Utah Jazz vs Sacramento Kings Game Thread

Tonight is the third game in the Utah Jazz (14-10) 's five game home stand. The visitors tonight? The Sacramento Kings (8-14). The Kangs are a talented team that is playing worse than they are capable of. They aren't so hot on the road, but to be honest, the Jazz haven't been so hot at home either. And that sucks. But that's just the way this 2016-2017 season has been like so far.

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Team Breakdown:

These two teams have some similarities, pace is the most obvious one.

Kings:

• Offense: 103.0 ppg (19th)
  
• Defense: 104.0 ppg (16th)
• Pace: 95.3 possessions (21st)
• ORTG: 106.6 PTS/100 (14th)
• DRTG: 107.6 PTS/100 (17th)

Jazz:

• Offense: 100.3 ppg (24th)
  
• Defense: 96.0 ppg (1st)
• Pace: 91.6 possessions (30th)
• ORTG: 109.5 PTS/100 (7th)
• DRTG: 104.8 PTS/100 (10th)

All things being equal, these are not two equal teams. Utah is the "better" team, but is way less healthier. That is a real equalizer.

Fan Map:

Heyyyyyyy, two small market teams!

Recency Bias:

The Jazz and Kings have played quite a few games, over 100 in the regular season alone! Utah is 99-81 overall, and 64-26 at home. Of course, the two teams also saw one another in the NBA Playoffs as well. In the Playoffs things haven't really gone our way, with the Jazz being only 5-9. They won the 1999 series 3-2, but lost the 2002 and 2003 series 1-3 and 1-4. Each of the times they met it was in the first round, and back then the first round way usually a 'best of five' series. I don't know what would have happened if it was a seven game series each time, but they are winning 2-1 in the playoffs when it matters.

What about last season? The two teams played only three times, with the Kings winning 2-1 there as well.

Sacramento has been winning games in Utah for a while now in the DeMarcus / Derrick era. So I wouldn't be shocked to see the Kings come out swinging tonight, and stay in it all game long.

Presumed Starters:

• PG: Darren Collison vs. Shelvin Mack, sorry Dante Exum
  
• SG: Ben McLemore vs. Joe Ingles
  
• SF: Rudy Gay vs. Gordon Hayward
  
• PF: Kosta Koufos vs. Boris Diaw
  
• C: DeMarcus Cousins vs. Rudy Gobert

Injuries / Absences:

• PG: George Hill (UTA, OUT)
  
• SG: Rodney Hood (UTA, OUT), Alec Burks (UTA, OUT), Malachi Richardson (SAC, NBADL)
  
• SF: Gordon Hayward (UTA, Good to go), Matt Barnes (SAC, Good to go)
  
• PF: Derrick Favors (UTA, OUT), Skal Labissiere (SAC, NBADL)
  
• C: Georgios Papagiannis (SAC, NBADL)

GO JAZZ GO!