Jazz at Trail Blazers
THE STORY: Utah is a half-game behind Phoenix and Houston for the final playoff spot in the West. Utah (32-30) holds the tiebreaker over the Rockets but not the Suns. The Jazz battled to a 123-121 triple-overtime victory over Dallas on Monday night as Al Jefferson had 28 points and tied a career high with 26 rebounds. Portland will try to go out before its final home crowd of the season on a high note. The Trail Blazers finish with three road games, and end the season at Utah next Thursday.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, ROOT Sports (Jazz), KGW (Trail Blazers)
ABOUT THE JAZZ (32-30): Jefferson, obviously, has not given up hope for the playoffs. “Right now we just got to win every game, no excuse,” he said. “This is a big test for us. We just got to see where our heart is and I know everybody in the locker room wants to make the playoffs.” In one of the weirder moments of the season, Dallas guard Delonte West gave Utah’s Gordon Hayward a wet willy and received a technical foul.
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (28-34): Portland was eliminated from playoff contention after a 125-107 loss at Phoenix on Monday. The Trail Blazers have lost three in a row and five of six. Luke Babbitt scored a career-high 18 points and rookie Nolan Smith added a season-high 14 as the Blazers sat Raymond Felton and Nicolas Batum. “I can’t remember if we ever had three or four consecutive stops,” Portland coach Kaleb Canales said. “They shot a season-high 60 percent from the field, and we can’t allow that.”
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Jazz guard Raja Bell, recovering from a left knee injury, said Tuesday he could be ready to go in time for the playoffs if Utah makes the postseason.
2. The 51 field goals were also a season-high allowed by the Blazers,
3. The last Jazz player with 25 points and 25 rebounds was Rich Kelley (27 points, 25 boards) for the New Orleans Jazz in a 121-109 loss to the Lakers on Nov. 17, 1978.