Utah Jazz Aim To Steal Game 2 In OKC

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SteemSports Presenter:@mateonav53

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SteemSports Editor:@scottybuckets

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Game 1 of the first round series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz was a competitive back-and-forth that saw stars from each squad take it up a notch. Russell Westbrook almost broke the triple-double barrier with 29 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists while teammate Paul George balled out to the tune of 36 points(8-11 from three). The Jazz and Donovan Mitchell (27 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists) fought back valiantly but fell short by 8 points 108-116. They'll return to the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City for Game 2.

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Mitchell sustained a toe injury in the second half Game 1 after crashing into Corey Brewer and had to sit out for some time. He was diagnosed with a left foot contusion and the ensuing MRI came back negative. After the game, he remarked that he felt fine, and it only felt like he stubbed his toe per Sports Illustrated. He's labeled as questionable but I think he should be good to go for Game 2. Since he's young he'll probably recover quickly and look OK out on the floor.

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Paul George looked hobbled too after he had his amazing performance in the series opener. He had to lay down on the ground with an athletic trainer massaging his lower back for the final minute of the contest. It seems it's being classified as a right hip contusion per Royce Young from ESPN, but it's not clear when he sustained it in-game. He's also planning on suiting up for Game 2, saying the playoffs are too important to miss. It's a good thing Mitchell and George have two full days to recover. These playoffs already have enough injured stars, it would be horrible to lose more.

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Quinn Snyder has coached the Jazz magnificently this year and deservedly generated some Coach Of The Year buzz. He's going to focus on containing Paul George and making life hard for anyone on the perimeter. The Jazz actually did a decent job at defending the paint (only 32 compared to 50 for Utah) and limiting the Thunder's offensive rebounding (just 9) so look for them to continue that trend spearheaded by Rudy Gobert. OKC was just knocking it down like crazy from the perimeter (almost 50% as a team), particularly Paul George AKA Playoff P. Playoff P isn't going to drain eight triples this time though.

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Paul George might be a step slower on defense because of his right hip injury. He did such a great job defending Jazz marksman Joe Ingles. George bodied up to him for 36 possessions and only let him score twice. It's not like the Jazz run every play for Ingles, but he could be integral in creating a snowball effect from the three-point line with a Utah lead. If George isn't operating at his defensive best, maybe Billy Donovan will throw Cory Brewer on him, who was guarding Donovan Mitchell a lot in Game 1.

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The Utah Jazz put their foot down and dominated the opening minutes of Game 1 by making the Thunder play at a quick pace, but they didn't win when the score got too high in the regular season. They let opponents score 116+ points in seven games this year and lost every time per Fansided. When you've got athletes like Russell Westbrook who can play fast and set their home arena on fire with an electric dunk, you're probably better off controlling the shot clock and slowing the game down by running plays in the half court. Take those transition opportunities when you get them, but don't take shots too early in the clock because it may shift the momentum quickly in favor of the Thunder. Now that the majority of the Utah guys have played their first playoff minutes, we will see how they adapt to the spotlight again in Game 2. I think the Thunder will have a quieter game from George but a big performance from Westbrook and will walk away with a Game 2 win 105-89

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Thank you for following @steemsports and you can find me @mateonav53

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