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The Jazz will get a look at their competition over the next two nights.
Not overall, mind you, because the NBA is a such a long grind. But the competition for what could be the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. In the race for the eighth seed — the spot which the Jazz currently hold — the Portland Trail Blazers and the Sacramento Kings have emerged as Utah's two most serious challengers.
That makes Wednesday's game in Portland significant, as Thursday meeting with the Kings at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Of course, there will be a lot of basketball remaining after this week. But it's never too early to worry about tie-breakers, and the Jazz have already lost to both teams this season.
"Those are the teams right behind us, so it's very important for us to play well against them," Utah center Rudy Gobert said. "The first time we played Sacramento, we lost to them, but we had a lot of injuries as well. We feel like we have to play well against them and Portland when we have the chance."
How crucial can tie-breakers be? Last season, the New Orleans Pelicans and the Oklahoma City Thunder finished at 45-37. Anthony Davis and Co. won the final regular season meeting between the two teams with a double-clutch, buzzer-beating jumper that seemed innocuous at the time. But it turned out to be the shot that propelled New Orleans into the postseason — and sent OKC to the lottery.
The Jazz and the Trail Blazers — Northwest Division rivals — are tied at 1-1 in a pair of meetings. The two teams will see each other once more, while Utah and Sacramento will also play once more in March. The Jazz (17-20), currently hold a two game lead over the Kings and lead the Blazers two and a half games. With wins, Utah can put distance between themselves and its two biggest competitors. Losses could mean the Jazz slip out that eighth spot.
"It does make things significant and we're aware of that," Jazz guard Trey Burke said. "We have to come out tomorrow and play well defensively, if we want to have a chance. We have to focus on Portland and take it one game at a time. If we can find a way to do that, everything will take care of itself. It's good to know that we're in talk for the playoffs, but everyone knows we have a lot of basketball to play."
With the return of Gobert, the Jazz have won two consecutive games, including a big win over the Miami Heat on Saturday. The timing of his return is a fortuitous, because the Jazz's schedule lightens considerably over the next month. Including Sunday's win over the Los Angeles Lakers, the Jazz are in a stretch where they will play eight straight games against teams with losing records. So the opportunity is there to fatten up their record before the stretch run.
Jazz coach Quin Snyder knows this, but also knows his team is still fractured by injuries. Derrick Favors, who has missed the last three weeks with back spasms, sat out Tuesday's practice, but he will travel with the team to Portland, so there is some hope he might be able to play against the Blazers. Alec Burks remains sidelined with a fractured left fibula, and of course, Dante Exum is out for the season with a torn ACL.
"Sometimes, we can all forget that this is a team missing three of its top six players," Snyder said. "If you go to any team in the league and take away three of the top six players, that team isn't going to be the same. So we're happy with what our guys are doing. If we are competing every night, playing the right way and sharing the ball, if we can do that, it would be great. If we do that, and it means we win a few games in a row, then great."
twitter: @tjonessltrib —
Jazz at Blazers
P Wednesday, 8 p.m. MST
At the Moda Center, Portland
TV • ROOT
Radio • 1280 AM
Records • Utah 17-20; Portland 16-24
Season series • Tied, 1-1
Last Meeting • Utah 109-96 (Dec. 31, 2015)
About the Jazz • Gordon Hayward is averaging 29.5 points in his last two games, including 25 in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. … Utah is attempting to win a third consecutive game for the first time this season. … Rudy Gobert will play in his third game, since missing 18 with the sprained MCL. … The Jazz are expected to list Derrick Favors as questionable for Portland. He has missed 10 games with back spasms and didn't practice on Tuesday. … Utah snapped a seven game road losing streak Sunday in Los Angeles.
About the Blazers • Portland star Damian Lillard scored 35 points against the Jazz in a win over Utah earlier in the season. … The Blazers have allowed 108 points a night over the last two weeks. … Lillard averages 25 points and seven assists in his first season as the main option. … Portland has lost three of its previous four games. —
Jazz update
• Utah, Sacramento and Portland are all within 2 1/2 games of each other near the halfway mark of the season. The Jazz play both in a two-night stretch this week
• The Jazz currently sit in the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, two games ahead of the ninth-place Kings and two games behind the seventh-place Rockets.
• Utah has won consecutive games for the first time since beating the Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns in December.