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The second-placed Phoenix Suns will host the current number one seed in the Western Conference, the Utah Jazz, at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona.
Both teams have clinched playoff berths but will be playing for the top spot in the conference. The Suns will have the opportunity to do the treble over a Jazz side that is missing their key player. For both teams, it is more about pride and building confidence ahead of the postseason.
Utah Jazz vs Phoenix Suns prediction
The Utah Jazz lost Donovan Mitchell on April 16 in a match against the Indiana Pacers, and have gone 3-3 since then. The guard was instrumental in their winning stretch of 20 out of 21 games from January 8 to February 17. His absence will make it doubly difficult for the Jazz to better the Phoenix Suns.
The Phoenix Suns are the more in-form team and will be looking to sweep the Jazz in the regular season. With no devastating injury scare, the Suns look the stronger team.
Utah Jazz vs Phoenix Suns combined 5
Point Guard - Chris Paul | Shooting Guard - Devin Booker | Small Forward - Jordan Clarkson | Power Forward - Bojan Bogdanovic | Center - Rudy Gobert
Chris Paul has shown time and time again why he is one of the most highly-rated point guards in NBA history. Donovan Mitchell's unavailability made this an easy pick. Despite Paul's ingenuity, a healthy Mitchell would have been favored as the starting point guard.
Paul's contributions since joining the Phoenix Suns have been immense. His scoring and assists abilities are nothing short of exceptional. He is the second-highest scorer (16.2) and assists leader (8.7) on the team. The 35-year-old also leads the team in steals (1.4).
Devin Booker will partner with Paul on the backcourt as he is light years better than the Utah Jazz' starting shooting guard, Joe Ingles. Even as Ingles is having the best shooting percentage of his career, he is not as impactful as the Suns guard.
Booker is having one of his best seasons as a Phoenix Suns player. He leads the Suns in scoring, averaging 25.4 points per game, and is shooting 48.3 percent from the field.
Jordan Clarkson is perhaps the best sixth man in the league this season, which is why he has made it to this combined 5 lineup. He is the second-best scorer for the Utah Jazz despite coming off the bench. He has started only 1 out of 58 matches played this season, averaging 17.5 points, 4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists.
Mikal Bridges has also been a class player for the Phoenix Suns. However, his .528 field goal percentage and an average of 13.1 points are not enough to dethrone Clarkson.
The contest for the power forward position will favor Bojan Bogdanovic over the Phoenix Suns' Torrey Craig. The forward has been a major contributor to the Utah Jazz' offense.
In the absence of Mitchell, the forward has stepped up and helped his team to some notable victories. He recorded 24 points and 4 assists in his last outing against the Sacramento Kings, while spending only 29 minutes on the court.
DeAndre Ayton has had a superb run so far, recording his third double-double of the season since the 2018-2019 season. However, the Utah Jazz' Rudy Gobert is the favorite for the center position.
Gobert has averaged 14.4 points this season and leads the team in rebounds (13.4). He is also the number one shot blocker in the 2020-21 NBA season with 173 blocks so far.
