Utah Jazz vs. Brooklyn Nets Pick & Prediction DECEMBER 21st 2024

Preview and Prediction

Cameron Johnson is currently experiencing the most successful season of his six-year career, delivering impressive performances that not only contribute to the Brooklyn Nets' victories, but also potentially enhance his trade value.

As speculations continue to circulate about Johnson's future, his next opportunity to showcase his skills will be on Saturday night when the Nets take on the Utah Jazz, the second-lowest ranked team in the Western Conference.

Johnson's current season averages include 19.2 points on 48.9 percent shooting from the field and 43.1 percent from 3-point range. These numbers are all career highs for him. In his last six games, he has scored at least 20 points in five of them and is averaging 24.2 points per game on 49.4 percent shooting. Over the past 21 games, he has also maintained a 50.9 percent shooting percentage.

In Brooklyn's recent 130-101 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Johnson scored 22 points after Dennis Schroder was traded to the Golden State Warriors for three second-round picks. He followed that up with a 33-point performance in a 101-94 win over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday. Johnson's standout game occurred when no other teammate scored more than 12 points and the Nets shot a season-low 40.2 percent.

"My main focus is always on winning the game," Johnson stated after also recording 10 rebounds and six assists. "We were disappointed after the Cleveland game, so we wanted to make sure we came out and got a win. It's a big accomplishment for us to secure this win."

However, the Nets have struggled in their last eight games, losing six of them.

Currently, the Jazz have better odds in the draft lottery than the 11-16 Nets, with a 6-20 record that ranks third-worst in the NBA, behind the Washington Wizards and New Orleans Pelicans.

The Jazz have a record of 6-14 since their initial six-game losing streak and are aiming for back-to-back wins for the first time since April 11-12 of last season.

After conceding 144 points in Monday's 37-point loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, Utah managed to secure a 126-119 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday, bringing their record to 5-6 when allowing less than 120 points.

The Jazz's win was much closer than coach Will Hardy would have liked, as they outscored Detroit 48-19 in the first quarter, but were outscored 44-20 in the opening quarter on Monday.

The win was also overshadowed by the Jazz's 24 turnovers in the final three quarters, making it their 10th game with at least 20 turnovers. The game also saw Jordan Clarkson being ejected for shoving Paul Reed in the third quarter.

"It was a very physical, scrappy, and unattractive game," Hardy commented. "There were turnovers, fouls, fights, and a level of tension on the court and in the arena that we haven't seen this season."

Collin Sexton is coming off a season-high 30 points, breaking a streak of seven consecutive games where he scored less than 20 points. The Jazz are also witnessing improvement from second-year guard Keyonte George, who is averaging 18.1 points in his last seven games and finished with 28 points in the win against Detroit.

PREDICTION

Utah Jazz

109

111

Brooklyn Nets