What to Watch For: Utah Jazz vs Indiana Pacers
The Utah Jazz celebrate a win over the Indiana Pacers
The Utah Jazz beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 106-96 on Tuesday night, behind Georges Niang's first career double-double, and meaningful performances from the Jazz reserve players. Utah will now take on the Indiana Pacers during a matinee game in Salt Lake City.
Jazz vs Pacers Throwback:
In 91-games between these two foes, the Pacers hold an ever-so-slight one-game lead over the Jazz 46-45. Utah is currently on a two-game winning streak with their last victory over the Pacers coming on February 7, 2021.
The Jazz travelled to Indiana earlier this season where they finished off the sweep of their three-game road trip by beating the Pacers 103-95. Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert were dominant during the matchup, with Mitchell notching 27-points and 11-assists, while Gobert chalked up 16-points, 16-rebounds, and 3-blocks.
Key Players:
Rudy Gobert and Domantas Sabonis are two All-Stars that will face off later this afternoon.
Rudy Gobert (27) contests the shot of Domantas Sabonis (11)
Gobert leads the Jazz in rebounds (13.4), field goal percentage (66.7%), and blocks (2.8) per game. The Frenchman has been dominant in the paint for Utah this season and is the current frontrunner for the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Sabonis leads the Pacers in rebounds (11.5), and is second on the team in assists (6), and points (19.9) per game.
Fun Facts:
For the second time this season, the Jazz will wear their home-white uniforms against the Pacers. The Jazz are currently 14-7 when wearing the association uniform, and their last time wearing the jersey came in a 128-112 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
The big news of today came when it was announced that future NBA Hall-of-Famer Dwayne Wade has officially purchased an ownership stake in the Utah Jazz. Read our story about the purchase here:
Mitchell is the third Jazz player in history with four consecutive 35-point games. The only other Jazzmen to accomplish that feat are Karl Malone (1998, 1990) and Adrian Dantley (1984). Utah is 20-1 when Mitchell shoots over 47% from the field this season.
Could the Jazz Western Conference lead be in better shape than it looks on paper? Check out our thoughts here.
The Jazz will continue to make mask-wearing mandatory at Vivint Smart Home Arena during home games. This announcement comes after the state of Utah removed its mask mandate on April 10, 2021. Many other businesses are following along the same path as the Jazz, and will still require masks in their places of employment.
After a much needed two-day break in the schedule, the Jazz will return to "The Viv" to take on the Indiana Pacers. The Jazz are the first team in the NBA to eclipse 40-wins on the season and currently hold a 41-14 record. Utah is still in the first place spot in the NBA. The Jazz lead the Phoenix Suns by one game and the Los Angeles Clippers by three games in the Western Conference. They also lead the Philadelphia 76ers by three games and the Brooklyn Nets by four games in the Eastern Conference.
The Indiana Pacers are 26-28 so far this season and are currently in ninth place in the Eastern Conference and nineteenth place in the NBA. The Pacers are 4-1 in their last five games, beating the Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Orlando Magic, and Minnesota Timberwolves during that stretch. Their lone loss came against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.
Jordan Clarkson (right ankle sprain) is 'probable' and Derrick Favors (right knee soreness) is 'out' for the game against the Indiana Pacers later this afternoon.
Indiana's Doug McDermott (ankle), JaKarr Sampson (sore lower back), TJ Warren (left foot), and Myles Turner (ankle) are both listed as 'questionable' for this afternoon's game against the Jazz.
How to Consume:
The Utah Jazz will take on the Indiana Pacers in a matinee matchup at 1pm MST. Jazz fans can watch the game Nationally on NBA TV and locally on AT&T SportsNet. They can also tune into the game on 97.5FM or 1280AM.
Donovan Mitchell (45) shoots a three pointer over the Indiana Pacers
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