Utah Jazz will face Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of the first round today. Here we look at the Match Preview and TV Schedule for the game.
Advertisement
Fifteen days of seeding games action in Orlando is over, with six teams going home. The postseason starts today with four games on offer. In the first Western conference playoff game, No.3 seed Nuggets will take on No.6 seed Jazz in Game 1 of the best of seven series.
Both teams have had a rough run in the seeding games, with the Nuggets entering the contest on the back of a three-game losing streak and Jazz maintaining a 3-5 record in the bubble. Jazz have faced Nuggets thrice season, with the Nuggets winning on all 3 occasions.
Read More: LeBron James’ Space Jam 2 farewell speech leaks; and it is powerful
The previous time the two teams met in the postseason was in 2010, where Jazz won the series 4-2 against Nuggets. In entire NBA history, both have played five times in postseason against each other with Jazz winning three of those series. Jazz are making their fourth straight postseason appearance; they were eliminated by Houston Rockets in the first round in the last season.
Where to watch Jazz vs Nuggets Game 1 on TV and Online?
The game is scheduled at 1:30 PM (ET) and can be watched on the following platforms:
- NBA TV (Accessed through NBA League Pass)
- ESPN
- TNT
- Live Stream on Fubo.tv
If you wish to watch NBA action on NBA TV, then you must buy NBA League Pass through the official site. Do check the free trial.
Series Schedule
Game 1: Aug. 17, 1:30 p.m. ET
Game 2: Aug. 19, 4 p.m. ET
Game 3: Aug. 21, 4 p.m. ET
Game 4: Aug. 23, 9 p.m. ET
Game 5: Aug. 25, TBD
Game 6: Aug. 27, TBD
Game 7: Aug. 29, TBD
Jazz vs Nuggets Preview
Fans will witness two of the best big men in the league, Rudy Gobert and Nikola Jokic. The battle between the two is crucial for both sides. If Gobert can own the battle between the centers, Jazz could have a good chance of upsetting the Nuggets. However, with the kind of offensive form that Jokic is in, it is going to be a herculean task.
With Bogdanovic not in the lineup, Gobert will have to put in the extra yards to stop Nuggets from scoring. Bojan Bogdanovic season ended in May due to a wrist injury. Jazz are shorthanded on talent as on Sunday as the team informed that they would start the series without Mike Conley, who has left the bubble for the birth of his baby.
Gary Harris and Will Barton could feature in tonight’s playoff game 1 and that could add more strength to the Jazz outfit, however, their participation is not guaranteed.
Denver Nuggets will need Nikola Jokic to bring his A-game to the table. His performance in the bubble was satisfactory but, he needs to fire big against Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. Michael Porter Jr.’s performance will strengthen the Nuggets’ side, the player has averaged 19.3 PPG in the Bubble with four double-doubles and was named in the All-Bubble second team.
Nuggets go in as favourites for the game, but it will be interesting to see how this playoff series pans out.
The probable lineup for Jazz
Donovan Mitchell
Joe Ingles
Royce O’Neale
Rudy Gobert
Jordan Clarkson
The probable lineup for Nuggets
Torrey Craig
Jamal Murray
Paul Millsap
Michael Porter Jr.
Nikola Jokic
