San Antonio Spurs vs Utah Jazz: Match Preview and Predictions - 21st February 2020
Match Details
Fixture: San Antonio Spurs vs Utah Jazz
Date & Time: Friday, 21 February 2020 (9:00 PM ET)
Venue: Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
Last Game Results
San Antonio Spurs (23-31): 114-106 win over Oklahoma City Thunder (11 February, Tuesday)
Utah Jazz (36-18): 116-101 win over Miami Heat (12 February, Wednesday)
San Antonio Spurs Preview
The San Antonio Spurs were able to snap their five-game losing streak by registering a much-need win over Oklahoma City Thunder before heading into the All-Star break. The team has rested DeMar DeRozan in the past two games, and are ready to start their final playoff push this Friday.
Currently, the ailing Spurs squad is 23-31 (0.426) on the season, five games behind the 8th seed Memphis Grizzlies. This team has managed to win only two of its last seven encounters, including a five-game losing streak dividing the victories.
Key Player - DeMar DeRozan
While the Spurs are sitting at the 10th spot on the West leaderboard, it puts that much more pressure on DeMar DeRozan to pull them out of the five-game hole. DeRozan is averaging 23 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game, across the 52 matchups he has started this year so far.
His mid-range game is landing over 53% of his shots from the field this season - which is a career-high by a fair margin. San Antonio have not missed the postseason in a very long time, and their 30-year-old small forward is someone who can help continue that epic streak.
Spurs Predicted Lineup
LaMarcus Aldridge, DeMar DeRozan, Trey Lyles, Dejounte Murray, Bryn Forbes.
Utah Jazz Preview
The Utah Jazz went on a mid-season rampage, winning double-digit games in a row, and landing themselves amongst the upper echelons of the Western Conference. After losing five straight games, the Utah Jazz have now won four in a row as of late.
They are top 10 in both defensive and offensive ratings and will look to continue their league-best four-game winning streak after All-Star break. The Jazz are 36-18 (0.667) on the season at the 4th spot in West and will be playing to improve their playoff seeding during the last 28 games.
Key Player - Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell has cemented his place as the franchise's leading man. The 23-year-old shooting guard is a bonafide All-Star, and is averaging career-best numbers in 24.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.
Mitchell has been attempting a team-high 19.7 shots per contest and making them at an impressive 46% clip. It has been interesting to see how he has maintained his elite scoring run despite the inclusion of veteran point guard Mike Conley into the rotation.
Jazz Predicted Lineup
Bojan Bogdanovic, Royce O'Neale, Rudy Gobert, Joe Ingles, Donovan Mitchell
Spurs vs Jazz Match Prediction
The Spurs are desperate to win as many games as they possibly can, and even with Mike Conley (load management due to strained hamstring) being questionable to return, the Jazz should clinch the first of the three meetings between these two teams easily.
Where to Watch Clippers vs Cavaliers?
There will be live coverage of the game on AT&T SportsNet and Fox Sports Southwest - San Antonio from 9:00 PM ET. You can also stream the game via NBA League Pass.