The Utah Jazz will be playing against the New York Knicks tonight. NBA fans will undoubtedly be aware that the Jazz decided to make a move for Russell Westbrook in a three-team deal involving the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers.
While Utah as a franchise might be in a state of rebuilding, its players are still looking to get the most out of this season. The Jazz currently holds a record of 28 wins and 29 losses, trying to stay afloat in a competitive and loaded Western Conference.
A team that will be looking for a win over them tonight is the New York Knicks, who have a record of 30 wins and 27 losses. As both these teams face off, fans must certainly be interested in knowing about the injury reports and expected rosters for this game. That will aid in making an expert prediction.
Russell Westbrook is listed out for the Utah Jazz vs New York Knicks game tonight
Some claim that the Jazz only agreed to this trade because Westbrook was already paid for by the Los Angeles Lakers. Since he is in the final year of his contract, that would mean Utah would be able to write him off the books, by simply keeping him around for this year.
Others hypothesize that Utah will be looking to engage in a buyout with Westbrook and that he might never step on the court for the Jazz. Since the trade is still fresh, Westbrook is not expected to play tonight against the Knicks. It is still unclear how the Jazz will handle him and what role they will find for him.
If they cannot do so, it will fall upon the rest of the squad to compete and perform at a high level. Now that we know Westbrook will not be suited up for this game, let us take a look at the injury reports and expected rosters for both sides.
Utah Jazz injury report
- Russell Westbrook (out)
- Juan Toscano Anderson( questionable)
- Damian Jones (questionable)
- Jordan Clarkson (questionable)
- Micah Potter (out)
Utah Jazz expected roster
- Lauri Markkanen
- Kelly Olynk
- Walker Kessler
- Colin Sexton
- Talen Horton-Tucker
New York Knicks injury report
- Mitchell Robinson (out)
New York Knicks expected roster
- Jalen Brunson
- Julius Randle
- RJ Barrett
- Immanuel Quickley
- Quentin Grimes
As we can tell, the New York Knicks look healthier for this matchup, when compared to the Utah Jazz. Not having Jordan Clarkson at full strength will certainly hurt the Jazz’s chances. That said, here are the expert predicitions for this game.
The Knicks will be slightly favored over the Jazz tonight
This appears to be one of the better seasons so far for the New York Knicks. They would be holding the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference if the season ended today. Jalen Brunson has fit in very well and plays alongside Randle and Barrett effectively.
Their team also holds a better record and looks healthier for this game. While it is still expected to be a closer match, we have the New York Knicks narrowly getting this win over the Jazz tonight.