Trail Blazers at Jazz
THE STORY: The Utah Jazz clinched a playoff berth with a win over Phoenix on Tuesday. The Jazz wrap up the season when they host Portland on Thursday. Utah is locked into the eighth spot in the West and will play the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs. The Jazz look to sweep the four-game season series with the Trail Blazers for the second time in three years.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Comcast SportsNet (Portland), Root Sports (Utah)
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (28-37): The season can’t come to an end fast enough for the Trail Blazers. Portland has lost a season-high six straight and is 8-14 since interim coach Kaleb Canales took over for the fired Nate McMillan. The Blazers’ playoff hopes faded when forward LaMarcus Aldridge’s season came to an end early in April because of soreness in his right hip. Portland won’t make an appearance in the postseason for the first time since 2008.
ABOUT THE JAZZ (35-30): The Jazz are looking for a fifth straight win and are playing their best basketball of the season heading into the playoffs. "It's good to make people eat their words," forward Al Jefferson said after Utah's fourth straight win. "That's what we did. Now it's time to go and shock the world." Jefferson is averaging a team-best 19.4 points per game. Utah’s recent success can be attributed to the play of forward Gordon Hayward. The 22-year-old has averaged 17.2 points in 12 April games and will make his playoff debut this weekend.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Utah is 24-8 at home compared to 11-22 on the road.
2. The Jazz have won 17 of the last 21 meetings at home against the Blazers.
3. With a combined record of 173-153, the Northwest Division owns the best divisional mark in the NBA this season.