Jazz at Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers are trying to hold off the Denver Nuggets for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference and are in must-win mode when they host the Utah Jazz on Saturday. Portland holds a one-game lead over the Nuggets as it plays the second of a season-ending, four-game homestand that ends with games against the San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans.
The Trail Blazers won 15 of their past 20 games to overtake the Nuggets and notched a crucial victory Thursday when they outscored the Minnesota Timberwolves 25-11 in the fourth quarter to celebrate a 105-98 victory. "We're in control," star point guard Damian Lillard told reporters. "As long as we do what we need to do, come out here and win games, then it won't really matter (what Denver does)." Utah beat the Timberwolves 120-113 on Friday behind a career-best 39 points from All-Star small forward Gordon Hayward for its fifth victory in six games. The Jazz have a one-game lead over Los Angeles Clippers in the battle for the No. 4 seed and homecourt advantage in their probable first-round matchup.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Utah), KGW (Portland)
ABOUT THE JAZZ (49-30): Hayward is averaging 34.5 points on 26-of-42 shooting (including 8-of-11 from 3-point range) over the past two games while continuing to carry the squad. Jazz fans raised $5,000 through a GoFundMe account to get a "Stayward" billboard put up in Salt Lake City as the speculation flies that Hayward is leaning toward signing elsewhere when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in July. "We're not focused on offseason stuff to be honest," Hayward told reporters after Friday's game. "We're just focused on winning games right now and trying to get better for the playoffs."
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (39-40): Swingman Allen Crabbe was on fire against Minnesota by knocking down a career-best eight 3-pointers while scoring 25 points. Crabbe kept Portland in the contest and then tallied 10 points in a 48-second span of the fourth quarter to help sink the Timberwolves and put a stamp on one of the top performances of his four-year career. "I hit the first couple, and it just felt good," Crabbe told reporters afterward. "My teammates found me in transition and the flow of the offense. It was one of those nights. Everything I threw up was going in."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Jazz are 2-1 against the Trail Blazers this season, including a 106-87 home rout Tuesday.
2. Lillard struggled to a 5-of-20 shooting performance while scoring 16 on Tuesday - one of two times he tallied less than 20 points over the past 18 games.
3. Utah PF Derrick Favors (knee) contributed 13 points and five rebounds in 17 minutes against Minnesota after missing the previous 14 games.