Mitchell and the Jazz face the Pelicans
Utah Jazz (39-22, fourth in the Western Conference) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (26-36, 10th in the Western Conference)
New Orleans; Friday, 8 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Donovan Mitchell leads Utah into a matchup against New Orleans. He currently ranks eighth in the NBA scoring 26.1 points per game.
The Pelicans are 17-20 in Western Conference games. New Orleans is 13-15 when it turns the ball over less than its opponents and averages 13.5 turnovers per game.
The Jazz are 25-12 in conference matchups. Utah leads the Western Conference shooting 36.3% from deep. Royce O'Neale paces the Jazz shooting 41.4% from 3-point range.
The teams meet for the fourth time this season. The Jazz won 115-104 in the last meeting on Jan. 4. Mitchell led the Jazz with 29 points, and Jonas Valanciunas led the Pelicans with 25 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Brandon Ingram is averaging 22.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.5 assists for the Pelicans. Valanciunas is averaging 18 points and 11.6 rebounds over the last 10 games for New Orleans.
Mitchell is shooting 35.9% from beyond the arc with 3.5 made 3-pointers per game for the Jazz, while averaging 26.1 points, 5.3 assists and 1.7 steals. Bojan Bogdanovic is shooting 42.3% and averaging 16.8 points over the last 10 games for Utah.
LAST 10 GAMES: Pelicans: 6-4, averaging 115.3 points, 44.4 rebounds, 25.5 assists, 8.1 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 50.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.8 points per game.
Jazz: 9-1, averaging 117.1 points, 46.6 rebounds, 24.9 assists, 8.4 steals and 5.2 blocks per game while shooting 49.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 105.1 points.
INJURIES: Pelicans: Larry Nance Jr.: out (knee), Kira Lewis Jr.: out for season (knee), Zion Williamson: out (foot).
Jazz: Jared Butler: out (ankle).
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