OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – FEBRUARY 11: Paul George #13 and Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder look on after the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on February 11, 2019 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images)
2/22 Utah at Oklahoma City
7:30 pm MT – ESPN
Opponent record: 37-20
Season series: Thunder lead 2-0
The Utah Jazz put up one heck of a fight against the Oklahoma City Thunder last time around, but ultimately an abysmal third quarter and a stellar 43-point outing from Paul George turned out to be too much. PG has been on an absolute tear of late, and the Jazz have struggled mightily against the Thunder in the regular season the past couple years. Hopefully Utah can capture some of last season’s playoff magic and arise victorious over OKC on Friday.
Unfortunately, I have a feeling that’s going to be easier said than done. The Thunder came into All-Star break winning 11 of 13 contests. While Paul George has been their catalyst, Russell Westbrook‘s insane triple-double streak can’t be ignored either. He’s riding a record 11 straight games with such a stat line, and as a result has his Thunder squad firing on all cylinders.
The Jazz did a phenomenal job against Westbrook in the last meeting, holding him to just eight points on 3-of-17 shooting while preventing him from reaching double-figure assists. But obviously, George walked all over them to counterbalance Brodie’s off night.
For the Jazz to arise victorious, they’ll need to put up a gutsy defensive performance and find a way to stop both. Oh yeah, then there’s also that Steven Adams guy they have to worry about. Adams has given Rudy Gobert fits in the past, and will likely be yet another thorn in Utah’s side once again.
I’d love to see Utah come out strong and get the post-All-Star break started out on a high note. However, I’m feeling less than optimistic that such will be the case. I expect the Thunder to continue their surge and, especially on their home court where Utah has struggled, prove to be too much for the Jazz.
My Prediction: Thunder Win
Final Score: OKC 112, Utah 105
able to correctly predict each outcome</a>, so while Utah put their record at 32-25 heading into the break, I was able to move up to 34-23.</p>
<p>We’ll see if their hot play carries over and they can earn a couple of wins in their first week back in action. Let’s dive in a little deeper to the pair of matchups to see how the Jazz stack up.</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/2019/02/17/utah-jazz-week-19-outlook-jazz-face-grueling-post-asg-slate/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 2/22 at Oklahoma City </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – FEBRUARY 11: Paul George #13 and Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder look on after the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on February 11, 2019 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>2/22 Utah at Oklahoma City</h3>
<p><strong>7:30 pm MT – ESPN</strong></p>
<p><strong>Opponent record: 37-20</strong></p>
<p><strong>Season series: Thunder lead 2-0</strong></p>
<p>The Utah Jazz put up one heck of a fight against the Oklahoma City Thunder last time around, but ultimately an abysmal third quarter and a stellar 43-point outing from Paul George turned out to be too much. PG has been on an absolute tear of late, and the Jazz have struggled mightily against the Thunder in the regular season the past couple years. Hopefully Utah can capture some of last season’s playoff magic and arise victorious over OKC on Friday.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I have a feeling that’s going to be easier said than done. The Thunder came into All-Star break winning 11 of 13 contests. While Paul George has been their catalyst, <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2019/02/17/utah-jazz-week-19-outlook-jazz-face-grueling-post-asg-slate/2/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/westbru01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Russell Westbrook</a>‘s insane triple-double streak can’t be ignored either. He’s riding a record 11 straight games with such a stat line, and as a result has his Thunder squad firing on all cylinders.</p>
<p>The Jazz did a phenomenal job against Westbrook in the last meeting, holding him to just eight points on 3-of-17 shooting while preventing him from reaching double-figure assists. But obviously, George walked all over them to counterbalance Brodie’s off night.</p>
