What to watch for February 22, 2021: Utah Jazz vs Charlotte Hornets

The Utah Jazz finished 2-1 last week with a win against the Philadelphia 76ers, and split a two-game showdown with the Los Angeles Clippers. Utah returns to Salt Lake City to take on the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night.

Jazz vs Hornets Throwback:

The Jazz are 6-0 in their last six meetings with the Hornets. Their last triumph over Charlotte came on February 5, when Utah extended their winning streak with a 138-121 victory. The Jazz currently hold a 43-19 overall win margin in the 62-games played between these two teams.

The Utah Jazz broke a franchise record with 26-three pointers against the Hornets in their last time out. Bojan Bogdanovic led the team with 31 points, while Joe Ingles had 11-assists alongside Rudy Gobert's 4-blocks to win their second of a three-game road trip.

Key Players:

Donovan Mitchell and LaMelo Ball are currently two of the hottest players on their respective teams. 

Mitchell leads the Jazz in points per game with 24.6, and is second on the team in assists with 5.1 per game. Mitchell has led Utah in scoring through three of the last four games, and had 30-points the last time these two teams met.

Ball leads the Hornets with 6.1 assists per game, and 1.6 steals per game. He is the current frontrunner for Rookie of the Year and had a statement game with 34-points and 8-assists against the Jazz on February 5.

Fun Facts:

For the second time this season, the Jazz will wear their yellow uniforms against the Charlotte Hornets. This will be the fifth time they've worn these jerseys this season, and currently post a 4-0 record when repping them.

Mike Conley made his return against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night with a 16-point showing. Teammates chimed in after the game about Conley's performance and called for his selection to the 2021 All-Star Game.

Donovan Mitchell has led the team in scoring through three of the last four games, knocking down twenty-four and thirty-five against the LA Clippers, and twenty-six against the Miami Heat.

Even after their loss on Friday night, the Jazz still top the leaderboard in the NBA standings with a 24-6 record. They lead the Los Angeles Lakers by two and a half games, the Los Angeles Clippers by three games, and the Phoenix Suns by four and a half games in the Western Conference. They also lead the Philadelphia 76ers by four and a half games, and the Brooklyn Nets by five games in the Eastern Conference.

Since the Jazz last played the Hornets, Charlotte has gone 4-2 with wins over the Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Golden State Warriors. They've also fallen at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies. The Hornets have also been plagued with their games being affected by the Carona Virus, having three games cancelled due to Covid-19 since these two teams last met on February 5. 

The Jazz currently don't have anyone on their injury report. Hornets Forward David Martin is out due to Covid-19, and guard Devonte Graham is listed as doubtful due to a knee injury.

How to Consume:

The Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets will meet once again at 7PM in Vivint Smart Home Arena. The game will be televised on AT&T Sportsnet as well as NBA League Pass. Jazz listeners can also tune into David Locke and Ron Boone’s radio broadcast on 1280 The Zone or 97.5 FM.

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