Utah Jazz (1-9) at Golden State Warriors (6-3)
Tipoff: Mon. 11/18/2013, 6:00PM PDT
Location: EnergySolutions Arenaa, Salt Lake City, UT
TV: CSNBA | Radio: KNBR 680 AM
Livetweet: @LetsGoWarriors (@goldenstatenz & @samesfandiari)
For the Golden State Warriors, it’s Round 2 of a home-and-home series with the Utah Jazz. The Warriors held up in Oracle on Saturday night and set their sets on improving on a road record that’s currently sub-.500.
After dominating the Jazz at Oracle Arena just two nights ago, the Warriors look to do so again, this time in Salt Lake City. The Warriors capitalized on their advantages in their last match-up, winning nearly every major category outside of 3-point shooting.
If the Dubs can handle the Jazz so easily even without being the better shooting team from downtown, then they ought to come away with a second consecutive victory against Utah tonight.
Once again, the rebounding battle will be important. The Warriors netted a 10-rebound advantage (42-32) in their win Saturday, but you can probably expect the trio of young big men in Utah’s front-court to up the ante tonight.
It’s important to note that the Dubs are now down two key reserves in Jermaine O’Neal and Toney Douglas. Both are out recovering from injury and the Warriors signed training camp invite Dewayne Dedmon from Santa Cruz to help fill in for O’Neal while both he and Festus Ezeli are out.
Dedmon will be available tonight against the Jazz, but it’s probably more likely that Mareese Speights and Draymond green get extended minutes at center and power forward. Dedmon could see court time if the Warriors get in foul-trouble or could get some action in garbage time.
If the Warriors are to establish themselves as an elite team in the West, they need to take care of games like these. Road games against struggling opponents have always been a source of frustration for hopeful Warriors fans, who have seen their team lose to teams they shouldn’t far too many times.
Improving on a poor road record, and being able to take control of games against inferior teams on the road will show the Warriors have the focus and the talent to enforce their game plan even on nights where there doesn’t seem to be much to play for.
Hopefully, the Warriors aren’t looking too far ahead at their home rematch against the Memphis Grizzlies, who delivered them their worst loss of the seasons thus far in an 18-point loss at the Fed-Ex Forum.
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