All 30 teams participate in NBA basketball tonight as the Utah Jazz return home for one quick stop against the LA Lakers. After improving to 8-3 off yesterday's win against the Clippers, the Jazz will be quite fatigued going into this one. The Jazz won't be alone though, as the Lakers are also coming off a 114-100 loss against Cleveland last night, and will be looking to break their 2-game losing streak. LeBron James posted 27 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in the loss, and it will be the Jazz's duty to burn out the flame after his poor performance against Utah last game when he was recovering from an illness. The Lakers are still overall a very well built defensive team that has gotten them down to the wire in other games this season. But can they stop the 9th ranked offense in the league?
Things to note
The Lakers are the second worst ranked offense in the NBA, which is why they heavily rely on their defensive ability to win games.
Anthony Davis averages 11.0 rebounds per game through 7 games this season. With Jarred Vanderbilt having no certainty in returning today, this could be trouble for Utah. Kelly Olynyk only grabs 4.1 boards per game for Utah, and was reliant on Mike Conley's 7 boards last game to win. Lauri Markkanen has 5 double-doubles this season, and it'll be his responsibility to do the dirty work inside to win.
Sixth man Russell Westbrook recorded 28 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists in their last matchup, and was a force to be reckoned with inside. The Utah Jazz have a field-goal percentage of 46.5% this season, and that's mainly due to their perimeter presence. WIthout Gobert, the Jazz's main concern is rim protection which has been worse with Kelly Olynyk as the big man. Limiting Westbrook's points tonight may result in a win.
Injury Report:
Utah:
QUESTIONABLE - Jarred Vanderbilt (Thigh)
OUT - Leandro Bolmaro (H&S Protocols)
Los Angeles:
OUT - Patrick Beverley (Illness)
OUT - Dennis Schroder (UCL)
OUT - Thomas Bryant (UCL)
Betting Advice:
Utah is favored -3 to win this one today. The Jazz also have home court advantage in the Vivint, so I'm picking the Jazz in this one. If Vanderbilt doesn't play today, I'm a little more hesitant but still ultimately picking Utah.
Make sure to follow @JazzFor3 on Instagram to get my instant post-game reaction, and follow @JazzForThree on Twitter for live in-game updates. #TakeNote
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