Utah Jazz 2021-22 NBA Schedule Info
Watch the Utah Jazz play sweet music this upcoming NBA season. The Jazz are preparing for more memorable battles against their Northwest Division rivals in the Western Conference. Here's a closer look at all the fun matchups and juicy storylines on the Jazz's complete 2021-22 regular-season schedule.
Who Are the Utah Jazz?
The Utah Jazz are a professional basketball team in the NBA's Northwest Division in the Western Conference. The franchise joined the NBA as an expansion team in New Orleans in 1974. The Jazz relocated to Salt Lake City in 1979 before becoming a fixture in the playoffs. The Jazz struggled in their only five seasons in New Orleans despite featuring dazzling future Hall of Famer Pete Maravich, whose mesmerizing ball-handling and scoring prowess captivated crowds. Maravich's talent wasn't nearly enough to lift a team that finished with losing records in every season in New Orleans. The club continued their subpar play after moving to Utah in 1979. The Jazz missed the playoffs in their first four seasons in Utah to extend their postseason drought to nine years. The franchise didn't help its cause in 1982. The Jazz made one of the biggest blunders in NBA history when they traded Dominique Wilkins several months after taking him with the No. 3 pick in the NBA draft. The ownership's financial troubles coupled with Wilkins' desire not to play in Salt Lake City prompted one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history. The Jazz dealt Wilkins to the Atlanta Hawks for John Drew, Freeman Williams, and $1 million. Wilkins turned the Hawks into a title contender in the 1980s on his way to the Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, Drew and Williams lasted just a few years in Utah. The Jazz still had Hall of Famer Adrian Dantley, though. The offensive machine lit up the scoreboard, but he needed more help to turn the Jazz into a relevant team. Head coach Frank Layden took some of the burden off Dantley by turning to Darrell Griffith, Rickey Green, Mark Eaton, and Thurl Bailey in the franchise's first winning season in 1984. The Jazz finally made the playoffs in their 10th season. This began a stretch of 20 consecutive years in the playoffs. Hall of Famers John Stockton and Karl Malone were the headliners for 18 of those years, turning into one of the best duos in NBA history. Stockton and Malone — who was nicknamed “The Mailman” for his ability to deliver — were later key members of the United States Dream Team that captivated the world on their way to a dominating gold medal performance at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Stockton's passing ability and Malone's finishing prowess became a lethal combination. The pillars led Utah to 11 50-win seasons, including three 60-win campaigns. Stockton and Malone dominated the regular season for the better part of two decades but never won an NBA Finals together. The Jazz managed to reach the Western Conference finals only five times during their 20-year playoff streak. Stockton and Malone ran into the same nemesis in their only two NBA Finals appearances. Hall of Fame coach Jerry Sloan's team reached back-to-back NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998 only to lose to the greatest basketball player in history. Michael Jordan put on virtuoso performances to foil the Jazz in both Finals. Jordan's legendary “Flu Game” in Game 5 in the 1997 Finals set the stage for the Chicago Bulls to win their fifth title with Phil Jackson, Scottie Pippen, and Jordan. Malone earned 1997 NBA MVP honors, but Jordan got the last laugh by winning his fifth NBA Finals MVP. The Jazz steamrolled through the Western Conference in 1998 with a second consecutive 60-win season but couldn't overcome Jordan's greatness in the NBA Finals. Jordan stole the ball from Malone in the waning moments of Game 6 before sinking a series-clinching jumper over Bryon Russell to help the Bulls complete their second three-peat in the Jordan era. Stockton and Malone had early-round playoff exits in the next five seasons and ultimately never won the brass ring in Utah. The Jazz — who have never won an NBA title — missed the playoffs from 2004 to 2006 without their dynamic duo. Sloan leaned on Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, and Mehmet Okur to get to the 2007 Western Conference finals, but the Jazz didn't have enough firepower to beat the San Antonio Spurs. Utah fell into irrelevance by missing the postseason from 2013 to 2016. The Jazz's rebuild started to bear fruit with coach Quin Snyder, who helped the team return to the postseason. Defensive stalwart Rudy Gobert and dynamic young scorer Donovan Mitchell helped the Jazz to the best regular-season record in the NBA in 2021.
Utah Jazz Schedule for 2021/2022
The Utah Jazz return the same core that finished with the best record in the league last season. Quin Snyder might have the deepest roster in the NBA with the best bench in the league. Budding superstar Donovan Mitchell and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert are the headliners, but there's a lot more to this loaded squad. Mike Conley's shooting and penchant for racking up assists make him an invaluable asset. Bojan Bogdanovic's steady shooting and Royce O'Neale's rebounding and defense are pivotal. The solid Starting 5 is only part of the story, though. The Jazz, who fell to the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round of the playoffs last year, also feature reigning Sixth Man Award winner Jordan Clarkson and Sixth Man runner-up Joe Ingles, who made a team-high 45.1% from downtown last year. Sprinkle in Eric Paschall, Rudy Gay, and Hassan Whiteside off the bench, and the Jazz look like a team primed to reach their first NBA Finals since the John Stockton and Karl Malone era in the 1990s. The Jazz have the chemistry, coaching, and versatility to make it through the loaded Western Conference. They have enough quality players to continue to lean on the three-point shot to go far in the playoffs. The Utah Jazz are poised to be a true NBA title threat in the Western Conference this season. Watch the Jazz live at the Vivint Smart Home Arena by getting tickets through TickPick. You won't find better offers for the Jazz or any other live sporting event than TickPick.
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