by Alma Bean
Feature Image by Scott G Winterton of Deseret News
The Utah Jazz (26-29) takes on the Golden State Warriors (26-26) in the final game before the All-Star break.
What to Look For
This matchup is a makeup that was originally scheduled for January 17, but was rescheduled due to the unfortunate passing of Dejan Milojevic. With this match being rescheduled for February 15, both teams will be on a SEGABABA before heading into the All-Star break. What makes this match a little more interesting is that these teams played each other earlier in the week on Monday. Golden State got the convincing win 129-107 after an impressive 15-point quarter from Stephen Curry. Even with the defensive clinic being shown by Kris Dunn, the restructuring of Utah’s roster proved to be a looming problem throughout the night.
Speaking of defense, Walker Kessler wasa consistent force at the rim in their previous matchup. Being one of three players at or above zero in plus/minus rating (Dunn and Talen Horton-Tucker), Kessler affecting shots by players such as Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga and Kevon Looney in the paint could be a game changer as long as the perimeter is covered.
Key of the Game
Perimeter defense. In their previous matchup against Utah, Golden State had six players who shot 50 percent or better from the perimeter. Even though that stat sounds bad for Utah, it only gets worse from there. Curry and Klay Thompson were not apart of those six players. Curry shot 7/16 (43.8%) while Thompson shot 3/7 (42.9%). Having two well known perimeter shooters combine for 23 three-point attempts with the duo going 6/8 (75%) in the fourth quarter, Utah can’t allow Golden State to repeat that performance if they want to win this game.
Injury Report
Golden State – Chris Paul (hand) Out
Utah – Johnny Juzang (G League) Out, Micah Potter (G League) Out, Jason Preston (G League) Out
Where to Watch
Tip-off will be at 7:00 p.m. MST on KJZZ and Jazz+.
The Hive Sports 
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