10:00 PM EST, ESPN – Line: Warriors -2, Over/Under: 224.5
Two of the West’s top four teams clash tonight in the Four Corners, as the resurgent Golden State Warriors look to best the shorthanded Utah Jazz for the third time in as many meetings this season, from Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. After spending the last two seasons navigating through the proverbial wilderness, the Warriors (41-13, 2nd in Western Conference) are back, ladies and gentlemen, with designs on regaining their crown as the West’s dominant franchise. Indeed, Golden State won FIVE consecutive conference titles from 2014-2015 to 2018-2019, claiming THREE Larry O’Brien trophies along the way, only for their dynasty to collapse in the most heartbreaking of ways. During the 2019 NBA Finals, the Dubs lost both (2013-2014 MVP) Kevin Durant (Achilles) and (5-time All-Star) Klay Thompson (ACL) to catastrophic injuries en route to falling to the Raptors, leading to Durant’s departure in Free Agency that ensuing summer. Thompson would go on to miss the entire 2019-2020 campaign, while (two-time MVP) Steph Curry (25.7 PTS, 42.2% FG, 38.1% 3FG, 91.3% FT, 5.4 REB, 6.4 AST, 1.5 STL, 21.8 PER) broke his right hand just four games into the season, as (Head Coach) Steve Kerr could do little but watch helplessly as his charges crumbled to a 15-50 last-place finish. Expected to bounce back in 2020-2021, the Warriors would have to put their rebirth on hold for one more year, as Thompson again suffered a debilitating injury, rupturing his Achilles in a routine offseason workout, costing him a second consecutive season. However, Curry very nearly carried them back to the playoffs, authoring arguably his most impressive campaign to date, leading the National Basketball Association in scoring with a career-high 32.0 points per game, though his side would ultimately flame out in the second round of the Play-In. This season, Golden State has rounded back into form in getting off to a stellar 18-2 start, before eventually welcoming Thompson (16.7 PTS, 42.6% FG, 37.8% 3FG, 100.0% FT, 3.3 REB, 3.0 AST, 0.7 STL, 0.5 BLK, 18.6 PER) back onto the hardwood, with the sharpshooting All-Star slowly reverting back into the consistent performer that we’ve grown accustomed to; after posting seventeen points in his long-awaited return, a 96-82 romp over the Cavaliers five weeks ago, the 32-year-old has gone on to feature in twelve of the Dubs’ last fifteen outings, with the club going 8-4 in such contests, while Thompson himself has posted solid numbers over the last six, averaging 18.7 points on 48.2% shooting from the field, including 44.7% from beyond the arc, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists. When we last saw him, he helped guide the Warriors to a 110-98 rout of the Thunder; after falling behind early, the affair flipped in the second quarter where the visitors caught fire in outscoring Oklahoma City 36-23, shooting 14-of-23 from the floor (60.9%), including 6-of-13 from three (46.2%), while the hosts could do little but muster 8-of-22 shooting (36.4%) with more turnovers (7) than assists (4). When it was all said and done, Thompson led the way with twenty-one points on 6-of-15 shooting (40.0%), including 3-of-8 from deep (37.5%), with a pair of rebounds, assists, and steals, while the aforementioned Curry nearly logged a triple-double with eighteen points on 6-of-12 shooting (50.0%), including 4-of-10 from long range (40.0%), with nine rebounds and ten assists. With that said, Kerr was no doubt happy to see so many younger members of the supporting cast step up in the wake of what has been a bit of an injury crisis for Golden State, who were without (perennial All-NBA Defender) Draymond Green (Back) alongside (veteran Swingman) Andre Iguodala (Back), (veteran Center) Nemanja Bjelica (Back), and (Sophomore Center) James Wiseman (Knee). Jordan Poole (16.6 PTS, 44.0% FG, 34.1% 3FG, 92.1% FT, 3.1 REB, 3.5 AST, 0.8 STL, 14.7 PER) and (Rookie Forward) Jonathan Kuminga (7.3 PTS, 49.6% FG, 30.1% 3FG, 63.4% FT, 2.6 REB, 0.6 AST, 14.1 PER) added eleven and sixteen points off the bench, with the former totaling eight rebounds and assists, while the latter put together his third straight outing with double-digit points. And then there was (veteran Singman) Andrew Wiggins (18.1 PTS, 48.4% FG, 41.5% 3FG, 67.1% FT, 4.3 REB, 2.1 AST, 1.0 STL, 0.7 BLK, 16.5 PER), who continues to enjoy his rebirth on the west coast, scoring eight of his fifteen points during that second period blitzkrieg; the former no. one overall pick and 2014-2015 Rookie of the Year never managed to live up to expectations in Minnesota, but has flourished within the Warriors’ championship culture, buoying Curry during Thompson’s absence before becoming one of the most formidable third scoring options in the