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The Utah Jazz will lock horns with the San Antonio Spurs for their opening game of the 2021-22 NBA pre-season on Monday at AT&T Center.
The Utah Jazz have successfully retained their core pieces from last season. They will be hoping to finish as the top seed in the Western Conference for a second successive campaign.
Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs will be focusing on developing their young prospects. They have parted ways with all of their veteran stars and are heading towards a rebuild. A strong showing in the preseason will give them momentum heading into the 2021-22 NBA campaign.
Match Details
Fixture - Utah Jazz vs San Antonio Spurs | NBA Preseason 2021-22.
Date & Time - Monday, October 4th, 2021; 8:30 PM ET (Tuesday, October 5th, 1:00 AM IST).
Venue - AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX.
Utah Jazz Preview
The Utah Jazz have done exceptional business this offseason. They re-signed point guard Mike Conley and added veterans like Hassan Whiteside and Rudy Gay to their roster. Their squad depth seems much better this time around. The Jazz will be eager to capitalize on that as they aim to make a deep run in the playoffs.
Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert will continue their partnership as the team's leaders, while Jordan Clarkson, Joe Ingles and Bogdan Bogdanovic are expected to thrive in supporting roles again.
The Utah Jazz will look to find their groove during the preseason. It could see them give all their available players a significant amount of playing time in pre-season.
Rudy Gay (heel surgery) and Bojan Bogdanovic (shoulder injury) are sidelined for the preseason game against the San Antonio Spurs.
Key Player - Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell will be keen to kick things off in style ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season. A decent showing in his first game in over four months would be a great way for Mitchell to gain momentum ahead of the new campaign. It would also boost the morale of his teammates, making him a key player for the Utah Jazz.
Utah Jazz Predicted Lineup
G - Donovan Mitchell, G - Mike Conley, F - Joe Ingles, F - Royce O'Neale, C - Rudy Gobert.
San Antonio Spurs Preview
The San Antonio Spurs are the most unpredictable team in the upcoming NBA season. They have promising young players at their disposal but none of them are superstars as of now.
The Spurs could find themselves vying for a playoff spot in the play-in tournament or end up having one of the worst records in the NBA Western Conference. Unless they manage to add a proven All-Star to their ranks, San Antonio will not make an impression as a playoff contender.
Until then, the San Antonio Spurs will rely on the likes of Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson and Derrick White to lead the team.
Key Player - Dejounte Murray
Dejounte Murray was the San Antonio Spurs' second-best player behind DeMar DeRozan last season. He averaged 15.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. He will have to carry the responsibility of being the floor general for the team. That makes Murray a key player for the Spurs against the Utah Jazz.
San Antonio Spurs Predicted Lineup
G - Dejounte Murray, G - Derrick White, F - Doug McDermott, F - Keldon Johnson, C - Jakob Poeltl.
Jazz vs Spurs Match Prediction
The Utah Jazz will be the clear favorites to win against the San Antonio Spurs. They have a better squad on paper. Unless they decide to limit their leading players' minutes on the floor to a great extent, it is likely to be a one-sided affair.
Nevertheless, it is still a preseason fixture, so a Spurs' win cannot be completely ruled out either.
Where to watch the Jazz vs Spurs game?
The pre-season matchup between the Utah Jazz and the San Antonio Spurs will be televised locally by AT&T Sportsnet and Bally Sports Southwest. Fans can also watch the game online with a subscription to the NBA League Pass.
Also check out: Complete NBA Preseason TV Schedule for 2021
