeles and is not with the team in Utah. Lonzo Ball (knee contusion) is in Utah with the squad, but is doubtful for Tuesday’s game.</p>
<p>— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/04/03/utah-jazz-vs-los-angeles-lakers-keys-vital-home-win/2/"https://twitter.com/LakersReporter/status/980953504071077889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>April 2, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>However, they’ve been in a bit of a slump of late, losing seven of their last ten and two in a row, including a disappointing defeat at the hands of the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. Injuries have played a key part in their struggles as <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/04/03/utah-jazz-vs-los-angeles-lakers-keys-vital-home-win/2/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/thomais02.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Isaiah Thomas</a> is out for the season, <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/04/03/utah-jazz-vs-los-angeles-lakers-keys-vital-home-win/2/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/i/ingrabr01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Brandon Ingram</a> has been out as he goes through concussion protocol and <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/04/03/utah-jazz-vs-los-angeles-lakers-keys-vital-home-win/2/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/balllo01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Lonzo Ball</a> is dealing with a knee contusion that will likely leave him sidelined for Tuesday’s bout.</p>
<p><a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/04/03/utah-jazz-vs-los-angeles-lakers-keys-vital-home-win/2/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/lopezbr01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Brook Lopez</a> also is suffering from tightness in his back and is questionable for the Jazz-Lakers matchup.</p>
<p>With the Lakers being so banged up, one might presume that they’d provide an easy victory for the Jazz, but such won’t necessarily be the case. They’ve had some players step up exceptionally well of late that the Jazz will absolutely have to stop. Let’s initiate Utah’s three keys to victory by discussing that very pair.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/04/03/utah-jazz-vs-los-angeles-lakers-keys-vital-home-win/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Key #1 - Stop Kuzma and Randle </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-67942" src=https://thejnotes.com/2018/04/03/utah-jazz-vs-los-angeles-lakers-keys-vital-home-win/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fthejnotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F04%2F937505348-los-angeles-lakers-v-new-orleans-pelicans.jpg-850x560.jpg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">NEW ORLEANS, LA – MARCH 22: Kyle Kuzma #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on March 22, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Key #1 – Stop Kuzma and Randle</h3>
<p>Along with Donovan Mitchell, <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/04/03/utah-jazz-vs-los-angeles-lakers-keys-vital-home-win/2/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/k/kuzmaky01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Kyle Kuzma</a> has undoubtedly been one of the biggest rookie surprises this season and clearly deserves to be considered one of the steals of the 2017 NBA Draft. He’s played a huge role in the Lakers improving upon last season and appears to be an instrumental piece of what could be a bright future in LA.</p>
<p>He is averaging 16 points per game to go along with 6.3 rebounds on the season and has been a solid deep-ball threat at 36.5 percent. He’s been even better of late while injuries have required him to assume a larger role as he’s putting up 19.7 points per game on 46.7 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from deep while grabbing 8.4 rebounds per game in LA’s last 12 contests.</p>
<p><a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/04/03/utah-jazz-vs-los-angeles-lakers-keys-vital-home-win/2/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/randlju01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Julius Randle</a>, meanwhile, is having a terrific second half of the season and could create some difficult decisions regarding his impending restricted free agency. Though he’s at 16.3 points and 8.3 rebounds on the season, in February he went 19.4 and 9.0 while in March he went 22.3 and 9.9. In his last 12, he’s up to 22.6 points per game on 57.7 percent shooting from the field while nabbing 10.1 rebounds.</p>
<p>https://twitter.com/LakeShowFamily/status/977971663651434498</p>
<p>In short, this pair of prolific frontcourt players could cause some issues for the Jazz based on how well they’ve been playing of late, their versatility and their ability to stretch the floor. Utah’s bigs will certainly have their work cut out for them and the Jazz may have to go small at times to hold both Kuzma and Randle in check, especially if Lopez isn’t playing.</p>
<p>Fortunately, despite how solid these two have been, with all the injuries their team has had to deal with, the Lakers just haven’t had the firepower to string together all that many wins of late. If that trend continues, it will likely take a big game out of someone besides Kuzma or Randle for them to win, and I feel confident that Utah’s overall superior talent and depth will be able to handle whatever Los Angeles throws at them.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/04/03/utah-jazz-vs-los-angeles-lakers-keys-vital-home-win/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Key #2 - Control the boards </a>
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<h3>Key #2 – Control the boards</h3>