NBA now that he’s returned. The 26-year-old was voted a starter in next weekend’s All-Star Game for the first time in his career, after posting personal-bests in field goal percentage (48.4%) three-point percentage (41.5%), and two-point percentage (52.9%). The win over OKC was their ninth in a row, positioning themselves within striking distance of the West-leading Suns, whom they trail by three games in the standings. There has been some talk of Golden State possibly adding some insurance before tomorrow’s Trade Deadline, but from everything that has come from their camp over the last few weeks, it appears that Kerr and (General Manager) Bob Meyers will in all likelihood be standing pat, believing that a return to health will be all that is required moving forward. Coming into tonight’s matchup with the Jazz, Thompson is expected to be rested, which means that Wiggins and their emerging group of youngsters will get an opportunity to flex against one of the West’s better sides. The Dubs have already defeated Utah twice this season, a 123-116 victory in Salt Lake back on New Year’s Day before a 94-92 nailbiter three weeks ago. With Curry struggling with just thirteen points on 5-of-20 shooting (25.0%), including 1-of-13 from three (7.7%), and Thompson a late scratch due to soreness in that surgically repaired knee, Damion Lee (8.1 PTS, 46.2% FG, 37.7% 3FG, 85.1% FT, 3.1 REB, 0.9 AST, 0.6 STL, 11.7 PER) came off the bench to drain four clutch three-pointers to help stave off a furious rally from the Jazz despite scoring just eleven points in the fourth quarter. The aforementioned Poole scored twenty points on 7-of-13 shooting (53.8%), including 4-of-9 from downtown (44.4%), while Wiggins and Lee chipped in with fourteen and twelve points apiece. Keep an eye on Curry in this one, folks, for after breaking the NBA’s all-time mark for three-pointers seven weeks ago, the seven-time All-Star has been rather erratic in shooting just 42.5% from the field and 36.0% from beyond the arc, with five games below 40.0% shooting overall. In his career, he has faced Utah thirty-four times and has averaged 23.5 points on 46.0% shooting, including 41.7% from deep, along with 4.2 rebounds and 6.7 assists.
Meanwhile, despite helping to fill the void left by the Warriors out West over the past two years, the Jazz (33-21, 4th in Western Conference) find themselves in a precarious position, for while they are highly unlikely to fall into the chaos of the Play-In, they remain a good long ways away from pressuring the Suns atop the conference. At the moment, Utah is eleven games out of first place in the standings, eight behind Golden State for second, and four behind Memphis for third. In fact, they’re closer to being overtaken by the Mavericks, who are lurking 1.5 games behind them. So, after compiling the best record in the NBA a year ago, what in the name of Karl Malone has happened in Salt Lake City, you ask? Well, following a stellar 26-9 start through the first two months of the campaign, (Head Coach) Quin Snyder’s troops would inexplicably lose twelve of sixteen games thanks to a plethora of injuries to key personnel, including arguably their top three players. First, (three-time Defensive Player of the Year) Rudy Gobert (16.0 PTS, 70.7% FG, 69.0% FT, 15.1 REB, 1.2 AST, 0.8 STL, 2.3 BLK, 25.6 PER) missed five straight games after landing on the COVID/Reserve List, before losing each of the last seven outings with a calf strain, joined later by (two-time All-Star Guard) Donovan Mitchell (25.7 PTS, 45.6% FG, 34.4% 3FG, 87.2% FT, 4.0 REB, 5.2 AST, 1.6 STL, 22.5 PER), who in turn missed eight consecutive games due to concussion symptoms and his own bout with the virus. And then there was the unfortunate loss of (versatile Forward) Joe Ingles (7.2 PTS, 40.4% FG, 34.7% 3FG, 77.3% 3FG, 2.9 REB, 3.5 AST, 0.5 STL, 10.2 PER), who tore his ACL in a 126-106 loss at the Timberwolves on January 30th. Needless to say, that’s a lot to digest for a team that relies upon all three of those players and their respective talents, with Gobert serving as the foundation for everything they do defensively, while Mitchell is by far and away the most dynamic offensive weapon at their disposal, with Ingles serving as a jack of all trades. Fortunately, Snyder & Co have managed to stop the bleeding in turning things around with three consecutive victories, coinciding with Mitchell’s return to the hardwood. When we last saw the Jazz, they followed a 125-102 romp over the fading Nets with a 113-104 victory over the empire state’s other franchise, the Knicks. After a nip and tuck three quarters of play, Utah pulled away in the fourth, outscoring New York 31-18 down the stretch on the strength of their defense, which relegated one of the league’s worst offensive units to just 5-of-20 shooting