The Utah Jazz (43-27) are in Indiana to play a game of basketball against the Indiana Pacers (35-34). The Pacers are 5-5 in their last 10 games. More importantly, they have been alternating wins and losses for the past 12 games. If the mysterious pattern is to continue to hold true then Indiana is due for a win tonight. On the other side of the court you have our benevolent Utah Jazz who have made a habit of winning and losing games in little mini-streaks all season. Utah is coming off consecutive road losses vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls. Utah won the first match-up 109-100 back on January 21 in a game that saw George Hill torch his former team for 30 points and saw Paul George get ejected.

Indiana is anchored by Paul George (22P/6R/3A) Jeff Teague (15P/4R/7A) and Myles Turner (> Trey Lyles’ P/R/A). The Pacers are the Eastern Conference 6 seed at the moment and are a respectable 24-10 at home this season. are coming off a 116-91 bludgeoning at the hands talons of the Toronto Raptors last night. Peep the highlights below.

I would post some highlights of Utah’s most recent game but this is a tasteful, decent site that won’t purvey that kind of filth to our loyal readers. Instead have a picture of Karl Malone body-slamming Hulk Hogan.

Starting Lineups:

George Hill vs Jeff Teague

Rodney Hood(?) vs C.J. Miles

Gordon Hayward vs Paul George

Joe Johnson vs Thaddeus Young

Rudy Gobert vs Myles Turner

Marquee Matchup: Rudy Gobert vs Myles Turner

Yeah yeah, I get it. Everyone’s gonna be watching GH vs PG-13. I can’t, in good conscience, say that a slumping Gordon Hayward (30% FG, 13.5 PPG in last 2) should be featured here. Rudy, on the other hand, has been bringing it consistently and Myles Turner might be the most talented sophomore in the NBA without a hyphenated first name. I’d rather watch those two battle than watch Hayward and George usage rate the night away. It’s a new NBA folks. Deal with it.

Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

X-Factor: End-of-Roadtrip Lethargy

The Jazz are playing their last game of a 4-game Eastern Conference road trip. They have looked a little worn down in their last two contests and despite having a day off yesterday they will probably still be tired (as human nature would have it). Indiana played in Toronto yesterday and they will probably be tired too. Whichever team can shake off the chains of their repressive human condition and find the will to out-hustle the other team will win. That’s some pretty base-level analysis considering the team that hustles more generally wins most games. While I’m here I’ll go out on a limb and say that whichever team scores more points is almost certainly going to win tonight.

Prediction: Jazz L

This is self-fulfilling, really, as I’ll either be right or I’ll be sacrificed at the altar of the reverse jinx, which makes me a martyr I think?

Go Jazz Go!