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The San Antonio Spurs will start a four-game road trip on Friday when they take on the Utah Jazz at the Vivint Arena. The Spurs are coming off a five-game homestand wherein they went 2-3, while the Jazz are one of the hottest teams in the NBA with an eight-game winning streak.
The Spurs failed to capitalize on their five-game homestand as they only won two in front of their fans. They lost to the Charlotte Hornets 131-115 on Wednesday after allowing 46 points in the first quarter. It was the most points allowed by the Spurs in a quarter ever.
Meanwhile, the Jazz continued their hot streak as they won their eighth game in a row on Wednesday by defeating the LA Clippers, 124-103. They have a chance to even further extend their winning streak since they won't play on the road until December 27th when they visit San Antonio.
Match Details
Fixture: San Antonio Spurs vs Utah Jazz | NBA Season 2021-22
Date & Time: Friday, December 17th, 2021, 9:00 PM ET (Saturday, November 27th, 7:30 AM IST)
Venue: Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
San Antonio Spurs Preview
Following their 131-115 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, the San Antonio Spurs now own a record of 10-17 overall. The Spurs currently sit in 12th place in the Western Conference standings. Head coach Gregg Popovich has officially embraced the team's youth movement.
The Spurs had no chance against the Hornets as they started the game shooting lights out with no turnovers. They allowed 46 points in the first quarter, a franchise record. The Spurs did not even taste the lead all game long, even if the Hornets went cold in the fourth quarter.
Six Spurs players scored in double figures against the Hornets, but it was not enough to prevent their 17th loss of the season. Bryn Forbes led the way with 25 points and 19 minutes, while Keldon Johnson had 21 points and three rebounds.
Key Player – Dejounte Murray
Dejounte Murray has been the best player for the San Antonio Spurs this season. Murray is averaging 17.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game, while shooting 44.1% from the field and 33.9% from beyond the arc. He's one of the favorites to win the NBA's Most Improved Player Award this season.
If the Spurs want to defeat the Utah Jazz and end their eight-game winning streak, Murray has to play much better. He's the team's most important player as a playmaker, scorer and primary wing defender. The Spurs are capable of defeating a top team since they already have a win against the Golden State Warriors.
San Antonio Spurs Predicted Lineup
G - Dejounte Murray; G - Derrick White; F - Doug McDermott; F - Keldon Johnson; C - Jakob Poeltl.
Utah Jazz Preview
The Utah Jazz own the longest current winning streak in the NBA with eight. It's impressive enough to win that many games consecutively, but it's even more impressive that half of those wins came on the road.
The teams the Jazz defeated on their winning streak include the New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Wizards and LA Clippers.
In the 124-103 win over the Clippers, Donovan Mitchell led the way with 27 points and six assists. Rudy Gobert added 20 points, 17 rebounds and two blocks, while Jordan Clarkson added 21 points off the bench.
Key Player – Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell is the unquestioned leader of the Utah Jazz. Along with Rudy Gobert, they are the most important players for the Jazz. The duo are looking for a repeat of last season's success, but want to move past the second round and possibly win an NBA championship.
If the Utah Jazz want to extend their winning streak to nine and beat the San Antonio Spurs, Mitchell has to continue being their top scorer and playmaker. The Jazz guard is averaging 24.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.7 steals this season. After the win over the Clippers, Mitchell mentioned that they want to take the next step after an impressive run last season.
"We are holding ourselves to a higher standard because we've done this in the regular season. We need to be good enough to take that next step."
Utah Jazz Predicted Lineup
G - Mike Conley; G - Donovan Mitchell; F - Bojan Bogdanovic; F - Royce O'Neal; C - Rudy Gobert.
Spurs vs Jazz Prediction
The San Antonio Spurs vs. Utah Jazz matchup will be interesting to watch. They have an almost identical lineup with two top guards in Dejounte Murray and Donovan Mitchell. Jakob Poeltl and Rudy Gobert are two of the best shot blockers in the NBA.
Doug McDermott and Bojan Bogdanovic are sharp shooting small forwards, while Keldon Johnson and Royce O'Neal are undersized power forwards. Nevertheless, the Utah Jazz are the likely winners over the San Antonio Spurs. They have momentum and homecourt advantage.
Where to watch Spurs vs Jazz?
The San Antonio Spurs vs. Utah Jazz game will be streamed live on the NBA League Pass on Friday. Local fans can watch the game at KENS 5 in San Antonio and AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain in Utah.
Guess the Lakers players!
