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In a marquee matchup in the 2020-21 NBA, the Utah Jazz will face off against the LA Lakers at the Staples Center on Saturday.
The Utah Jazz, who have been in decent form in recent games, beat the defending champions in their only meeting of the season in February. The LA Lakers, meanwhile, will be eager to gain some momentum after an inconsistent run in the last few weeks.
Match Details
Fixture: Utah Jazz vs LA Lakers | NBA Season 2020-21.
Date & Time: Saturday, April 17, 2021; 4:30 PM ET (Sunday, April 18th; 2:00 AM IST).
Venue: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA.
Utah Jazz Preview
The Utah Jazz seem to have rediscovered their mojo, winning four of their last five games.
In their last game, the Utah Jazz toppled the Indiana Pacers 119-111. They won despite the loss of Donovan Mitchell to an ankle injury early in the third quarter.
The Jazz were down by double-digits at one point. But with solid defense and some clutch shots, they recovered to take the win.
Bojan Bogdanovic shone in scoring for the second consecutive game. He tallied 24 points, while Mitchell, who looked in good touch, scored 22 points in 21 minutes of action. Rudy Gobert had a solid cameo, registering 13 points, 23 rebounds and four blocks on the night.
Key Player - Bojan Bogdanovic
Bojan Bogdanovic has been in terrific form in his last three games for the Utah Jazz. He is averaging 26.6 points per contest, shooting 51.6% from the field. With Mitchell likely to be out due to injury, Bogdanovic will have to do a major chunk of the scoring for the Utah Jazz.
The LA Lakers are the best defensive unit in the league. So Bogdanovic's contribution at the offensive end could be key for the Utah Jazz.
Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Mike Conley l Shooting Guard - Joe Ingles l Small Forward - Bojan Bogdanovic l Power Forward - Royce O'Neale l Center - Rudy Gobert.
LA Lakers Preview
The injury-depleted LA Lakers have six players listed as day-to-day for this game and will be without LeBron James and Anthony Davis for the 15th straight match.
The LA Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics 113-121 in their last outing. They were trailed 86-113 with seven minutes to play and struggled in the paint and shooting from the long-range.
The LA Lakers will hope to have most of their stars available for this game. With Dennis Schroder, Andre Drummond, Marc Gasol, Kyle Kuzma and Markieff Morris all listed as 'day to day', it could be a tricky outing for the Lakers against the Utah Jazz.
Key Player - Ben McLemore
With many LA Lakers players potentially out of this game, the likes of Ben McLemore will have to come up big to give the team any chance of winning this game.
McLemore has been a great addition for the LA Lakers. He has an impeccable shooting range, and when he is on song, he can be a huge threat for any opposition.
In his last game, McLemore scored 17 points while shooting at 58.3% from the field. He had a great outing in the win against the Brooklyn Nets as well, scoring 17 points while shooting at 50% from the field and beyond the arc.
If those performances are anything to go by, McLemore could be a key player for the Lakers against the Jazz.
Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Dennis Schroder l Shooting Guard - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope l Small Forward - Talen Horton-Tucker l Power Forward - Kyle Kuzma l Center - Andre Drummond.
Jazz vs Lakers Match Prediction
The Utah Jazz are the overwhelming favorites in this game. They are the more in-form side and have a healthier squad, which should give them the edge over the defending champions. However, the LA Lakers are unpredictable, and if they find their rhythm early on, they could hurt the Jazz.
Where to watch the Jazz vs Lakers game?
The game between the Utah Jazz and the LA Lakers will be televised nationally on ESPN. Local coverage will be on Spectrum Sportsnet. The match can also be streamed live with an NBA League Pass.
