Utah Jazz at Atlanta Hawks -- Game Thread

NBA Regular Season Game #29:
Utah Jazz (7-21) @ Atlanta Hawks (14-12)

December Game Streams / Peachtree Hoops (SBN) / Jazz vs Hawks coverage

SO MANY REVENGE GAMES!

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Let me tell you about the worst game of basketball I ever saw. It was the Milwaukee Bucks on the road playing the Atlanta Hawks. It was in Adam Keefe's rookie year (he was a lotto pick btw), and the star on the Bucks team was Theodore Blue Edwards. The majority of the game was played to the soundtrack of sneaker squeaks as no one was at the Omni to watch this winter matchup on a Friday night, early in the season. The best play of the game was in the first quarter, a Blue Edwards dunk in traffic, where he took off from the circle (so like maybe 12-13 feet out). He dunked it and no one cared. The Bucks ended up winning 106-93, Blue had 31 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 1 steal. Keefe finished with 8 points off of 2 shots, 5 rebounds, and 1 steal. Both teams shot in the low 40 fg% range, and there were a total of 27 turn overs and 59 free throw attempts. It was brutal. But it was basketball, NBA basketball, and I was very lucky to be watching it. I didn't always live in the United States, and if a game was broadcast in the world where I was I was going to watch it.

Today I can watch every game on my TV, computer, PS4, tablet, or cell phone. And for a moment before I remembered how barren my life was without the access that I today take for granted, I was planning on skipping this game. It's Atlanta, a boring team. And we're in the middle of a road trip. And I wasn't going to watch, which is silly. I should watch.

And I will watch. Every moment of this game. Years ago, 20 to be exact, the closest I could get to watching the Jazz play was to watch a team that had a former (and future) Jazz player on it. That's how bad it used to be. Now I can watch Jazz games from airplanes, high above the earth.

And I feel like this is going to be a good game. Atlanta is way better than us, and are build for the playoffs. We're been specifically built for the lottery. But I think we're playing a lot better than our record indicates. I've been encouraged by the things our team is doing right, right now. The rotations are better. The team is healthier. Our young players (for the most part) are performing when their numbers have been called. I like this team. And I am lucky to be able to have a team to root for and watch.

So I know it's a cold Friday night, it's an early game, but it's still a Utah Jazz game. And we are still Utah Jazz fans. And, hey, don't you want to see which player on our team goes for 30 tonight? (We've had one every game so far this road trip.)

Probable Starters:

• Point Guard: Trey Burke vs. Jeff Teague
• Shooting Guard: Gordon Hayward vs. Kyle Korver
• Small Forward: Richard Jefferson vs. DeMarre Carroll
• Power Forward: Marvin Williams vs. Paul Millsap
• Center: Derrick Favors vs. Al Horford

Injury Report:

• Cartier Martin (ankle) will miss tonight's game, so more time for Kyle Korver and DeMarre Carroll
• Gustavo Ayon (ankle) is doubtful for tonight's game, but no news yet on if he is going to give it a go

GO JAZZ GO!