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Western Conference heavyweights Denver Nuggets and the Utah Jazz will face off on Friday night at Vivint Arena in an enticing NBA season 2020-21 matchup.
The fourth-seeded Denver Nuggets will look to reclaim third place in the West with a win. Leaders Utah Jazz, meanwhile, will be eager to extend their advantage at the top over the Phoenix Suns, who are just one game behind in second.
Match Details
Fixture: Denver Nuggets vs Utah Jazz | NBA Season 2020-21
Date & Time: Friday, May 7th, 9 PM ET (Saturday, 6:30 AM IST)
Venue: Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT.
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Denver Nuggets Preview
The Denver Nuggets have been in terrific form in their last ten games, recording eight wins during that stretch. After a disappointing loss against the LA Lakers, the Nuggets bounced back in style against the New York Knicks in their last game.
They routed the in-form Eastern Conference side 113-97 on the back of a dominant first-half performance. The Denver Nuggets took a 34-12 lead in the first quarter and despite a gritty fightback by the Knicks in the second, Michael Malone's men still led by 21 points at half-time.
Nikola Jokic scored 32 points, while Austin Rivers tormented his former side with 25 points, shooting 6-of-9 from beyond the arc.
Key Player - Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic will have to produce an MVP-caliber performance to lead the Denver Nuggets to a win over the Utah Jazz. The West leaders have been terrific on both ends of the floor, making Jokic a key player for his side. The outcome of the game will be highly dependent on how he leads the Denver Nuggets team as their best player.
Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Facundo Campazzo l Shooting Guard - Michael Porter Jr. l Small Forward - Paul Millsap l Power Forward - Aaron Gordon | Center - Nikola Jokic.
Utah Jazz Preview
The Utah Jazz were struggling quite a bit towards the end of April but seemed to have resolved their problems just in time. They are on a three-game winning run and are still the Western Conference leaders, despite the 10-game absence of star player Donovan Mitchell.
The Jazz swept the San Antonio Spurs in their two-game mini-series with a 126-94 blowout win in their last match. Sixth Man of the Year award frontrunner Jordan Clarkson shone once again, scoring 30 points, while Bojan Bogdanovic recorded 24 points to lead Utah to their 48th win of the campaign.
The Utah Jazz tallied 100 points by the end of the third quarter itself. They took an unassailable 37-point lead heading into the fourth, displaying yet another offensive masterclass.
Key Player - Rudy Gobert
Rudy Gobert and Nikola Jokic will be going up against each other in this game to produce a terrific matchup between two of the best big men in the league. With the kind of form Jokic has been in, it automatically makes him a huge threat to deal with for the Utah Jazz.
But if Gobert can carry out the job of a neutralizer against the Nuggets talisman, it could swing the game in favor of the Utah Jazz to a great extent.
Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Joe Ingles l Shooting Guard - Royce O'Neale l Small Forward - Bojan Bogdanovic l Power Forward - Georges Niang | Center - Rudy Gobert.
Nuggets vs Jazz Prediction
The Denver Nuggets and the Utah Jazz are two of the best teams in the league, and the winner of the matchup between them could be anyone's pick. But the Utah Jazz's home record is something to look out for, which is currently 29-4 for the season. It does give Quin Snyder's men a slight advantage over the Denver Nuggets.
Having said that, Michael Malone's side are one of the grittiest teams in the league, and it would be foolish to count them out just yet. The match could turn out to be one of the most closely-contested games of the season.
Where to watch the Nuggets vs Jazz game?
The local coverage of the game between the Denver Nuggets and the Utah Jazz will be provided by AT&T Sportsnet - Rocky Mountain and Altitude. The game can also be streamed online via NBA League Pass.
Also read: 5 active NBA players with most 40-point games in a losing cause
