Portland Trail Blazers vs Utah Jazz Prediction & Match Preview - November 29th, 2021 | NBA Season 2021-22
The Utah Jazz will host the Portland Trail Blazers for the first time in the ongoing NBA season. The match is scheduled to be played on November 29th and will feature Damian Lillard and Co. against the Donovan Mitchell-led Jazz.
The Jazz are currently 3rd in the Western Conference. Their record of 13 wins and seven losses is superior to Portland's 10 wins and 10 losses. The Trail Blazers, who are 6th in the West, will need a win to stay in the top six teams in their conference.
Match Details
Fixture: Portland Trail Blazers vs Utah Jazz | NBA Season 2021-22.
Date & Time: Monday, November 29th, 9:00 PM ET (Tuesday, November 30th, 7:30 AM IST).
Venue: Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT.
Portland Trail Blazers Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers had the lowest number of turnovers (11.1) in the entire league in 2020-21. In comparison, they are currently averaging 13.7 turnovers a game. In order for them to have more success on the offensive end, Portland needs to decrease the number of times they turn the ball over, especially against an opponent like the Utah Jazz.
Last night, CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard each scored at least 20 points in the same game for the 193rd time.
They broke a tie with Larry Bird and Robert Parish for the 10th-most such games in NBA history by a duo.
No backcourt duo in NBA history has recorded more such games. https://t.co/acb3zeQhYy
In their last game, the Portland Trail Blazers lost to the Golden State Warriors 103-118. This pushed their current losing streak to two games ahead of Monday night's matchup.
Their lack of defensive presence has become a major concern. Meanwhile, their offense has helped them average 110.6 points per game this season.
Key Player - CJ McCollum
CJ McCollum has really stepped up during Lillard's downtown shooting slump. He has taken over as the team's best long-range marksman and is averaging 3.3 threes per game with an efficiency rate of 40%.
Although the 6'3" shooting guard has been a little rusty in the last two games, his 32-point performance in Portland's win over the Denver Nuggets is still fresh.
McCollum is averaging 20.4 points, 1.1 steals, 4.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists. He has converted 42.8% of his field goals in the ongoing season, not the best numbers but significantly better than Lillard's at the moment.
He will be a crucial player when the Portland Trail Blazers play the Utah Jazz.
Portland Trail Blazers Predicted Lineup
G - Damian Lillard; G - CJ McCollum; F - Nassir Little; F - Robert Covington; C - Jusuf Nurkic.
Utah Jazz Preview
The Utah Jazz, unlike the Portland Trail Blazers, are heading into Monday with a win behind them. The two pillars of this team, namely Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, have been exceptional thus far this season. Their offensive rating of 114.4 is currently ranked first in the entire league, while their defensive rating of 105.2 is ranked 5th.
This is Brandon Ingram shot selection with Rudy Gobert on the floor the last two nights. This is called bending a shot chart https://t.co/2OexzJbhFM
With Rudy Gay's return, Utah has five players who land more than two 3-pointers per game. This is an absolute nightmare for any team guarding them. Almost seven of their players are legitimate threats from beyond the arc, leaving the defense stretched wide and open for slashers and paint scorers.
Key Player - Rudy Gobert
Agreed that Mitchell is one of the best offensive assets available to the Utah Jazz. He is averaging 22.8 points, 2.9 threes, 5.1 assists and 1.7 steals. That being said, people are often unable to understand that much of Mitchell's confidence is derived from his complete trust in Rudy Gobert. Gobert is the insurance policy for Utah.
The Stifle Tower is a constant threat to scorers inside and blocks at least 2.2 shots per game. He is a prolific rebounder, in fact the best in the entire league. The cherry on top is that he also scores 14.9 points per game.
Against the Trail Blazers, who have one of the best offenses in the league, Gobert will be the most important player for the Jazz.
Utah Jazz Predicted Lineup
G - Mike Conley; G - Donovan Mitchell; F - Bojan Bogdanovic; F - Eric Paschall; C - Rudy Gobert.
Trail Blazers vs Jazz Match Prediction
In CJ McCollum, the Portland Trail Blazers have a brilliant beyond the arc shooter. However, as a team they are inferior to the Utah Jazz when it comes to the number of available shooters. They are also way behind Utah in defense and have no impactful perimeter defenders.
Meanwhile, the Jazz are a tough bunch of defenders who follow the ideology of "no easy shots." They push their opponents to take tough shots and are always absolutely overwhelming in the paint. Therefore, we predict that the Utah Jazz will win the game.
Where to watch Trail Blazers vs Jazz?
ATTSN-RM and ROOT SPORTS PLUS will be local broadcasters for the game between the Utah Jazz and the Portland Trail Blazers. Meanwhile, the game will also be available online via the NBA League Pass.