Pelicans Pose Tough Test For Jazz
Mar 4, 2022, 12:54 PM | Updated: 1:05 pm
Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz controls the ball against Herbert Jones #5 of the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half of their game at the Vivint Smart Home Arena on November 26, 2021 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz will face a tough test Friday night when they play the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center.
Though the Pelicans currently sit in the 10th seed in the Western Conference, they’ve won six of their last 10 games, and haven’t lost since the All-Star break.
The Jazz meanwhile will look to keep their road momentum going after beating the Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets to open their five-game road trip.
Jazz Getting Healthier
The Jazz owned the best record in the Western Conference in February, finishing 8-1, and seeing head coach Quin Snyder taking home the Coach of the Month award for their efforts.
Much of the Jazz success has coincided with a return to health after a dreadful 4-12 January.
For the fourth time in his career, @utahjazz coach Quin Snyder has been named the @NBA Coach of the Month for the Western Conference. #TakeNote https://t.co/XxQE11iVUg
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 3, 2022
Outside of rookie Jared Butler, the Jazz have a fully healthy roster heading into face New Orleans, a rare opportunity after COVID and a rash of injuries struck the team shortly after the new year.
The Jazz are the only one-loss team in the NBA over their 10 games and will look to extend that streak in their final meeting of the season against the Pelicans.
Pelicans Riding Hot Streak
Though the Jazz have been the best team in the NBA since February 1, the Pelicans have been the league’s most impressive team since returning from the All-Star break.
New Orleans has gone 3-0 including a 15 point win on the road in Phoenix, followed up by blowout wins over the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings.
Some of last night’s top plays with @NTGraff on the call 🤩
📻: @ESPNRadioNOLA pic.twitter.com/yU9aXdR7Ye
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) February 28, 2022
The Pelicans have the fourth-ranked offensive over their last three games and the league’s top defense, allowing just 96.4 points per 100 possessions.
New Orleans has gotten a significant boost on the offensive end since acquiring CJ McCollum at the NBA trade deadline. Over his last eight games, McCollum is averaging 26.6 points, 6.0 assists, and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 52 percent from the floor and 41 percent from the three-point line.
Broadcast
The Jazz and Pelicans will tip-off at 6 pm MT and can be heard on The Zone Sports Network. The game will be televised on AT&T SportsNet and FuboTV.
