3. Continue recent second-half hot streak
One of the hottest teams prior to and around the All-Star break wasn’t the Golden State Warriors, the Houston Rockets or the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was the Utah Jazz.
Entering Monday’s game against the Rockets in Utah, the Jazz have maintained the title of one of the NBA’s hottest teams as of late.
In its last 15 games, Utah holds a record of 13-2 to climb back into the Western Conference playoff race as the regular season nears an end. During that span, the Jazz also recorded an 11-game winning streak that stretched from Jan. 24-Feb. 14.
During that successful 15-game period, Utah has ranked first in defensive rating (98.7), first in opponents point allowed per game (99), third in net rating (9.9), third in 3-point percentage (39.9), third in total rebounds (46.3), eighth in field goal percentage (47.5 percent), 11th in steals (7.7), 11th in blocks (4.9) and 13th in points per game (108).
The turnaround that the Jazz have pulled together in the second half of the year has been important in saving their season. The more important thing Utah needs to focus on is continuing that hot stretch for the rest of the year to give itself a chance at reaching the postseason.