Jazz Schedule Outlook: Home Cooking at an Opportune Time
If the Utah Jazz are going to stay in the playoff conversation, they’ll need to make some hay over the next two weeks. The Jazz will play their next eight out of nine games at the Delta Center, with only four of those contests versus teams with winning records.
This is coming off the heels of Utah’s longest road trip of the year, in which they only won two out of six games. Utah has been a different team at home, where they’re 15-6 compared to a dismal 9-19 road record.
The Jazz will catch a break in their first game against the Philadelphia 76ers minus Joel Embiid. The oddsmakers have taken note and have Utah pegged as a 4.5-point favorite.
The schedule toughens up after the 76ers game when Utah faces the Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns (road game), and Milwaukee Bucks. After that, the next six games could make or break the season.
The Jazz will play teams that they're in direct competition with for a playoff spot: the Golden State Warriors (twice) and the Los Angeles Lakers. They’ll then finish their home stand with two winnable games against the Charlotte Hornets and San Antonio Spurs.
With the trade deadline just one week away, Utah’s roster will have plenty of distractions to worry about during this stretch. Jordan Clarkson and Kelly Olynyk have frequently been mentioned in trade rumors. Collin Sexton is another name to keep an eye on, but with his recent emergence, it would take a lot for Utah to part ways with its starting shooting guard.
With where everything stands, the lottery is still in play, too. The Jazz are currently 3.5 games from a playoff spot but also just one game removed from the lottery. A victory against the 76ers on Thursday night will go a long way if Utah wants to stay in the thick of it.
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