Brooklyn Nets vs Utah Jazz Prediction & Match Preview - March 24th, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21
The Utah Jazz return to home turf with a matchup against the hottest team in the Eastern Conference, the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets were the victors in the previous matchup against Utah but both teams enter this game in good form.
Match Details
Fixture: Brooklyn Nets vs Utah Jazz | NBA Season 2020-21
Date & Time: Wednesday, March 24th, 10 PM ET (Thursday, 7:30 AM IST)
Venue: Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
Brooklyn Nets Preview
The injury-plagued Brooklyn Nets somehow continue to keep winning. They've won 16 of their last 18 games and Kevin Durant has played in only one of these fixtures. KD is still on the sidelines with his hamstring injury, while Kyrie Irving – who scored 29 points in the last game against the Utah Jazz – is dealing with a family issue.
James Harden has unsurprisingly been the floor general for the Brooklyn Nets but Joe Harris has done a great job playing off of him. He had 17 points in the Nets' win against Portland last night and is averaging a career-high 14.7 points per game this season.
Sophomore Nicolas Claxton has also impressed the Brooklyn Nets fanbase with his defensive versatility. Claxton was great on defensive switches against the Blazers and did a great job of clamping Damian Lillard up. The center has also scored 16 points apiece in the last two games.
Key Player - James Harden
We're all aware of what James Harden is capable of as a volume scorer, but The Beard has been happy to play the facilitator's role for the Brooklyn Nets. Harden leads the NBA in assists and has averaged 12.3 dimes per game since the beginning of March. He's also managed 26.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game during this period. His passing will once again be vital against the Utah Jazz who defend well.
Brooklyn Nets Predicted Lineup
G James Harden, G Bruce Brown, F Joe Harris, F Jeff Green, C DeAndre Jordan
Utah Jazz Preview
After steamrolling through the league for roughly two months, the Utah Jazz hit a dry patch heading into the All-Star break. They're finding their feet again, though, after recording two convincing wins against the Washington Wizards and the Chicago Bulls. They start a four-game homestand by hosting the Brooklyn Nets and will be hoping to hit top gear again.
While other players took a step back, Joe Ingles was able to generate good offense during the Utah Jazz's recent five-game road trip. He averaged 18.4 points per game on a whopping 66.7% shooting from downtown during this stretch.
Rudy Gobert was also instrumental for the Utah Jazz on the road. The Stifle Tower has averaged 17.2 points, 15.8 rebounds and 4.2 blocks in his last five outings. This includes a 20-20 game against the Golden State Warriors.
Key Player - Donovan Mitchell
The Utah Jazz will need buckets from every player to challenge the historically best offense of the Brooklyn Nets, but Donovan Mitchell will be their go-to man. Mitchell is averaging nearly 29 points per game in March but has only shot the ball at 42% from the field during this period. He managed 31 points in the last outing against Brooklyn and will have to produce similar numbers on Wednesday.
Utah Jazz Predicted Lineup
G Mike Conley, G Donovan Mitchell, F Bojan Bogdanovic, F Royce O'Neale, C Rudy Gobert
Nets vs Jazz Match Prediction
The Brooklyn Nets have been in imperial touch since mid-February. James Harden is spearheading the charge for Steve Nash's unit but it could all come to a halt in Salt Lake City. The Utah Jazz have had their struggles recently but they've been rather solid in the last week. They'll also have the freedom to throw multiple players at Harden with Irving set to miss out. Most importantly, the Jazz have the best home record in the league. Expect Mitchell and co. to eke out a close win.
Where to watch Nets vs Jazz?
National telecast of this matchup will take place on ESPN. Local coverage of the same will be available on YES Network and AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain. You can also live stream this game via the NBA League Pass.