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The team with the best record in the entire NBA so far, the Utah Jazz, will visit the Boston Celtics' TD Garden on March 16th to try and find rhythm again. Boston is coming off a blowout win over the Houston Rockets and is fifth in the NBA's Eastern Conference with a 20-18 record.
The Utah Jazz maintains its place as the team with the best record in the 2020-21 NBA season at 28-10, but the team is 5-5 in its last 10 outings and fell to the Golden State Warriors in their most recent game.
The red-hot Phoenix Suns are threatening Utah's place in the West (only 2.5 games behind). The LA Lakers and LA Clippers remain within shooting distance as well.
The Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics played on February 9th and Utah took a solid 122-108 win.
Utah Jazz vs Boston Celtics prediction - March 16th, 2021
The Utah Jazz are looking to bounce back from shaky form, but it could be difficult against the Boston Celtics. Brad Stevens' team is 6-4 in their last 10 games, and have won five of their last six.
Still, the Utah Jazz remain at the top of the league in the regular season and are efficient on both ends of the court. The Utah Jazz ranks third in Offensive Rating with 117.7 points per 100 possessions and third in Defensive Rating with 109.2. The team's net rating is the best in the entire NBA at 8.5.
The Boston Celtics, on the other hand, have been inconsistent in the 2020-21 NBA campaign, especially on defense. The Celtics have missed Marcus Smart's energy in 19 games this season, which has not helped the team. This has led to a mediocre Boston Celtics defense this season. The team ranks 21st in Defensive Rating with 112.8 points allowed per 100 possessions.
Utah Jazz vs Boston Celtics combined starting 5 - March 16th, 2021
G Mike Conley, G Donovan Mitchell, F Jaylen Brown, F Jayson Tatum, C Rudy Gobert.
Mike Conley is coming off his first NBA All-Star Game appearance in the 2021 edition, and he earned it with his extraordinarily efficient season for the high-flying Utah Jazz.
Conley is averaging 16.4 points, 5.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game for the Utah Jazz, and has been efficient offensively. The point guard is putting up shooting splits of 45/43/84. His teammate in the backcourt, Donovan Mitchell, is the team's best performer and has been the best player for the Utah Jazz since entering the NBA.
In the 2020-21 campaign, Mitchell is averaging 24.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.4 assists (all career highs). He has posted 42/38/82 shooting splits so far on 20.1 FGA, 8.8 3PA and 5.5 attempts from the charity stripe.
The future is bright for the Boston Celtics with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum as their main pieces going forward. The two wing players are already the team's primary scorers and both are under 25. The pair has improved immensely since entering the league.
Tatum is averaging a team-high 25.1 points (career-high), seven rebounds and 4.5 assists per game (career-high) on 45/38/86 shooting splits. Brown is also having the best year of his career and is posting career highs in points per game (24.3) and assists per game (3.9).
Brown's also shoots efficiently for the Boston Celtics as he makes 49% of his field goals, 38% of his triples, and 76% of his free throws.
In the middle, Rudy Gobert is the Utah Jazz's main piece on defense, as he is a great rim-protector. Gobert is also a good finisher around the basket, taking advantage of his 7' 1'' frame.
The Frenchman, who is already a two-time Defensive Player of the Year winner, is leading the NBA in the 2020-21 season in Defensive Rating. He is also averaging 14 points, 13 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game at a 64% shooting efficiency.
