Game Preview: OKC Thunder look to send the Utah Jazz home singing the blues
By Alex Mcewen
After a disappointing ending to last weeks road trip, the OKC Thunder look to bounce back to form against the struggling Utah Jazz.
After taking care of two Eastern Conference foes earlier in the week, the encounter with the Chicago Bulls was a night of lost opportunity for the OKC Thunder. The chance to sweep a three-game road trip for the first time since 2015-16, claim the West’s top seed, and win back-to-back clutch games slipped away.
Tied at 112-a piece, Bulls big man Lauri Markkanen broke free of Paul George and finished a tough runner over Steven Adams outstretched arm to put the Bulls up two for 4.9 seconds remaining. PG had one final chance to win it at the buzzer, just as he did two nights earlier in Brooklyn but the shot clanged off the back of the iron.
George struggled all evening from beyond the arc, shooting anemic 25 percent (2-8) prior to the missed game winner. Coach Billy Donovan did a fantastic job with the play call and couldn’t hope for a better look.
Utah experiencing early season struggles
The Jazz dropped a 110-97 decision to the San Antonio Spurs to move to 13-14 on the year. Donovan Mitchell and Ricky Rubio combined for 53 points but the Jazz’s problems came on the defensive end. They allowed the Spurs to shoot 52.8 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from three with DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay and LaMarcus Aldrige combining for 69 points on 55.5 percent shooting.
Utah have had a disappointing start to 2018-19 after many pundits predicted the squad would emerge a top three team based on natural improvement of young star Donovan Mitchell. However the young stud has had his fair share of problems, playing in isolation too often affecting the crisp ball movement that made Utah so effective last season. The Jazz are at their best when the ball is moving and finding open shooters like Joe Ingles for open 3-point attempts. An improvement appears to be on the horizon as Mitchell’s usage has dropped below 30.0 percent in the Jazz’s last four contests.
But Donovan’s usage isn’t the only issue. The men out of Salt Lake City have surprisingly slipped down to 12th overall in defensive rating (107.2) after being the leagues best defensive unit last year. Reigning defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert has played in all 26 games this season so Utah’s struggles on that end aren’t directly attributed to injury.
But their schedule may offer insight into their sub-par record.
According to Basketball-Reference, the Jazz has played the second hardest schedule in the association this season, behind only the Phoenix Suns. Therefore, their 13-14 record may not be a direct correlation between the team’s talent and performance. With an easing schedule, the Jazz are likely to springboard their way back into contention and be a top tier team by seasons end (they have amassed a 5-1 record vs. sub .500 squads this year).
The Jazz arrive to the Mid-West on the second night of a back to back and will face a Thunder unit coming off a days rest.
Lets take a look at keys to the game.