by Alma Bean
Feature Image: Photo by Rick Bowmer of AP Photo.
The Utah Jazz (32-35) travels to take on the Charlotte Hornets (22-46) in the fifth game of their six-game road trip.
What to Look For
This game is going to be a show of confidence. Utah coming in with a win to end a four-game losing streak while Charlotte is looking to extend their current winning streak to three games. For the month of March, Charlotte has relied on the scoring of Kelly Oubre Jr., who is averaging 25.2 PPG this month. Even with Oubre scoring at will, Charlotte is averaging 101.6 PPG, the lowest in the league for March. Utah is still staying near their season average in points per game in March at 117.3.
On Utah’s road trip, they are 1-3 with all three losses coming to teams who are currently under .500. With Utah’s road record for the season is 12-22, Utah may be seen as a favorite on paper, but not a clear front-runner to win. Charlotte is returning home after a successful three-game road trip, but like Utah’s road record, Charlotte has a stunning 11-20 home record. These teams will put on a show till the final buzzer, but there is no clear winner for this matchup.
Key of the Game
Make Mark Williams work in the paint. This will be the second time that these two teams will meet, but the first time since Charlotte traded the starting center, Mason Plumlee. With Plumlee no longer on the roster, Charlotte has turned to their young roster to fill the gap. In the month of March, Williams is averaging 8.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 0.6 BPG. Over time, two categories stand out, field goal percentage (60%) and free throw percentage (53.8%). Williams will have a tough battle against Walker Kessler, who during the month of March is averaging 13.3 PPG, 10.3 RPG, and 4.0 BPG. Kessler’s field goal percentage (85.7%) and free throw percentage (80%) should be eye-opening for Charlotte’s coaching staff.
Injury Report
Charlotte- LaMelo Ball: Out (ankle)
Utah- Jordan Clarkson: Questionable (hand), Micah Potter: Out (G League), Collin Sexton: Out (hamstring)
Where to Watch
Tip-off between Charlotte and Utah will be at 5:00 p.m. MT on AT&T SportsNet.