After dropping their first two games of the season, the Jazz have caught fire and won three straight games to improve to 3-2, and they have done so behind the play of their newly acquired point guard George Hill. Hill has never been much of a scoring threat over the course of his NBA career, but he is averaging a team-high 21.4 points per game through Utah’s first five and is shooting a scorching 55 percent from the field and 43 percent from behind the arc. With Jazz star Gordon Hayward (finger) still expected to miss at least another week, Hill will have to continue to produce on the offensive end to keep Utah in a good position upon the small forward’s return to the court.
The Spurs, on the other hand, are completely healthy and off to a great 4-1 start to the season. That one loss, however, came on Tuesday to none other than the Jazz, as Utah kept San Antonio scoreless for the final 3:47 of the fourth quarter. The Spurs will be seeking revenge this time around behind the play of their star small forward Kawhi Leonard, who is averaging 28.4 points per game through the team’s first five games, which is currently good for the seventh highest total in the NBA. In their game against the Jazz, Leonard dropped 30 points and grabbed seven rebounds in 36 minutes, and given the Jazz’s stingy defense, San Antonio will need another All-Star performance from him.
The bad news for the Spurs as they look to avoid dropping two straight games to the Jazz, is they’ll be without starting point guard Tony Parker, who is currently dealing with soreness in his right knee. Look for backup Patty Mills to get the start and play a heavy dose of minutes on Friday.
