What to Watch For: Utah Jazz vs Toronto Raptors
Rudy Gobert (27) looks to block a shot against the Toronto Raptors
The Utah Jazz fell to the Phoenix Suns 100-121 on Friday, officially knocking the Jazz out of first place for the time being. Utah will take on the Raptors later tonight in hopes to get back on the winning track and finish the week strong.
Jazz vs Raptors Throwback:
The Jazz and Raptors have faced off 48 times throughout history, with Utah holding the edge in all-time wins 28-20.
The Jazz and Raptors were locked in a heated battle back on March 19, with Utah taking home a 115-112 win. Donovan Mitchell led the way for the Jazz with 31-points and 6-assists in the victory.
Key Players:
The frontrunner for Sixth Man of the Year, Jordan Clarkson, is one of the top Jazzmen to keep your eye on for tonight's matchup. Fred VanVleet has been exceptional for the Raptors this year. Look for him to play a major role in tonights game against the Jazz.
Jordan Clarkson (00) participates in a jump ball against the Toronto Raptors
Jordan Clarkson is second on the team in scoring, averaging 17.4-points per game, and is third on the team in steals (0.9) per game. If he starts the game hot from three point land, look for the Jazz to make a statement during tonight's game.
Fred VanVleet has been a problem for opposing teams this season, he is currently second on the team in scoring and assists with 19.2-points, and 6.2-assists per game. He also leads the team in steals (1.7).
Fun Facts:
The Jazz will wear their city uniforms as they take on the Toronto Raptors this evening, are currently 11-3 in their black and gradient uniforms this season. Their last game in the city jersey's came in a 106-96 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Utah Jazz are increasing fan attendance to 6,700 capacity. Read more about it here.
The Jazz broke their franchise record for points scored in a game against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday. Read more about the feat here.
Donovan Mitchell's ankle was re-evaluated today for his right ankle injury, and will be out for at least another week.
The Utah Jazz were the first team to secure a spot in the 2021 NBA Playoffs. Never fear Jazz fans, Utah is still in the race for the number one overall seed and are likely to have a few different teams that they could play in the first round of the playoffs.
Jazz guard Mike Conley won an Oscar for Live Action Short Film last Sunday for his work as an executive producer of "Two Distant Strangers". Conley also broke the 5,000 career assist mark that same day against the Timberwolves. Read more here.
Charles Barkley is starting to believe that the Utah Jazz are contenders to win the NBA Finals. He made his comment on TNT two nights ago, and although his co-hosts weren't as quick to hop on the bandwagon, Barkley stood strong with his opinion. You can read more about it here.
The Utah Jazz need to finish the season strong if they want to have the number one seed in the playoffs. They are 45-18 and fell to second place in the NBA after their loss to Phoenix last night. Because the Suns hold the tiebreaker against the Jazz, Utah trails the Phoenix Suns in the standings, but are currently tied record-wise with their Western Conference rival. The Jazz are leading the Los Angeles Clippers by two and a half games in the Western Conference. They also lead the Brooklyn Nets by two and a half games and the Philadelphia 76ers by three games in the Eastern Conference.
The Toronto Raptors are 26-37 this season and are in twelfth place in the Eastern Conference. They are 2-3 in their last five games with wins over the Brooklyn Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers. Their losses came against the Denver Nuggets, Brooklyn Nets, and New York Knicks.
Donovan Mitchell (right ankle sprain) is out, while Mike Conley (right hamstring) is listed as day-to-day on the Jazz injury report.
Gary Tent Jr (lower leg), Kyle Lowry (rest), Paul Watson (knee) and Chris Boucher (knee) are all out for Friday night's game against the Jazz.
How to Consume:
The Utah Jazz and Toronto Raptors will tip off at 8pm MST. Jazz fans can watch the game on AT&T SportsNet, and can also tune into the game on 97.5FM or 1280AM.
Joe Ingles (2) drives past Pascal Siakam (43) in a game against the Toronto Raptors
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