from the field (25.0%), including a miserable 2-of-12 from within the arc (16.7%), with more turnovers (6) than assists (4). Conversely, the hosts shot 10-of-21 from the floor (47.6%), assisting on six of those ten field goals in comparison to committing zero turnovers, with Mitchell scoring seven of his game-high thirty-two points in the period. The 25-year-old shot an efficient 13-of-26 overall (50.0%) despite nailing just 2-of-10 attempts from three (20.0%), while adding seven rebounds, six assists, and four steals on the night. (Sharpshooting Forward) Bojan Bogdanovic (17.9 PTS, 46.0% FG, 38.1% 3FG, 86.7% FT, 4.3 REB, 1.8 AST, 0.5 STL, 15.9 PER) added twenty points on 6-of-14 shooting (42.9%), while (veteran Point Guard) Mike Conley (14.4 PTS, 45.0% FG, 42.2% 3FG, 84.1% FT, 3.0 REB, 5.3 AST, 1.2 STL, 18.5 PER) finished with eighteen points and seven assists despite netting only 5-of-17 shots (29.4%). Reigning Sixth Man of the Year, Jordan Clarkson (15.5 PTS, 40.1% FG, 32.4% 3FG, 81.7% FT, 3.5 REB, 2.4 AST, 0.7 STL, 14.1 PER) poured in sixteen off the bench for a home side that ultimately earned the win on the strength of their three-point shooting (+12 points) and points off turnovers (+11 points). Snyder should also be pleased with how his troops defended without the presence of Gobert in the paint; in their first five games during this stretch without the towering Frenchman, Utah allowed an average of 113.8 points on 52.0% shooting from the field, including 39.0% from downtown and 25.6 assists, only to flip the script in these last two outings in which they’ve permitted just 103.0 points on 39.7% shooting and 29.9% from three, along with only 21.5 assists. Granted, Brooklyn was without some serious firepower (I.E. Kevin Durant and James Harden), while the Knicks have generally lacked in that department all season long, but how they earned those two wins means very little in the face of simply stopping the aforementioned bleeding. And now they’ll have an opportunity to face another weakened opponent in the form of Golden State, who as we detailed earlier will be without roughly a quarter of their rotation. In their first meeting back in early January, they wasted a 91-86 lead heading into the fourth quarter as the visiting Dubs ousted them 37-25 in the final period. The Warriors shot a blistering 13-of-18 from the field (72.2%) over the final twelve minutes of play, with Curry logging a dozen of his twenty-eight points in the stanza. In their second meeting three weeks later, Utah trailed 83-75 heading into the fourth, but simply couldn’t score enough to get over the hump despite relegating the hosts to a scant eleven points in the period. In this case, Mitchell’s presence was SORELY missed by the visiting side, who could muster a miserable 38.3% shooting on the night, including 6-of-21 (28.6%) in the final frame. The young Guard has faced them fourteen times in his career, averaging 22.3 points on 40.2% shooting, including 37.6% from three, along with 4.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists. And speaking of Mitchell, this season is shaping up to be a crucial one for the All-Star, with reported friction once again rising between he and Gobert, which of course started two years ago at the crux of the COVID-19 pandemic. One year into a lucrative, five-year contract extension, there is a growing sense that he could become the latest disgruntled star to demand to be moved, particularly if he recognizes that the franchise is no longer on the up and up. In changing ownership last season, Utah has done a lot to renovate their organization over the last twelve months, including bringing in (NBA Champion) Dwyane Wade in as a minority owner and (longtime executive) Danny Ainge in as their Alternate Governor and CEO. Ever the wheeler and dealer, Ainge has already gotten to work on improving the roster, initiating a three-team trade with the Trail Blazers and Spurs, sending the injured Ingles (and his expiring contract) along with a pair of second round picks in exchange for Portland’s (young Guard) Nickeil Alexander-Walker (12.8 PTS, 375% FG, 31.1% 3FG, 72.2% FT, 3.3 REB, 2.8 AST, 0.8 STL, 10.8 PER) and (journeyman Center) Juan Hernangomez from San Antonio, along with a hefty trade exception. Alexander-Walker was just traded from the Pelicans to the Blazers on Tuesday afternoon, with the youngster rerouted to Utah in an attempt to bring some athleticism and dynamism to the wings. The deal will also save the Jazz roughly $11 million in luxury tax money, which is crucial given that all these franchises across the league are continuing to recuperate following the effects of the pandemic on their ticket sales. Will this be enough to keep Mitchell content and the Jazz in the thick of things out West? We’ll have to wait and see…