Utah Jazz vs Orlando Magic Prediction & Match Preview - February 27th, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21
The Utah Jazz will seek to avoid back-to-back losses when they face off against the Orlando Magic for the first time in the 2020-21 NBA.
The Utah Jazz, who are the Western Conference leaders, fell to the resurgent Miami Heat in their previous outing. However, they are still dominating their conference with authority and have the best winning percentage (.788) in the league.
Meanwhile, the 13-20 Orlando Magic continue their struggles this campaign, as they are languishing in the bottom of the Eastern Conference. They come into this game after losing their last two outings.
Match Details
Fixture: Utah Jazz vs Orlando Magic Prediction - NBA Season 2020-21.
Date & Time: Saturday, February 27th, 2021; 8:00 PM ET. (Sunday; 6:30 AM IST).
Venue: Amway Center, Orlando, FL.
Utah Jazz Preview
The Utah Jazz are coming off a rare loss, going down to the Miami Heat 116-124. The Jazz underwhelmed from the three-point line, hitting 15 of 46 attempts for a sub-par 32% shooting accuracy. They were also outshone by the Heat on the glass, making 14 fewer boards on the night.
However, Quin Snyder's had as many as six players scoring in double digits despite enduring only their seventh loss of the season.
Leading the effort for the Utah Jazz was 2021 NBA All-Star Donovan Mitchell, who racked in 30 points in 36 minutes from the floor. Rudy Gobert posted a double-double, scoring 15 points to go with 12 boards, but did not receive much help from the rest of the frontcourt players in rebounding.
The Utah Jazz will be determined to return to winning ways when they face off against the Orlando Magic on the road on Saturday night. They have not dropped two back-to-back games since January when they fell to the Nets and Knicks in consecutive matchups.
Key Player – Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell is coming off a poor shooting display by his lofty standards. In the loss to the Heat, Mitchell dropped 30 points but went cold from the distance, making two of nine on the night while turning the ball over time times.
Mitchell will be determined to bounce back with a power-packed outing against the Orlando Magic to return his side to winning ways. With the season approaching the halfway mark, the Utah Jazz are about to face fierce competition for the top spot in the West, as the Clippers and the Lakers look to close the gap.
It will be interesting to see how Mitchell, the young leader of the Utah Jazz, will fare in the second half of the season as his team looks for a place in the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
Utah Jazz Predicted Lineup
PG Mike Conley, SG Donovan Mitchell, SF Royce O'Neale, PF Bojan Bogdanovic, C Rudy Gobert.
Orlando Magic Preview
The Orlando Magic have been wildly inconsistent this campaign. Steve Clifford's men beat some top contenders in the middle of the month, tearing through the Suns, Knicks and Warriors. However, they lost steam of late, losing to the Pistons and more recently to the Brooklyn Nets.
In all fairness to the Orlando Magic, their season has been riddled with player injuries. At the moment, they don't look like making the playoffs and could even be on the books for a shake-up with the NBA Trade Deadline fast approaching.
Key Player - Nikola Vucevic
Nikola Vucevic is the only towering figure both virtually and number-wise for the slumping Orlando Magic this season. He has been consistently filling up the stat sheet with All-Starcaliber numbers on a nightly basis.
In the loss to the Nets, Vucevic led the charge with 28 points while also adding 12 boards and two assists in his team's 20th defeat of the campaign.
Vucevic and crew will face another uphill battle against the high-flying Utah Jazz. The Orlando Magic will look to the 2021 All-Star inductee to drop another monster performance to stand a chance against the most dominating team in the league right now.
Orlando Magic Predicted Starting Lineup
PG Michael-Carter Williams, SG Evan Fournier, SF James Ennis III, PF Al-Farouq Aminu, C Nikola Vucevic.
Jazz vs Magic Match Prediction
The Utah Jazz have proved their mettle in the first half of the ongoing season. Considering their tearing recent form, they are the favorites to win this matchup. The 'Spida' Donovan Mitchell and Jordan Clarkson could throw down the hammer with their long-range shooting abilities in this game .
Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic have displayed their impressive capabilities to take down the best in the league on their night. They will fancy their chances at home against the Utah Jazz despite their losing record.
The matchup will feature a clash of two leading big men in the association when Nikola Vucevic goes up against Rudy Gobert in the post.
Where to watch Jazz vs Magic?
The game between the Utah Jazz and the Orlando Magic will be telecast on Fox Sports Florida and AT&T SportsNet (Rocky Mountain). The matchup can also be streamed live on NBA League Pass.