by Alma Bean
Feature Image: Photo by Trent Nelson of the Salt Lake Tribune.
The Utah Jazz (35-37) will welcome the number one team in the league, the Milwaukee Bucks (52-20) in their final matchup of the season.
What to Look For
Milwaukee is coming into this game on a two-game win streak to start a four-game road trip. Utah fans will be excited to see Joe Ingles, a former Jazz man from the 2014-15 to 2021-22 seasons, after last seeing him suffer a gruesome ACL tear on January 30, 2022. Ingles’ last game in Utah was a loss against the Pheonix Suns on January 26, 2022. Since joining Milwaukee this past offseason, Ingles has had solid productivity from the bench averaging 7.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 3.2 APG. Utah will look to match Ingles with the defensive presence of Kris Dunn. Dunn since he joined Utah this season is averaging 12 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 5.2 APG over 12 games.
Key of the Game
Battle in the paint. With MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo on the floor, he always has command in the paint. Currently shooting 58.8 percent within the perimeter, Antetokounmpo will be a hard matchup for Walker Kessler. Expect Kessler to create some issues as the game plays through but Antetokounmpo should get a few easy buckets on Kessler to start the game. Once Antetokounmpo is subbed out Brook Lopez should prove to be a problem for Kessler with his ability to stretch the floor and protect the rim. If Utah does start to struggle in the paint, fouling may not seem too bad as Milwaukee has the third-worst free throw percentage in the league at 74 percent.
Injury Report
Milwaukee- Jae Crowder: Out (calf), Goran Dragic: Out (knee), Meyers Leonard: Out (calf), Khris Middleton: Out (knee)
Utah- Jordan Clarkson: Out (hand), Rudy Gay: Out (back) Johnny Juzang: Questionable (hip), Lauri Markkanen (wrist), Collin Sexton: Out (hamstring)
Where to Watch
Tip-off between Milwaukee and Utah will be at 7:00 p.m. MT on AT&T SportsNet.