With a 22-13 record, which places them fourth in the West, there is no debating the fact that the Jazz are the season’s biggest surprise team.
Monday night, they began their five-game roadtrip and got their fourth consecutive victory, as they beat the Nets, 101-89. Gordon Hayward had 30 points, while Rudy Gobert added 15, along with 16 rebounds and three blocks.
Adding to the surprise is that they are recording this string of wins despite continuously missing players due to injury. Hayward, George Hill, and Derrick Favors, three of the team’s key guys, have collectively sat out 42 contests this season. For Hill, his injury-plagued year (21 out of 34 games missed) is quite frustrating, as he is putting up great numbers when he’s playing – 18.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 4.2 APG on 54.7-percent shooting.
Scoring-wise, the Jazz are one of the most offensively-challenged teams in the league – 26th in points (98.9 PPG), 28th in field goals (35.9 per game) 22nd in points in the paint (41.1), and dead-last in assists (19.1 APG) – thank god their top-notch defense is making up for it. They give up the fewest points per game (94.7) overall and have a third-ranked defense.
The Jazz are 5-1 in their last six games on the road (4-2 ATS).
The Celtics ended 2016 by continuing their surge in the win column, as they have now won seven of their last nine games. Isaiah Thomas has been on fire during the stretch, averaging 31.8 points and six assists on 51-percent shooting, highlighted by his career-high 52 points and nine threes in last Friday’s matchup with the Heat.
Against the Jazz, expect more of the same from Thomas, although the team should also be able to get more contribution from Al Horford (15.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 4.9 APG) and Avery Bradley (17.9 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.4 APG). Through those three, the Celtics are displaying one of the most balanced offenses in the NBA, ranking third in assists (24.9 APG), seventh in offensive efficiency, and 10th in scoring (106.1 PPG).
Defensively, they are tip-toeing the line of average and mediocre. They have certified solid defenders in Bradley, Horford, and Jae Crowder, but they aren’t able to perform consistently. The Cs are 15th in points allowed (104.3 PPG) and only 19th in defensive efficiency, while also allowing opponents to snag 45.9 rebounds per contest, which is fourth-most overall. If they don’t make the necessary adjustments in boxing out, Gobert is bound to have monster numbers.
Writer’s Prediction
The Celtics (-5.5) win a close one, 108-106, and doesn’t cover the spread.
