What to Watch For: Utah Jazz at Golden State Warriors
Rudy Gobert (27) wins the tip-off against the Golden State Warriors
The Utah Jazz took down the Houston Rockets on Friday night 114-99 to kick off the second half of the regular season. Utah will now hit the road for five games, beginning with Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
Jazz vs Rockets Throwback:
Utah leads Golden State in the all-time matchups record 113-76 as they look to play their 190th game against one another. The Jazz are 5-0 in their last five games, and 9-2 in their last eleven against the Warriors.
The Jazz and Warriors met for the first time this season on January 23, 2021. Donovan Mitchell led the way with 23-points while Bojan Bogdanovic chipped in 8-assists in the Jazz 127-108 victory.
Key Players:
In a rematch of two contestants in the NBA's Three-Point Contest last weekend, Donovan Mitchell and Stephen Curry will face off again tonight as the Jazz take on the Warriors.
Donovan Mitchell (45) looks for an open lane against the Golden State Warriors
Mitchell leads the Jazz in scoring (24.8) and is second on the team in assists (5.5) and steals (1) per game. He scorched the nets against the Rockets on Friday night, finishing with 28-points and scoring double digits in the first quarter.
Curry is known for being a deadly three-point shooter. He currently leads the team in points (29.3) and is second on the team in assists (6.2) and steals (1.3) per game.
Fun Facts:
The Jazz will start this five-game road trip by wearing their white uniforms against the Warriors. This is the second time that the Jazz will wear their all-whites against the Warriors this season, with the first ending in a Jazz win back in January. Utah is currently 11-5 when donning the Association Uniforms, going 2-3 in their last five games wearing them.
Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley, and Quin Snyder all took part in the All-Star game last weekend. Gobert finished with 10-points and 7-rebounds helping Head Coach Quin Snyder and Team LeBron get the victory over Mitchell, Conley, and Team Durant 170-150.
Utah added vetran Ersan Ilyasova to the roster on Wednesday, adding depth and added shooting to the frontcourt. Ilyasova was part of the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2019-2020 season where he helped them get to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.
It was announced on Thursday that the Jazz will increase attendance to 5,600 fans to begin the second half of the NBA season. Fans are required to wear a mask, sit six-feet apart, and pass a health screening before entering the Arena.
The Utah Jazz remain in first place in the NBA after their win against the Rockets on Friday night. They currently have a 28-9 record, holding the edge over the Phoenix Suns by three games, the Los Angeles Lakers by three and a half games, and the Los Angeles Clippers by four games in the Western Conference. They also lead the Philadelphia 76ers by two and a half games, and the Brooklyn Nets by three games in the Eastern Conference.
Golden State is having a down year in comparison to recent seasons. They are currently 19-19 and are sitting in ninth place in the Western Conference.
Nico Mannion will take the floor against Utah for the second time this season. He grew up in the Beehive State before moving to Arizona for High School and College Basketball. Mannion was drafted by the Warriors in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft. Nico's dad Pace Mannion played at the University of Utah before being drafted 43rd overall to Golden State. He would spend one year with the Warriors before spending two seasons playing for the Utah Jazz.
Rookie Udoka Azubuike and recent addition to the first team squad Trent Forrest are the only players on the Utah Jazz injury report. Azubuike is 'out' with an ankle injury while Forrest is listed as 'day-to-day' with an illness.
Golden State suffered a major loss at the beginning of the year, losing Klay Thompson to an achilles injury. Marquese Chriss is another big loss for the Warriors, suffering a lower leg injury. Both players are listed as 'out' for this afternoon's game against Utah.
How to Consume:
The Utah Jazz travel to northern California to take on the Golden State Warriors. Jazz fans can catch tonight's game locally on AT&T SportsNet and nationally on NBA TV. The Utah faithful can also tune in to the radio on 97.5FM or 1280AM. Tipoff will be at 2pm MST at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
Royce O'Neale (23) shoots a three-pointer over Kelly Oubre Jr (12)
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