What to Watch For: Utah Jazz at Toronto Raptors
Joe Ingles (2) drives through the lane against the Toronto Raptors
The Utah Jazz struggled to get anything going against the Washington Wizards last night, losing 122-131. They will look to get back to their winning ways against the Toronto Raptors later tonight.
Jazz vs Raptors Throwback:
The Jazz and Raptors have only played 47 times throughout the two team's history. Utah currently holds the edge in the all time matchups category 27-20. Toronto has had recent success against the Jazz though, winning four games in a row against Utah.
The Jazz and Raptors last faced off on March 9, 2020 where Toronto would finish with the win 101-92. Joe Ingles led the Jazz in scoring, coming off the bench to drop 20-points during the game. Royce O'Neale was able to snatch 7-rebounds while Mike Conley dished off 7-assists in the loss.
Key Players:
This Utah Jazz team plays differently when Jordan Clarkson is on. He'll need to get back to his sharp shooting ways on Friday night if the Jazz expect to leave with their 30th win of the season. Fred VanVleet has led the Raptors this year and will need to play a major role for the Raptors tonight if they expect to win against the Jazz.
Jordan Clarkson (00) takes on Kyle Lowry (7) in a matchup between the Jazz and Raptors
Jordan Clarkson is second on the team in scoring, averaging 17.7-points per game. He has been a crucial asset to the Jazz throughout the first half of the season and is the current favorite to win the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award.
Fred VanVleet has been a problem for opposing teams this season, leading Toronto in scoring with 19.9-points per game. He also leads the team in steals (1.7) and is second on the team in assists (6.5) per game.
Fun Facts:
The Jazz will wear their green uniforms for the second time in as many nights on Friday. The Jazz are 1-1 when playing in the 'Earned Edition' uniforms so far this season. Their win came against the Houston Rockets when they debut the uniform, and their loss came against the Washington Wizards last night.
Rudy Gobert broke a 44-year old franchise record, hauling in 28-rebounds against the Golden State Warriors last Sunday.
Donovan Mitchell became the quickest Jazz player in franchise history to reach 6,000 points on Tuesday, reaching the milestone in his 262nd game in a Utah uniform. The previous leader of this category was Hall-of-Famer Karl Malone who reached the 6,000-point mark in his 271st game as a Jazzman.
Quin Snyder won his 300th game as head coach against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night. Snyder has been the Jazz head man since the 2014-2015 season, and has led the Jazz to the NBA's best record in 2021.
Joe Ingles earned his career high in points last night, scoring 30-points in the loss to the Wizards. Donovan Mitchell also scored 42-points during the game, clawing his way the Jazz highest point total this season.
The Jazz weren't able to find a way to slow down Bradley Beal and the Washington Wizards, eventually losing by nine points. Utah's record currently stands at 29-11 and they seem to barely be holding onto the top spot in the NBA. The Jazz lead the Los Angeles Lakers by one and a half games, and the Phoenix Suns by two and a half games in the Western Conference. They also lead the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets by one and a half games in the Eastern Conference.
The Toronto Raptors are 17-23 this season and are sitting in eleventh place in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors are 1-8 in their last 9-games, with their last win coming against the Houston Rockets on February 26. The Jazz have struggled twice against teams who haven't been playing well since their return from the All-Star Break. Will Utah be able to put a halt to their skid against the Raptors tonight?
Mike Conley is back for tonight's game against the Toronto Raptors, but unfortunately, Rudy Gobert (hip contusion) is listed as 'Questionable' on the Jazz injury report. The Raptors are also expected to be fully healthy against the Jazz later this evening.
How to Consume:
The Utah Jazz will try to return to their winning ways on Friday against the Toronto Raptors. Jazz fans can watch tonight's matchup on AT&T SportsNet, and can also tune into the game on 97.5FM or 1280AM. The game will tip-off at 6pm MST.
Mike Conley (10) leads the Jazz down the floor against the Toronto Raptors
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