Denver Nuggets vs Utah Jazz Prediction & Match Preview - February 2nd, 2022 | NBA Season 2021-22
The Denver Nuggets will head to Vivint Arena for a matchup against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, February 2. In all three encounters between the two teams this season, the Jazz were the team that reigned supreme.
The Nuggets head into this game after a disappointing loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. A strong performance from their opponents on the night ended a five-game winning streak the Nuggets had before the game. Nikola Jokic scored 21 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, but his effort proved to come short as the Minnesota Timberwolves took a 130-115 win.
The Utah Jazz also head into this game on the back of a defeat to the Timberwolves, losing by a 20-point deficit. Karl-Anthony Towns shined in the game as he scored a 31 point triple-double. Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic combined for 45 points, but a big second-half performance from the Timberwolves led to a 126-106 loss for the Jazz.
Match Details
Fixture: Denver Nuggets vs Utah Jazz | NBA Season 2021-22
Date & Time: Wednesday, February 2, 11:00 PM ET [Thursday, February 3, 8:30 AM IST]
Venue: Vivint Arena, Utah, Salt Lake City
Denver Nuggets Preview
The Denver Nuggets have been in stellar form over the past few weeks. They have won seven of their last 10 games and are ranked sixth in the West. Despite injuries and constant setbacks, the Nuggets have found a way to be competitive this season. Coach Michael Malone has trusted his players to overcome adversity and this has yielded great results for them.
Nikola Jokic has undoubtedly been stellar, but other contributors such as Aaron Gordan, Jeff Green and Austin Rivers have also done great for the team. Their strength has been their defense, however, the aforementioned players lend a hand to all facets of the game. Going up against the Jazz, the team will be hoping to bounce back strongly and put forth a big performance to bag a win on the road.
Key Player - Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic had a not so memorable game against the Timberwolves as he scored 21 points, but conceded 5 turnovers. He ended up with a +/- of -7, which is disappointing for someone of his standard.
Jokic is currently leading the MVP charts, but cannot go easy as other stars are hot on his heels. The Serbian will look to make up for the not-so-good night against the Timberwolves with a strong performance against the Jazz on Wednesday.
Denver Nuggets Predicted Lineup
G - Monte Morris, G - Will Barton, F - Aaron Gordan, F - Jeff Green, C - Nikola Jokic
Utah Jazz Preview
The Utah Jazz are going through a bit of a rough patch as they have lost five consecutive games in the build-up to this one. They are playing without several of their stars, leading to them falling to fourth in the Western Conference standings. Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert have both been out due to injuries. To add to their woes, Joe Ingles has been ruled out for the entire season due to an ACL injury.
Facing the Nuggets is not going to be easy for this depleted Jazz side. Utah might find itself in jeopardy in the West should they slip up in this game. Teams such as the sixth-ranked Dallas Mavericks could very well capitalize and take their position in the standings.
Key Player - Mike Conley
Mike Conley is currently one of the main players on the Utah Jazz side as all other stars are facing injury problems. He is averaging 14.2 PPG and 5.3 APG in 45 appearances. Conley has also been shooting brilliantly from the three-point arc with a 42.85 efficiency from the field.
He comes into this game on the back of a 22-point outing against the Timberwolves. Conley will be looking to do better than that when he takes the floor at home on Wednesday as he looks to help marshall his team to victory.
Utah Jazz Predicted Lineup
G - Mike Conley, G - Jordan Clarkson, F - Bojan Bogdanovic, F - Royce O'Neale, C - Eric Paschall
Nuggets vs Jazz Match Prediction
The Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz have played in some extremely close games. Both have talented players, but given the current situation for both teams, the Nuggets look like a more formidable side. They will be hoping to expose the weakened interior defense of the Jazz, who will be playing without Rudy Gobert.
However, the Nuggets still cannot take the Jazz lightly as they are a well-organized team who will pile on consistent pressure to try and secure a win.
Where to watch the Nuggets vs Jazz game?
All games will be available on the official NBA app. This game between the Denver Nuggets and the Utah Jazz will also be locally telecast on Altitude Sports and AT&T SportsNet.
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