Game #47: Utah Jazz 97 -Toronto Raptors 93

[Maury]

The Raptors come home to Toronto to take on a young middling Jazz team. Toronto is looking to build off of a professional win against the Hawks on Wednesday. The incoming Jazz are 4-6 in their last 10 and a tough 6-19 on the road. Just like they did against the Hawks, the Raps have to be professional and control the game from the start.


Starting Lineups:



























Keys to the Game:

-Utah isn't a great offensive team sitting at 20th in the league in ORTG. They aren't as good of a Defensive team like that usually are, sitting at 13th in the league in DRTG. That being said Ricky Rubio and Donavan Mitchell are both good perimeter defenders so Demar and Kyle will need to handle pressure.

-Rebounding. Utah's front court is huge and our bigs will have to focus on defensive rebounding and boxing out.

-Like I said, we need a profesional win against a lesser opponent. We don't want to see Kyle or Demar playing 38 minutes each this game.

-How many times can I write professional in one post?


Go Raps!

[KeonClark]

Another less than thrilling opponent...just keep scooping up Ws

[SkywalkerAC]

Bring em on. Down with Mormons!

[planetmars]

Hoping Donovan Mitchell has hit the rookie wall.. he's the only Jazz player that I'd be worried about. Gobert/Favors can beast out but I think we can handle them.

[Hotshot]

Real test for JV, Rudy will make life difficult underneath.

[DanH]

This UTA team just lost to ATL three days ago. Really should be able to handle them.

[KeonClark]

Welcome back XFL

Vince McMahon has announced that the XFL will return in 2020. https://t.co/FQZpeN3SSs pic.twitter.com/qBLAAwP7Qu

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 25, 2018

[planetmars]

Welcome back XFL

[KeonClark]

[Maury]

[G__Deane]

Game day
Game Day!

[3inthekeon]

Wow! people really give a fuck about McMahon and the XFL?

For basketball fans Zach Lowe with stuff on tonights opponents in his 10 Things - They've got issues.

It might be time to pull the plug on the Ricky Rubio-Derrick Favors-Rudy Gobert trio. The Jazz know it too, which is why they pull the in-game plug three or four minutes into each half.

Utah has scored just 90.5 points per 100 possessions with those three on the floor -- dead last among 500-plus trios that have logged at least 275 minutes together, per NBA.com. That is a full 10 points below Sacramento's league-worst overall offense -- equivalent to the gap between the Kings and the No. 4 Raptors. (Congrats to the Kings, by the way, for jumping out of the basement in points allowed per possession so that they are not dead last on both sides of the ball. And congrats to the Cavs for finally sinking to the bottom on defense!)

Opponents have outscored Utah by almost 16 points per 100 possessions in the 278 minutes those three have played together. Only six of those 500-plus trios have worse scoring margins. (Four of those six come from Sacramento.)

[Jclaw]

What a professional game thread, OP!

[G__Deane]

"Not only does Toronto not have play on the road in the Western Conference again this season, the Raptors have played just 20 games at home, the fewest in the NBA. Of their 36 remaining games just 15 are on the road while 21 are at home, where they are 17-3, the second-best home record in the NBA after the San Antonio Spurs, who are 20-3."

The biggest problem (also defensive rebounding) is they are 26th in the NBA in 3 point shooting accuracy and throw up too many from guys who ..... just shouldn't be.

Don't take the UT and Lakers games lightly and keep rolling.

[slaw]

Time to make hay boys. 10 of the next 14 are at home and it's hardly a murderer's row of opponents, only one back-to-back, plus they get a full 8 days off for the all star break.