A 5-game winning streak has the Utah Jazz feeling a little better about themselves than a couple weeks ago. But all 5 of those wins are against teams with a losing record. Tonight’s game against the Miami Heat will be a much better test. The Heat are 21-8 overall and 12-1 at home. 538 gives the Jazz just a 34% chance of winning, so I hope Jazzland is ready for a tougher test.

The story of the last several games for the Jazz has been how great the starters play and how terrible the bench plays. That explains why the margin of victory has been so slim against such poor teams. Last game forced Quin Snyder to make some adjustments, opting for Tony Bradley instead of Ed Davis in the second half. Will he continue to play with the lineups and find something that works better?

Game Info

When: Monday, Dec. 23, 2019 • 5:30 PM MT

Where: AmericanAirlines Arena • Miami, FL

TV: AT&T Sports Net Rocky Mountain, Fox Sports Sun- Miami

Radio: 97.5 FM | 1280 AM The Zone

What to watch for

Rudy Gobert vs. Bam Adebayo

Bam Adebayo has made a substantial jump in his 3rd year in the league. He’s having a career year across the board. Averaging 15.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game he’s been a vital piece to the Heat’s success this season.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Rudy Gobert is still the superior basketball player. And he’s on an absolute tear in the month of December. He’s putting up 17.4 points and 14.3 rebounds on 71.1% shooting from the field. He’s been a force and played a big role in Utah’s success, per usual.

This should make for a fun matchup tonight as 2 old-school centers go after it.

Mandatory Highlight

Is this highlight selected every time the Jazz play in Miami? Probably. But it’s just too good not to watch over and over again.

Game Thread Ground Rules

Welcome to the SLC Dunk Game Thread.

Dunkers know how this thing works, but for you lurkers ready to make the jump to Dunker, we have a few guidelines. Remember to follow our community guidelines (no swearing, trolling, excessive use of Jerry Sloan’s name in vain, no personal attacks, no debates about Utah liquor laws, etc.). Remember to have fun. Anyone who dare blasphemes that Tim Duncan was a Power Forward (this means you, Pounding the Rock), Ben Simmons can hit threes, Gordon Hayward should not be booed, Exum Island isn’t a 5-Star resort, Donovan Mitchell is Monta Ellis 2.0, men should never cry, or John Stockton is not the best point guard of all-time will receive an automatic ban. Just kidding. But seriously.