Utah Jazz

Utah Jazz continues to prove that they are one of the top contenders to win the Western Conference. The strongest team of the regular season in the Western Conference had no trouble in the first round of the playoffs despite losing the first game. The series against the Memphis Grizzlies was won 4-1, averaging more than 120 points per game. In the first game of the series, which Utah lost, the team's leader D. Mitchell did not play, but after his return to the rotation, they achieved 4 consecutive convincing victories and closed the series.

Unlike previous years, this year Utah Jazz's game has become much freer, resulting in significantly higher scoring. This is also contributed by J. Clarkson, who won the nomination for the best 6th player, bringing aggression to the offense and taking the initiative when coming off the bench. This year's Utah Jazz team has all the necessary components to compete for the title: a strong guard lineup, versatile forwards who can play both offense and defense, and strength in the paint provided by R. Gobert.

Unlike the Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz has more players who can carry the team at crucial moments and will undoubtedly use more defensive strategies to at least slow down K. Leonard, who rampaged in the series against the Mavericks. If Utah Jazz continues to show similar play to what we saw in the series against the Grizzlies, it would not be surprising to see this team in the conference finals.

Los Angeles Clippers

The L.A. Clippers will enter this series after a very tough, 7-game battle with the Dallas Mavericks. Starting the series very poorly and losing 2 home games, the Clippers managed to bounce back and tie the series by achieving 2 consecutive away victories. However, this series went to the final, 7th game, in which the entire Clippers team played excellently and demonstrated why this team was considered one of the favorites to win the conference before the playoffs.

It is hard to say how the Clippers will look after the exhausting series with the Mavericks, as Utah Jazz is certainly not an easier opponent, and moreover, Utah had much more time to prepare for this series than the Clippers. The main advantage of the Clippers is their 2 superstars, who can carry the team and turn the game in their favor when needed. Although P. George had solid performances in the first playoff series, much more is still expected from this player. The same can be said about other key players of the team, whose performance fluctuates, and a good game was often followed by a poorer performance.

In the series against the Jazz, the Clippers will also be able to rely on P. Beverley's help, who simply could not defend against L. Dončić, resulting in him practically not playing in the series. By demonstrating better team defense, the Clippers have a good chance to win the series, but they are not considered the favorites.

Prediction

All basketball fans are in for an impressive series, in which we might see at least 6 games. It is difficult to predict the outcome of the series, but in the first game, the advantage will be with the Utah Jazz team. Playing at home, the Jazz not only had more time to prepare for this game but also looked much more confident in the series they played against the Grizzlies, and their lineup on paper seems stronger compared to the Clippers.