The Golden State Warriors host the Utah Jazz in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinals series Thursday. The Warriors won Game 1 106-94 and now the Jazz are without starting point guard George Hill. The Warriors are favored once again, but can the Jazz pull off the upset? Here's our preview and prediction for tonight's game.
Game Info:
When: 10:30 PM EST
Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA
TV: ESPN
Spread: Warriors by 13.5
O/U: 205
What They're Saying About The Golden State Warriors:
David West's Passing An Asset (SF Chronicle)
Warriors Aim To Bottle Up Gordon Hayward (CSN Bay Area)
Draymond Green Is The Ultimate Playoff Cheat Code (Bleacher Report)
What They're Saying About The Utah Jazz:
George Hill Out For Game 2 With Toe Injury (ESPN)
Utah Jazz Struggling At Shooting Guard (FanSided)
Jazz Must Find 3-Point Shot Against Warriors (FanSided)
Key To The Game: Can The Jazz Put Up A Fight Without George Hill?
It's already clear the Warriors are the superior team. If they show up, avoid turnovers and shoot the way they normally do, they should be able to beat the Jazz. The Jazz need some help to pull out a win, but that's become more difficult with Hill hurt. The Jazz are a totally different team without him on the court. He's the second-leading scorer this year, with nearly 17 points per game. He averages a team-best four assists per game and over a steal per game. Joe Ingles remains the go-to wing/guard defender, but Hill wasn't far behind.
With Hill out, the Jazz are in trouble at the point guard spot. Shelvin Mack, Raul Neto and Dante Exum have all played a bit this postseason and regular season, but the drop-off is obvious. The combined points per game of those three in the regular season don't match what Hill did.
The Jazz might need to get a bit creative on both ends of the court to help compensate for the loss of Hill.
Prediction: Warriors win 110-95
The Jazz will put up a fight, much like they did in Game 1 despite a poor effort from Gordon Hayward. The star small forward plays better in Game 2, but the Warriors go on one of their patented 3rd quarter runs to put the game out of reach. The loss of Hill is too much for the less-talented Jazz team to overcome.