Preview: Warriors and Jazz clash in battle of two of the best of the West

The Golden State Warriors nearly dropped both games of their back-to-back against the Indiana Pacers and the Houston Rockets. Those two struggling teams gave the shorthanded Dubs all they could handle, with the Pacers stunning Golden State in OT and the Rockets losing to Stephen Curry’s first ever buzzer beater.

Curry’s squad has the second best record in the NBA despite losing 6 out of their last 10 games. Their next visitor to Chase Center is the Utah Jazz, currently the 4th best team in the West by record. They too have lost 6 out of their last 10, with two of their recent losses coming from those same Pacers and Rockets.

They’re coming off a win over the Detroit Pistons where their giant center Rudy Gobert had his best night on offense. Per the Salt Lake Tribune, Gobert is getting more confident at punishing mismatches down low:

The big man racked up 11 field-goal attempts and 11 free-throw attempts (and made eight of each) on his way to a season-high 24 points.

Asked if he feels he and the team have gotten better at capitalizing on those scenarios, Gobert answered affirmatively.

“I think so. I think so,” he said. “I learn from those situations and I’m able to get better.”

If that’s the case, they Warriors will certainly have their hands full with Draymond Green and James Wiseman out. Fortunately they still do have Kevon Looney to battle down low, a guy who is on a hot rebounding streak and had a quality defensive game against Houston’s dynamic center Christian Wood.

Golden State Warriors vs Utah Jazz

January 23rd, 2022 | 5:30 PT

Watch: NBC Sports Bay Area, NBA TV | Listen: 95.7 The Game