The San Antonio Spurs will travel to Vivint Smart Home Arena to take on the Utah Jazz. Action begins at 10:30 pm ET on Thursday, Feb. 25 and can be seen on FSW.
The Jazz enter this game hoping for similar success after barely hanging on to beat the Rockets 117-114 on Tuesday. Gordon Hayward was the team’s leading scorer with 28 points on 6-for-7 shooting. The Spurs, meanwhile, are coming off a 108-92 win against the Kings on Wednesday. Danny Green played well for San Antonio, accounting for 16 points, seven rebounds, and three steals.
Derrick Favors and Hayward have been better than usual over the last five games for the Jazz. During that stretch, Favors has averaged 20.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.8 blocks, while Hayward has recorded 22.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.8 three-pointers a game.
Expect this one to be a clinic on boxing out, as two of the NBA’s top rebounding teams face off. Utah is among the league’s best on the offensive glass, ranking fourth in offensive rebound percentage at 26.4%. Meanwhile, San Antonio ranks second in the NBA at corralling defensive boards with a defensive rebound percentage of 79.4%.
The Spurs have emerged victorious in both games against the Jazz this year, including a decisive 123-98 victory in their last matchup. Tim Duncan had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 18 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and one steal.
Notes
The San Antonio Spurs have a dazzling 40-3 record when their opponents score fewer than 100 points this season. The Utah Jazz are 14-20 when they score less than 100.
San Antonio is 8-6 when allowing 100 or more points this season. The Jazz have a winning 14-8 record when hitting triple digits.
The Spurs have the third-best offensive rating in the NBA (109.8). The Jazz are also in the top half of the league based on their defensive rating of 103.4 (ranked 14th).
The San Antonio Spurs have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking first in the league with a FG% of 49.1%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Utah Jazz have an abysmal 1-8 record.
On average, Utah attempts 23.0 three pointers and San Antonio attempts 18.0 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Jazz have a 10-12 record while the Spurs are even at 1-1.
San Antonio ranks at the top of the league with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.95. Utah ranks 28th with an A/TO of 1.32.
The Jazz rank 21st in rebounds per game with 42.8, while the Spurs rank 10th with 44.4 per game.
The San Antonio Spurs rank 25th in offensive rebounding, while the Utah Jazz also rank 25th in defensive rebounds.
San Antonio averages a forced turnover rate of 14.9% this season, ranked eighth in the league. Utah has a 17-14 record when they suffer a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this.
