Fresh off an overtime victory against the Boston Celtics, the Los Angeles Lakers are back in action to play host to the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.
The Lakers are still winless on the road in 2015, as they hope to end their long 11-game road losing streak which is the longest in franchise history.
Though, it’s not going to be easy, as the Jazz are playing their best basketball of the season, winning the last four out of five games. During this hot stretch they’ve defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers, and San Antonio Spurs, all teams over .500.
Utah traded starting center Enes Kanter before the deadline, creating more playing opportunity for the young Frenchman Rudy Gobert. “The Stifle Tower” has powered Utah’s defense over the last two games, as they have only allowed 79 points per game on 38.4 percent shooting.
The Jazz beat the defending champions San Antonio Spurs in their last game on Monday, 90-81. Gobert plucked 14 rebounds to go along with seven points and three blocks. Trey Burke scored a game-high 23 points off the bench, while Gordon Hayward added 18 of his own.
The Lakers, meanwhile, ended their eight-game losing streak in their last game with a win over the Celtics in overtime, 118-111. Jeremy Lin led all scorers with 25 points and carried the team to victory late in the game. The Lakers bench was unbelievably superb again, scoring 84 of the teams 118 points.
This game will be the second meeting between the Jazz and Lakers this year. The first meeting was played in Salt Lake City as well on January 16. The Jazz came out on top in that game, beating the Lakers, 94-85. Young led Los Angeles with his 23 points on 13 of 13 from the free-throw line. However, Gordon Hayward’s 31 points and seven assists were too much for the Lakers to overcome.
Nick Young, who has been an offensive mess of late, pulled out of his shooting slump in Sunday’s win. He scored 22 points on 5 of 9 shooting, which is what the Lakers will need in this game. After all, Young seems to like playing in Utah since he has averaged 28.3 points at the EnergySolutions Arena over the last three encounters, including a 41-point performance late last season.
The Lakers will be without the services of guard Ronnie Price, who opted to have season-ending elbow surgery on Tuesday afternoon.
Utah is the sixth best shot blocking team in the NBA, so the Lakers will have to be wary when driving to the basket. Rudy Gobert, who is averaging 2.2 blocks, protects the paint extremely well due to his length and athleticism. In addition to shot blocking, Gobert alters so many shots around the rim, as opponents are always intimidated by his freakishly long arms.
The Lakers, coming in with a 6-22 away record, will have a tough time ending their long, dreadful road losing. The Jazz, despite a 21-34 overall record, play fairly well at home, as they are 12-15 at the EnergySolutions Arena.
The game tips off at 9 pm Eastern Standard Time.