The Cleveland Cavaliers will face of against a tough Western Conference team in the Utah Jazz tonight.
The Cleveland Cavaliers will play one of the strongest teams in the NBA Thursday night when they host the Utah Jazz.
The Jazz have been a pleasant surprise to many this season.
Utah (43-25) is in position to be the fourth seed in the Western Conference, after not even qualifying for the playoffs a year ago.
Gordon Hayward has been sensational for the Jazz this season, averaging 22.0 points per game. The Jazz also have a group of very solid two-way players to compliment Hayward, including Rodney Hood, Rudy Gobert, George Hill, and Joe Johnson.
Despite their balance offensively, the strength of the Jazz is their defense. They’re ranked first in the NBA in points allowed per game (96.6) and third in the league in overall defensive efficiency.
Utah has such good defensive statistics because they have been able to impose a slow style of play in many of their games; the Jazz rank dead last in the league in pace, illustrating their ability to slow the game down and keep scoring low.
Their style of play contrasts with most of the teams in the upper echelon of the leading standings, including the Cavs.
The Season Series
The Jazz won the only meeting between the two teams so far this year, a hard-fought 100-92 win in Salt Lake City. This will be the final match-up between the two teams, unless they meet in the NBA Finals.
How It Could Play Out
The Jazz will have an opportunity to pull off an upset in Cleveland tonight if they can dictate the pace. If Utah can slow the game down, it may frustrate the Cavs and disrupt their rhythm.
The main problem for the Jazz is their lack of formidable personnel to match up with LeBron James.
Gobert could disrupt James around the rim, but James should easily be able to penetrate the lane and create opportunities for teammates behind the arc. And if James gets in the open floor, it could be a long night for Utah.
Since Utah will be playing their second road game in as many nights, I think it will struggle to establish its desired slow pace against an energetic Cleveland team and make it imperative for the Cavs to get out and run in transition.
As a result, I think the Cavs will build on their Tuesday night victory and win this game pretty comfortably.
Prediction: Cavs 110, Jazz 95
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*Other picks
Toronto Raptors over the Oklahoma City Thunder
New York Knicks over the Brooklyn Nets
Atlanta Hawks over the Memphis Grizzlies
Denver Nuggets over Los Angeles Clippers
Golden State Warriors over the Orlando Magic
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What do you expect to see tonight as the Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Utah Jazz? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.