The Utah Jazz have been making some noise since the All-Star break, with back-to-back wins over the Blazers and Spurs. The Jazz now have a great opportunity to do something they haven’t done all season – win three games in a row – as they host the listless Los Angeles Lakers in Salt Lake City.
The Lakers have been racking up the losses all season long, but they got a much-needed W in their most recent game. With Linsanity showing signs of life, can they muster up enough firepower to end the Jazz’s winning streak and start one of their own? Read on for our preview of this Western Conference tilt.
Two of the Jazz’s victims, the Blazers and Spurs, will look to bounce back from their respective losses as they also meet up on Wednesday. Check out our preview of that matchup here.
Linsanity is back! Well, sort of. Jeremy Lin scored a season high 25 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a rare 118-111 overtime win over the Boston Celtics last Sunday. Over his last two games, Lin is averaging 22.5 points and shooting 67 percent from the field.
[sc:NBA240banner ]The Lakers need a whole lot more of Lin’s heroics. Prior to their win over Boston, the Lakers had lost their last seven games in a row and 16 of their last 18. They’ve been even worse on the road, where they’re currently on an 11-game losing skid (2-8-1 against the spread).
The Lakers just can’t defend to save their lives. They’re ranked second from bottom in terms of defensive efficiency, giving up 108.3 points per 100 possessions. That number has risen to 110.4 over their last eight games.
The Lakers, though, still have a bunch of players that can score the ball. Six Lakers are averaging close to 10 points per game in the last 10 games, with Lin, Jordan Clarkson, Carlos Boozer, and Wesley Johnson all popping up with 20-point games in the last five.
It’s not too hard to see two or three of the Lakers’ streaky perimeter players (Lin, Wayne Ellington and Nick Young) get hot against Utah’s defensively challenged guards and wings (Trey Burke, Dante Exum, Joe Ingles). Young had 23 points against the Jazz in a 94-85 loss back in Jan. 16.
The Utah Jazz aren’t going to the playoffs anytime soon. But in the meantime, they’ll be more than happy bringing down some playoff-caliber opposition. The Jazz knocked off their second Western Conference playoff contender in as many games with a 90-81 home win over the slumping San Antonio Spurs. They had previously knocked off the Portland Trail Blazers, 92-76, at home on Friday.
This is just a continuation of Utah’s steady improvement, which began even before the All-Star break. The Jazz are 9-3-1 against the spread in their last 13 games.
Trey Burke, who has thrived as an explosive sixth man, scored a team-high 23 points against the Spurs after dropping 19 off the bench against the Blazers. Meanwhile, despite shooting just 4-of-15 from the field, Gordon Hayward still contributed 18 points. Hayward is having a great February, averaging 23 points, five rebounds and five assists on 51 percent shooting.
Look for both players to continue their excellent play of late against the Lakers’ very porous perimeter defense. The two combined for 51 points and eight three pointers in their first meeting this season.
The Jazz are just 23rd in defensive efficiency this season, but Rudy Gobert’s insertion into the starting lineup after trading away Enes Kanter has had a dramatic impact on Utah’s interior defense. The Jazz have given up an average of just 31 points in the paint in the last two games, with Gobert racking up eight total blocks.
Gobert’s influence has also extended to the perimeter. The Jazz defense held both the Blazers and Spurs to a combined 9-of-41 (27 percent) shooting from three. With Gobert sealing up the perimeter, the Jazz should feel more confident about sticking closer to the Lakers and forcing them to contested perimeter shots.
Writer’s Prediction
The Jazz light up the Lakers as they win and cover at home.