<p>In the previous matchup between these two teams, the Utah Jazz dominated the rebounding battle by a count of 49-39. However, that wasn’t exactly indicative of these two teams’ proficiency at cleaning the glass as the Lakers have been exceptional on the boards all season long. They are second in the league with 46.4 rebounds per game, seventh in rebound percentage at 50.9 and sixth in rebound differential at plus-1.7.</p>
<p>Each one of those marks is higher than those of the Jazz, meaning that Utah will need to take care of business on the boards if they hope to win. The aforementioned Randle and Kuzma have played a large role in LA’s proficiency at cleaning the glass, so if the Jazz get too complacent, it could very well open up the floodgates for a young and hungry team that will almost certainly play hard and look to earn as many wins as they can to close out the season.</p>
<div class="embed "><iframe loading="lazy" width="500" height="281" src=https://thejnotes.com/2018/04/03/utah-jazz-vs-los-angeles-lakers-keys-vital-home-win/2/"https://www.youtube.com/embed/PkwW4vVugQs?feature=oembed%22 frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>The Jazz were fantastic on the boards in their previous contest against Minnesota, so if that carries over again in this battle against the Lakers, they will have a great shot at coming out on top.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/04/03/utah-jazz-vs-los-angeles-lakers-keys-vital-home-win/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Key #3 - Get momentum rolling at home </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-67943" src=https://thejnotes.com/2018/04/03/utah-jazz-vs-los-angeles-lakers-keys-vital-home-win/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fthejnotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F04%2F931669740-detroit-pistons-v-utah-jazz.jpg-850x560.jpg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">SALT LAKE CITY, UT – MARCH 13: Joe Ingles #2 of the Utah Jazz reacts to a call in the second half of a game against the Detroit Pistons at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 13, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Utah Jazz beat the Detroit Pistons 110-79. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Key #3 – Get momentum rolling at home</h3>
<p>The Utah Jazz have been absolutely impressive on the road lately. Formerly sitting at 5-19 in away games, they’ve now won 14 of their last 15 games outside of Vivint Smart Home Arena to elevate their record to 19-20. That’s been a huge turnaround and has been absolutely instrumental in their success this season.</p>
<p>However, it would also be nice to see them be a little more dominant at home. Since their February 23rd matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Jazz are just 7-4 on their home court. Not a bad mark, by any means, but it pales in comparison to how successful they’ve been on the road.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Utah Jazz 2017-18 Week 25 Outlook, Predictions <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/04/03/utah-jazz-vs-los-angeles-lakers-keys-vital-home-win/2/"https://t.co/oSNbZVPtnT">https://t.co/oSNbZVPtnT <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/04/03/utah-jazz-vs-los-angeles-lakers-keys-vital-home-win/2/"https://t.co/BlrN4pCVZa">pic.twitter.com/BlrN4pCVZa
<p>— The J-Notes (@TheJNotes) <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/04/03/utah-jazz-vs-los-angeles-lakers-keys-vital-home-win/2/"https://twitter.com/TheJNotes/status/980778882449080320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>April 2, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>Utah is renowned for having a daunting home court advantage and they need to get that energy and intensity back as soon as possible in preparation for the playoffs. Tuesday’s bout against LA seems as good a place as any to start, and playing with home court energy could very well make all the difference in what figures to be a crucial contest as the Jazz look to lock down a playoff spot.</p>
<p>If they’re able to build early momentum thanks to an animated crowd and electrifying energy, they should very well be able to run the Lakers off the floor, especially considering that they’re just 14-25 on the road.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/04/03/utah-jazz-vs-los-angeles-lakers-keys-vital-home-win/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Prediction </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-67944" src=https://thejnotes.com/2018/04/03/utah-jazz-vs-los-angeles-lakers-keys-vital-home-win/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fthejnotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F04%2F940970172-memphis-grizzlies-v-utah-jazz.jpg-850x560.jpg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">SALT LAKE CITY, UT – MARCH 30: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz celebrates and walks off the court after the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 30, 2018 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Prediction – Jazz 106, Lakers 94</h3>
<p>The Jazz have had some disheartening losses of late, including to the Atlanta Hawks and to a banged-up Boston Celtics squad that featured the game ending on a 9-0 run for the opposition. Those defeats make it easy to feel somewhat wary when welcoming a dangerous Lakers team into town.</p><div class="widget fs_ads"> <div class="fs_ad_widget-ad" style="margin:0 auto; width: 300px;"> <div class="fs-ll-ad" data-ad-type="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-vendor="minutemedia">
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<p>However, Utah certainly appeared to have their mojo back in full force on Sunday against the Timberwolves and they have every reason to keep that up for their final push into the playoffs. With that being the case, I fully expect to see a focused and determined Jazz team come out and take care of business with a double-figure win over the Lakers.</p>
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