There’s just no stopping Utah right now. The Jazz extended their winning streak to four games with a gritty 82-73 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday. Gordon Hayward scored 22 points for the Jazz who moved 1.5 games clear of the Oklahoma City Thunder atop the Northwest Division standings. They have now won 11 of their last 13 games.
Leading the way for the Jazz in this game was Rudy Gobert. He is truly playing like an MVP for Utah, scoring 21 points and grabbing 12 boards against Memphis for his 17th double-double of the season. Gobert’s clearly staking his claim as one of the league’s best centers, averaging 12.0 points, 11.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game this season. He’s been superb during Utah’s 11-2 run, averaging 15.1 points, 12.9 rebounds and 3.2 blocks while shooting 76.5 percent from the floor and 71 percent from the line. The Jazz have outscored opponents by 130 points with Gobert on the floor in those 13 outings.
Gobert and the Jazz will look to sustain the momentum of that huge win when they lock horns with the Golden State Warriors this coming Tuesday. They will fancy their chances of doing just that as they have fared extremely well on the road of late. The Jazz have won each of their last three away games, averaging 100.3 points during this span.
The Jazz are 7-3 SU and ATS in their last 10 road games.
Another team that’s playing well at the moment is Golden State. The Warriors stretched their unbeaten run to four games with a resounding 135-90 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday. Five players scored in double-figures for the Warriors who have now won eight of their last nine games. Golden State’s 45-point win over Portland was the largest margin of victory by any team this season.
Key to the Warriors’ stunning resurgence has been their incredible play on the offensive end. The Warriors are averaging 116.8 points over their last four games. That sizzling offense was in full display Saturday against the Blazers where they shot a solid 58.6 percent from the field. Providing the impetus for this offensive explosion was Kevin Durant. He scored 34 points in the win against Portland, shooting 11-of-13 from the field. It was Durant’s third 30-10 (points-rebounds) game this season.
Durant and the rest of the Warriors will look to replicate that performance when they take on the Jazz this coming Tuesday. Golden State will fancy its chances of doing just that as it has fared extremely well against Utah of late. The Warriors have won 13 of their last 14 games against the Jazz, including each of their last seven meetings. The Warriors won by an average of 13.3 points in their four-game series last season. They will need to be wary, though, of a Utah defense that’s allowing just 94.6 points per game this campaign, the fewest in the NBA this season.
The Warriors are 9-1 SU and 6-4 ATS in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Golden State (-11) not only wins but also covers the spread against Utah.
