What’s up with the Utah Jazz?
If there’s one team in the league right now that deserves our full, undivided attention, it’s the Utah Jazz.
Whether you’re a Jazz fan or not, the Jazz do not care one bit. They will entertain you and surprise you, then beat your favorite team. They’re currently at the top of the Western Conference standings, flaunting a 10-3 win-loss record.
The Jazz are doing it without a definitive All-Star in their roster, although Lauri Markkanen has a very strong case to make his All-Star debut.
What’s up with the Washington Wizards?
The Washington Wizards aren’t enjoying the same run as the Jazz. At 6-6, the Wizards remain to be a team that’s trying to find its footing amid incomplete lineups and injuries.
Their franchise player Bradley Beal has missed their last three games due to health and safety protocols. In his place, the Wizards are playing roll the dice on whoever’s got the hot hand—Corey Kispert, Jordan Goodwin, or Rui Hachimura, take your pick.
The Wizards are coming off two straight wins without Beal, thanks to Kyle Kuzma taking on the role as go-to scorer. In his previous game, Kuzma dropped a season-high 36 points on five 3s.
Storyline to watch out for
The Jazz are playing ridiculously well that they should be the storyline to watch out for until further notice. If they keep this up until April, this run is worthy of a full-length documentary. They’re that fun, and it’s not just about the Markkanen highlights or the Jordan Clarkson buckets.
Numbers-wise, the Jazz are showing why they’re legit. Currently, they rank sixth in the league in assists per game with 27.9 (the highest in 35 years for the franchise) and first in points per game with 118.8 (the best in franchise history).
Prediction
The Utah Jazz getting to the West finals is a bit of a stretch and a hooper’s dream at this point, so we’ll save that prediction for later.
For this game (unless Clarkson suddenly forgets how to shoot a basketball), a Jazz win is a safe—almost no-fail—prediction.
Where to watch
The game between the Jazz and Wizards will air tomorrow live at 7:00 AM on NBA TV Philippines, available via Smart GigaPlay and Cignal TV.
