L.A. Lakers at Utah (-4, 215 ˝)
How much does home-court advantage mean to the Utah Jazz? A ton, that’s why they’re favored in this spot after the Lakers ran them all over the court out on the West Coast.
Utah lost just five games at the EnergySolutions Arena all year, something the Lakers are well aware of.
"The crowd sits on top of the floor,” Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson told reporters. “It's as noisy as anyplace you've ever been in. That energizes the team, and it intimidates the referees that go in there and referee the game. It's a tough environment to win in."
That environment should help the Jazz get out of the gate better after the club went into halftime trailing by double-digits in both of the first two games of the series. Whether that will be enough to slow down Los Angeles’ showtime routine is another question all together.
Pick: Los Angeles
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