Published on: Apr 6, 2022 10:28 pm IST|Updated on: Apr 6, 2022 10:28 pm IST
UTA vs OKC Dream11: NBA Regular Season is going to say bye-bye to all of us. Soon the Postseason will arrive and the Playoffs will bring a lot of intensity to the floor. However, before we go there, there will be a lot to play for various teams and so will be the case for the Utah Jazz will host the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Jazz will be looking to put their firm grasp on fifth place and the season has been rather a tough one for the team. Utah will most likely draw a match-up against the Mavericks or Warriors. On the other hand, the Oklahoma City Thunder has been fielding all sorts of lineups and at this point, the remaining games are the fillers for them.
Host: Utah Jazz Visitors: Oklahoma City Thunder Match Timing: 7 April, @ 06:30 AM Venue: Vivint Smart Home Arena
The Jazz defeated the Grizzlies 121:115 as Rudy Gobert had another 20+ rebounds night and Clarkson poured in 22 points.
The Jazz has not played their best basketball recently but a win versus the Grizzlies surely would have bolstered the confidence of the squad. The Jazz will most likely go up against the Mavericks or Warriors, two sturdy teams but the Warriors have looked more vulnerable these days. However, whatever may be the case, they have their work cut out against either of the two opponents. The Jazz has their work cut out to avoid a First Round exit.
Mitchell has run out of steam in a couple of games and I think he can be rested for the game though he hasn’t been listed as out at the time of writing. The Jazz will need a cohesive strategy entering the Playoffs and both Conley and Bogdanovic will need to up their games to avoid the burden on Mitchell. Gobert has been getting it done while Clarkson has been a force too but I believe the Jazz’s chances will hinge upon how Bogdanovic and Conley respond during the Postseason.
The third/fourth string unit of Thunder downed Trail Blazers 98:94 in the last game as Jaylen Hoard compiled 20+ points and 20 rebounds night
Out of nowhere, some players have figured in the deep Thunder roster and they are surely fielding strange lineups these days. However, these are players that have made it to the NBA so they are professional athletes that have worked on their craft. Jaylen Hoard has been a big-time producer and is putting the league on notice but perhaps an extended bench role is the best he will get. Where will he be in the offseason?
This offseason will be huge for the Thunder and perhaps they will need to draft someone who can complement Giddey, Shai, and Dort, a two-way Center can really transform them into a competitive considering that they showed immense strength on the defensive end. Three-point shooting is another area that needs to be addressed and Tre Mann has shown some spark as a perimeter shooter. So, how will they go on about it during the offseason?
Oklahoma City Thunder(Eliminated from Playoffs) | Utah Jazz (5th in West) Games: 79 | 79 Wins: 25 | 47 Defeats: 54 | 32
Utah Jazz Team News
Jazz Expected Starting Five Scoring Wing: SF: Bojan Bogdanovic Frontline: PF: Royce O’Neale | C: Rudy Gobert Guards: PG: Donovan Mitchell | PG: Mike Conley
BENCH: Jordan Clarkson, Rudy Gay, Eric Paschall, Elijah Hughes, Danuel House Jr., Nickeill Alexander-Walker, Jared Butler.
Oklahoma City Thunder Team News
Thunder Expected Starting Five Middle: PF: Isaiah Roby| C: Aleksej Pokusevski Guards: PG: Theo Maledon | PG: Tre Mann | SG: Aaron Wiggins
BENCH: Olivier Sarr, Lindy Waters III, Vit Krejci, Jaylen Hoard, Georges KALAITZAKIS, Zavier Simpson.
Donovan Mitchell(UTA) Points: 20 Rebounds: 09 Assists: 05 Steals: 01 Shooting Guard Donovan has been a huge difference-maker but his shooting efficiency is a bit down these days. The Guard has mostly been in 25+ points and 3+ assists range. He can be selected as a Star/Pro Player in the Dream 11 NBA Fantasy scenario. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 36-50
Theo Maledon(OKC) has mostly been in 18-23 points and 5-6 assists range these days. He wasn’t given any minutes in the last game. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 24-30
Rudy Gobert(UTA) Points: 22 Rebounds: 21 Assists: 01 Blocks: 01 Steals: 01 Center Gobert has been an incredible inside player who can be strong around the rim with his defense, rebounding, and scoring. He has been big on rebounds, grabbing at least 16 rebounds a game, scoring 12+ points, and getting 1-3 blocks per game regularly. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 33-44
Aleksej Pokusevski(OKC) has mostly been in 11-17 points, 5-8 rebounds, 5+ assists range. He was also not given any minutes in the last game but has been effective more often than not. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 25-34
Mike Conley(UTA) Points: 13 Rebounds: 06 Assists: 08 Steals: 01 One-guard Conley has done much better as a playmaker, and scorer, and will be huge once the Playoffs arrive. He has mostly been in the 13-19 point and 4-8 assists range these days. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 25-34
Isaiah Roby(UTA) Points: 18 Rebounds: 06 Assists: 03 Steals: 01 Big Roby has done well these days and has extended his game. He has mostly been in 11-16 points and 6-9 rebounds range. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 25-34
PG: T Maledon, D Mitchell(SP), J Clarkson SG: M Conley SF: A Pokusevski, B Bogdanovic PF: J Hoard C: R Gobert(PP)
Don’t you wanna catch some deep end bench players for the Thunder that have been getting it done? However, If you are an NBA viewer in India, this game can’t be viewed on the TV outlets MTV and VH1. On the other hand, streaming platforms Voot and JIO TV are not going to display the game. Anyway, these services at most show one game per day, and if you want to watch multiple games at the same time, purchase the annual subscription of the NBA League Pass. To learn the scores, news, and stats, you can go to the official website of the NBA.