The Los Angeles Clippers (2-2) and Utah Jazz (2-2) are both having mercurial stints in the ongoing 2016-2017 NBA Preseason Games. They square off at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Oct. 17, Monday to continue their respective preseason campaigns.
Start Time and Streaming Info
The game starts at 9:00 p.m. ET. It can be viewed live online thru the NBA League Pass.
Preview
The Clippers nipped the Portland Trail Blazers, 109-108, during their most recent game on Oct. 13 at the Staples Center to notch their second win in the preseason.
Clippers head coach Doc Rivers started his Big Three of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan together with JJ Redick and Luc Mbah a Moute, which is the team's projected starting lineup in the upcoming regular season.
Griffin had an outstanding all-around game with 26 points, five rebounds, two steals, one assist, and a block in 25 minutes. Paul had a double-double with 10 points and 10 assists plus three rebounds while Jordan had nine boards to lead the team in rebounding.
Off the bench, new acquisitions Brandon Bass and Marreese Speights scored 16 points each while contributing a combined 14 rebounds. Paul Pierce and Austin Rivers were not fielded in even as they were on the bench during the game.
Meanwhile, the Jazz was at the opposite end of a close match as they were defeated by the Phoenix Suns, 111-110, also at the Vivint Smart Home Arena on Oct. 12.
Jazz head coach Quin Snyder is still without main man Gordon Hayward, who is still sidelined after fracturing the fourth finger on his left hand during practice on Oct. 7. Hayward is expected to return after six weeks.
Utah had veterans Joe Johnson, Boris Diaw, and George Hill with rising stars Rudy Gobert and Dante Exum as their starting lineup at the moment.
Exum top scored for the Jazz during the game with 18 points. He also had one rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 27 minutes of action.
Gobert continued to dominate inside the paint during the preseason with 17 points, eight rebounds, and two shot blocks in only 19 minutes of play.
Off the bench, Joel Bolomboy and Trey Lyles contributed 12 and 10 points respectively.
Prediction
It will be a close game depending on how many minutes Gobert plays. However, the Clippers are favored to prevail on the road against the Jazz.