<p>For the Jazz to arise victorious, they’ll need to put up a gutsy defensive performance and find a way to stop both. Oh yeah, then there’s also that <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2019/02/17/utah-jazz-week-19-outlook-jazz-face-grueling-post-asg-slate/2/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/adamsst01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Steven Adams</a> guy they have to worry about. Adams has given <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2019/02/17/utah-jazz-week-19-outlook-jazz-face-grueling-post-asg-slate/2/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/goberru01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Rudy Gobert</a> fits in the past, and will likely be yet another thorn in Utah’s side once again.</p>
<p>I’d love to see Utah come out strong and get the post-All-Star break started out on a high note. However, I’m feeling less than optimistic that such will be the case. I expect the Thunder to continue their surge and, especially on their home court where Utah has struggled, prove to be too much for the Jazz.</p>
<p><strong>My Prediction: Thunder Win</strong></p>
<p><strong>Final Score: OKC 112, Utah 105</strong></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/2019/02/17/utah-jazz-week-19-outlook-jazz-face-grueling-post-asg-slate/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 2/23 vs. Dallas </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">DALLAS, TX – FEBRUARY 13: Maximilian Kleber #42 of the Dallas Mavericks and Luka Doncic #77 look on during the game against the Miami Heat on Febuary 13, 2019 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>2/23 Utah vs. Dallas</h3>
<p><strong>8:00 pm MT – AT&T SportsNet/League Pass</strong></p>
<p><strong>Opponent record: 26-31</strong></p>
<p><strong>Season series: Jazz lead 2-1</strong></p>
<p>At 26-31, the Dallas Mavericks aren’t anywhere close to a powerhouse and are almost certainly on their way to the lottery this season. Nevertheless, like most teams in the West, they’re still a squad that can’t be overlooked. The Jazz found that out the hard way when they fell to them in embarrassing fashion in the last meeting in Dallas by a score of 118-68.</p>
<p>With prolific rookie <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2019/02/17/utah-jazz-week-19-outlook-jazz-face-grueling-post-asg-slate/2/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/doncilu01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Luka Doncic</a> leading the charge and an all-time great coach in <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2019/02/17/utah-jazz-week-19-outlook-jazz-face-grueling-post-asg-slate/2/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/carliri01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Rick Carlisle</a>, the Mavs are certainly a team capable of sneaking up on opponents. Shortly before the All-Star break, they did just that to the Portland Trail Blazers, so the Jazz will have to be aware.</p>
<p>That said, the Mavericks are a completely different team at home versus on the road. Within the American Airlines Center, they’re an incredible 20-9. That’s better than or equal to six of the seven teams immediately ahead of them in the standings. However, on the road, Dallas is an abysmal 6-22, better than only the lowly Phoenix Suns in the West.</p>
<p>Combine that with the fact that the Jazz will most assuredly be out for revenge after being embarrassed in the last meeting and I’m feeling confident that Utah will come out on top this time around. It is a back-to-back for both teams, with the Mavs travelling from Dallas to SLC and the Jazz travelling from OKC, so they’ll likely be facing similar situations in terms of travel and fatigue.</p>
<p>But the major difference is that the Jazz will be coming home whereas the Mavs will be heading into hostile territory where they’ve been terrible this year. That all sounds like a good formula for the Jazz, and I’m predicting them to perform and arise victorious accordingly.</p>
<p><strong>My Prediction: Jazz Win</strong></p>
<p><strong>Final Score: Utah 109, Dallas 92</strong></p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Utah Jazz: Donovan Mitchell’s 2018 dunk performance outdid any in 2019" data-url="https://thejnotes.com/2019/02/17/utah-jazz-donovan-mitchells-2018-dunk-performance-outdid-2019/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2019/02/17/utah-jazz-week-19-outlook-jazz-face-grueling-post-asg-slate/2/"https://thejnotes.com/2019/02/17/utah-jazz-donovan-mitchells-2018-dunk-performance-outdid-2019/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Utah Jazz: Donovan Mitchell’s 2018 dunk performance outdid any in 2019 </a> </div>
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<p>I don’t know about you, Utah Jazz fans, but the All-Star break has felt quite long and I’m very much ready for the Jazz to be back in action. I have them going 1-1 in their first week back, but perhaps they’ll be ready to surge and start things off right with a 2-0 Week 19 following the break. Let’s hope that such will be the case.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">