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The Indiana Pacers face a stern test ahead as they take on the Utah Jazz at Vivint Arena on Friday afternoon in an NBA season 2020-21 matchup. In the previous meeting between the two sides, the Jazz toppled the Pacers 103-95.
The Indiana Pacers have been in decent form of late, winning five of their last seven games. The Utah Jazz, meanwhile, have looked off-color, managing just three wins in six games.
Match Details
Fixture: Indiana Pacers vs Utah Jazz | NBA Season 2020-21
Date & Time: Friday, April 16, 2021; 3:00 PM ET (Saturday, April 17th; 12:30 AM IST).
Venue: Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT.
Indiana Pacers Preview
The Indiana Pacers should be confident ahead of this tough matchup owing to the momentum they have gained in the last couple of weeks. They are currently ninth in the Eastern Conference standings, two games off a top-six spot.
In their last game, the Indiana Pacers beat the Houston Rockets 132-124 in a high-scoring affair. Caris LeVert (27 points), Domantas Sabonis 22 points, 10 rebounds), Malcolm Brogdon (23 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists) all shone as the Pacers won their 26th game of the season.
The Indiana Pacers started strong and had a commanding 75-55 lead at halftime and made sure the Rockets did not lead them at any stage in the game. Their shooting was quite phenomenal as well, as they converted 53.2% of their field goal attempts.
Key Player - Caris LeVert
Caris LeVert has been terrific for the Indiana Pacers since the start of April. In the eight games that he played during that stretch, he averaged 22.3 points, 4.5 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.1 blocks per contest.
The Indiana Pacers will need him to be at his best on both ends of the floor yet again as he will be going up against the in-form Donovan Mitchell.
Even though the Utah Jazz have a strong unit and any player can step up on their day, limiting Mitchell as much as possible will still be very important.
Luckily for the Pacers, they have a player like LeVert who is efficient at scoring and defending as well. He will be the key to their hopes of winning against a strong home side like the Utah Jazz.
Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Malcolm Brogdon l Shooting Guard - Caris LeVert l Small Forward - Edmond Sumner l Power Forward - Justin Holiday l Center - Domantas Sabonis.
Utah Jazz Preview
The Utah Jazz haven't been as efficient as they have been throughout the season in the last week or so. Ever since the Dallas Mavericks snapped their nine-game winning run, the Jazz have evidently lost their rhythm.
However, they head into this contest with some winning momentum on their side as they beat the OKC Thunder 106-96 in their last outing. Six of their players scored in double-digits in that game.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored a team-high 23 points, while Donovan Mitchell ended the night with 22 points. Rudy Gobert had a double-double as he scored 13 points and grabbed a team-high 14 rebounds in the game.
Key Player - Rudy Gobert
Rudy Gobert wasn't in the best of form before the game against the OKC Thunder and will be eager to do well against Indiana.
His counterpart for this match is going to be Domantas Sabonis, who has been dominating the paint lately playing the center position in the absence of the injured Myles Turner.
It is important that Gobert is at his defensive best in this game as neutralizing Sabonis could make the Utah Jazz' chances of winning this game even better.
Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Mike Conley l Shooting Guard - Donovan Mitchell l Small Forward - Bojan Bogdanovic l Power Forward - Royce O'Neale l Center - Rudy Gobert.
Pacers vs Jazz Match Prediction
The Utah Jazz will be the overwhelming favorites for this matchup owing to how solid their squad is at the moment. Most of the stars were rested in the previous game, which will allow them to perform better against the Indiana Pacers.
On top of that, they are a tough team to beat at home and boast a 25-3 record at Vivint Arena this season.
However, the Indiana Pacers are slowly finding their rhythm and could hurt them. This should be something the Utah Jazz should be mindful of when they take to the court on Friday.
Where to watch the Pacers vs Jazz game?
The game between the Indiana Pacers and the Utah Jazz will be televised locally on AT&T Sportsnet Rocky Mountain and Bally Sports Indiana. The match can also be streamed live with an NBA League Pass.
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