3 Keys for Jazz to Win 2nd In-Season Tournament Game vs. Trail Blazers

How can the Utah Jazz secure their second-straight win of the In-Season Tournament?

Tuesday marks the second game of the In-Season Tournament for the Utah Jazz, as they’ll face the Portland Trail Blazers back in Salt Lake City. The Jazz have started the season off falling into a 3-7 hole, but have the perfect opportunity to build positive momentum with a second-straight win.

Utah will still be without starting center Walker Kessler for this one, while the Blazers have a handful of injuries of their own; headlined by 2023 second-overall pick Scoot Henderson. The Jazz are finally able to catch their breath a bit after returning from a four-game road trip, but it starts with beginning their home stand on the right foot.

With that, here are three keys the Jazz need to hone in on to find success against the Trail Blazers:

Dominate From Beyond the Arc

The strong points of this Jazz offense stem from their ability to shoot from a distance. They currently stand top three in the entire association for three-point percentage and sixth in three-pointers made. Thanks to the efficiency and shot-making ability of guys like Lauri Markkanen, Kelly Olynyk, and Ochai Agbaji all shooting above 37% early in the year.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Portland. They rank bottom three in the league on their percentage (30.8%) and bottom three in shots made beyond the arc as well (9.8). This stark difference is a simple way for the Jazz to gain the edge offensively if they can find good looks from outside.

After shooting an incredible 44% from three in their last win against the Memphis Grizzlies, the hope is that this stellar production from Friday ends up rolling over into this one.

Stay Ahead In The Turnover Battle

One persistent issue with the consistency seen within this Jazz offense is the amount of turnovers this team gives up. They rank dead last in the NBA for the stat, generating an average of 18.5 giveaways a night.

However, the Trail Blazers also struggle in the category, ranking 25th in the league themselves with 16.1 a night. This matchup may lead to an inevitably sloppy game tonight, but the Jazz have to ensure that they can take care of the ball better than they have in their first ten games of the year.

The emergence of Keyonte George as the starting point guard may help the cause, given the impressive playmaking ability he’s shown as just a first-year player. Across his past two games as the one, he’s totaled a stout 20 assists on only three turnovers. So long as he can continue facilitating this offense efficiently while showing wise decision-making, this unit can be in good hands.

Lean On Lauri Markkanen

The most substantial bright spot of this Jazz roster ten games in is none other than Lauri Markkanen, averaging 24.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. He’s made it abundantly clear that last season’s All-Star campaign was no fluke, beginning this year with the same energy he left off with last season.

His efficiency has also looked better than ever, shooting 48.5% from the field and an insane 44.8% clip from range. If this offense wants to remain in the top-10 ranks that it was last season, it’ll have to come from continued reliance on this elite consistency and shot selection.

There are few answers defensively for a seven-footer that can score at the rate Markkanen can, so relying on that ability is how this team can move as fluid and effective as possible.

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