What to Watch For: Utah Jazz vs Washington Wizards
Donovan Mitchell (45) puts up a shot against the Washington Wizards
The Utah Jazz will take on the Washington Wizards for the second time in a month on Monday night. Last week, the Jazz went 2-2 with wins over the Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings, and losses against the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns.
Jazz vs Wizards Throwback:
The Jazz lead the all time series over the Wizards 58-49 with the last game between the two teams coming on March 18, 2021.
During the last game between Utah and Washington, Bradley Beal and Donovan Mitchell showcased their skills with 43-point and 42-point performances respectively. Unfortunately for the Jazz, the Wizards would take the victory 131-122.
Key Players:
Donovan Mitchell and Bradley Beal seem to have fantastic games against each other, and it would be smart to expect tonight to be the same between these two players.
Donovan Mitchell (45) scores a step-back three-pointer over Bradley Beal (3)
For the fourth game in a row, Mitchell lands on the list as the player to keep your eye on for the Jazz. He has been remarkable lately, and has been putting up MVP-like numbers over the past few weeks. Mitchell currently leads the Jazz in points (26.3) per game, and has averaged 40-points through the last three games. Mitchell has led the team in scoring through thirteen of the last fifteen games, and in the Jazz win against the Kings, Mitchell finished with 42-points and 4-assists.
During the Jazz and Wizards last matchup, Bradley Beal was exceptional. He scored 43-points against a usually stout Utah defense, while also dishing off 5-assists. Beal leads the team in points (30.9) and steals (1.2) per game. He is also currently second on the team in assists (4.8) per game. During the Wizards game against the Warriors, Beal scored 20-points and finished with 6-assists.
Fun Facts:
Utah will don their 'City Uniforms' for back to back games against the Washington Wizards and Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday and Tuesday. The Jazz currently hold a 10-2 record in the black and gradient uniforms, with their last game in the jersey coming in a win over the Orlando Magic. Utah has only lost once during 2021 in the new city jersey's and will look to continue their winning ways against the Wizards later this evening.
Derrick Favors has moved into tenth place all time on the Utah Jazz Franchise Scoring List. He passed Mehmet Okur during the third quarter of Thursday's matchup against the Trail Blazers and he currently trails Deron Williams who is in ninth place on this list.
Donovan Mitchell has been on a tear over the last few weeks. In his last three games alone, Mitchell has averaged 40-points, 5.3-rebounds, and 3.6-assists. During his latest post-game interview, Mitchell was welcomed with a choir of Jazz fans chanting "MVP" for his incredible performances.
Mitchell also became the first Jazz player since Karl Malone (1993) with three consecutive 35-point games. The only other Jazzmen to accomplish that feat are 'Pistol' Pete Maravich, and Adrian Dantley.
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.
The Utah Jazz continued their 24 home-game winning streak with a 128-112 win over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night. The Jazz are the first team in the NBA to eclipse 40-wins on the season and currently hold a 40-13 record. Utah is still in the first place spot in the NBA. The Jazz lead the Phoenix Suns by two and a half games and the Los Angeles Clippers by four in the Western Conference. They also lead the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers by four games in the Eastern Conference.
The Washington Wizards are 19-33 so far this season, and are in twelfth place in the Eastern Conference and twenty-fifth place in the NBA. The Wizards are 2-3 in their last five games, with wins over the Orlando Magic and Golden State Warriors, and losses against the Dallas Mavericks, Toronto Raptors, and Phoenix Suns.
The Jazz injury report lists Mike Conley (right hamstring) as 'out' due to injury management, while Jordan Clarkson (right ankle sprain) is still listed as 'doubtful' for the game against the Washington Wizards. Bradley Beal (back) is listed as 'probable', and Thomas Bryant (knee) is listed as 'out' on Washington's injury report against the Jazz.
How to Consume:
The Utah Jazz will face off once again against the Washington Wizards tonight at 7pm MST. Jazz fans can watch the game on AT&T SportsNet, and can also tune into the game on 97.5FM or 1280AM. This will be the Jazz third game of a five game home stretch.
Bojan Bogdanovic (44) drives into the paint against the Washington Wizards
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