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2020-21 NBA Western Conference leaders Utah Jazz will look to make it a hat-trick of victories when they take on the Washington Wizards at the Vivint Arena on Monday.
The Utah Jazz have been highly efficient in both attack and defence, riding on the consistent performances of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert to go atop the Western Conference standings.
Meanwhile, the Washington Wizards, who are in the midst of a difficult set of fixtures, need to win a few games to rekindle their playoff hopes. Russell Westbrook has produced some of his best basketball all season in recent weeks, while Bradley Beal is expected to make a return from injury.
Match Details
Fixture: Washington Wizards vs Utah Jazz | NBA Season 2020-21.
Date & Time: Monday, April 12th; 9 PM ET (Tuesday, 6:30 AM IST).
Venue: Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT.
Washington Wizards Preview
The Washington Wizards won two games on the trot but lost against the Phoenix Suns in their last outing. In Bradley Beal’s absence, they slumped to a loss against the Suns.
Meanwhile, Thomas Bryant is still some way from a return, while Ish Smith has only recently returned from injury.
Smith has been their standout player off the bench along with new acquisition Daniel Gafford. The latter is averaging more than five rebounds per game. Gafford has tallied double-digit points in his three outings.
Key Player – Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook has been in terrific form for the Washington Wizards this season.
Westbrook has produced a triple-double in each of his last four games and has been the chief orchestrator for the Washington Wizards. He has been shooting well and is in terrific form from the 3-point zone too.
With more support from the rest of the roster, Westbrook could be key to the Washington Wizards' postseason hopes.
Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Russell Westbrook l Shooting Guard - Bradley Beal l Small Forward - Deni Avdija l Power Forward - Rui Hachimura l Center - Alex Len.
Utah Jazz Preview
The Utah Jazz have been in stellar form since the All-Star break. They have a terrific 40-13 record on the season and have been able to count on their top stars for most of the season. Rudy Gobert has been terrific in defence and is also averaging close to 15 points per game.
The Utah Jazz have relied heavily on their guard pairing of Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell, with the former producing more than 16 points per game. Meanwhile, Jordan Clarkson has continued to provide cover from the bench and is a favorite for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award.
Georges Niang has also come off the bench to score in double digits, which means the Utah Jazz have many offensive threats they can count on.
Key Player – Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell is averaging exactly 40 points during his last three appearances. He is also helping out in defence, registering a steal along with 3.5 defensive rebounds per game.
Mitchell is having his best season from the 3-point zone, producing big performances. He has been highly efficient all campaign and has become arguably the Utah Jazz’s most important player.
Utah Jazz Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Donovan Mitchell; Shooting Guard - Mike Conley Jr.; Power Forward - Royce O'Neale; Small Forward - Bojan Bogdanovic; Center - Rudy Gobert.
Wizards vs Jazz Match Prediction
The Washington Wizards have struggled since the All-Star break and have not been able to win consistently despite the brilliance of Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal.
Westbrook is a doubtful starter for this game, which should further compound worries for the Washington Wizards against the Utah Jazz.
The Jazz have a highly efficient lineup, doing well at both ends of the court. They will be the favorites to make it three victories on the bounce.
Where to watch the Washington Wizards vs Utah Jazz matchup?
In the USA, the game between the Washington Wizards and the Utah Jazz will be broadcast on NBC Sports Washington and AT&T Sportsnet. The match can also be live-streamed with an NBA League Pass.
