From Deseret News archives:
Jazz still eyeing berth in playoffs
Sitting at his locker stall minutes after a 111-101 win at Atlanta on Friday night snapped Utah's three-game losing streak, Williams readily admitted to having become a scoreboard-watching regular.
"You've got to see where you're at," he said. "You know, you've got to know. We're watching L.A. (the Los Angeles Lakers) and Sacramento close. I know L.A. was up on New Jersey, I know Sac was losing.
"We know those things."
Before Friday night was finished, the Lakers had lost at Jersey and the Kings had fallen at Indiana. Those two hold down the final two postseason positions in the NBA's Western Conference, with the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets currently one spot out in ninth and Utah sitting 10th.
Moreover, Denver which leads the Jazz's Northwest Division lost on Friday as well.
The Nuggets were beaten at Memphis, which is where the Jazz play this afternoon at the tail end of a four-game trip that started with losses in Miami on Tuesday and Orlando on Wednesday.
The task is no simple one.
The Lakers and Kings remain two games up on the Jazz, and Utah has just 17 games remaining in its 82-game regular season, which means time for leapfrogging is running short.
Each of the Jazz's next seven opponents playoff-bound Memphis, Phoenix, Washington, Sacramento, New Orleans/Oklahoma City, Denver and the Los Angels Clippers have winning records.
The Jazz open a four-game homestand Tuesday night against the Pacific Division-leading Suns, and nine of their final 17 are at the Delta Center where at 16-16 they don't even have a winning record this season.
And Utah's last road trip at Oklahoma City on April 14, at Dallas on April 16 and at San Antonio on April 17 is about as ugly as it gets.
Still, the notion of spending late April in the playoffs after having spent the last two postseasons on the outside looking in is not altogether out of the question.
"I'd like to see us win some games," coach Jerry Sloan said, "and have a chance to be in the playoffs.
Comments
- Prep football: Felt's Facts Week 11:03 a.m.
- Weiss new Tour of Utah director 10:54 a.m.
- Moguls skier Jeremy Bloom retires 10:51 a.m.
- Police probe synagogue vandalism 10:44 a.m.
- O'Connor's husband dies 10:36 a.m.
- Russia launches program for tigers 10:35 a.m.
- Veterans Day in Afghanistan 10:34 a.m.
- Drug industry presses FDA 10:31 a.m.
- Obama honors veterans 10:29 a.m.
- New dinosaur species found 10:21 a.m.
- SLC council OKs gay rights policies
- Pratt pleads not guilty to sex charges
- Utah Jazz have a problem at point
- Utah group finds homes for orphans
- Wyoming writer amazed by BYU
- 'Love story' of crash victim ends
- Hair-pulling raises more questions
- Y. tight ends talented tandem
- 4 Jazz players make All-Star ballot
- 12 Utes return to Texas
- House passes health care bill
268 - TCU showdown has big implications
188 - Lobo suspended
185 - Senators want food tax restored
156 - Cougars crush hapless Cowboys
155 - Utah Jazz fall apart against Kings
131 - TCU 4th in AP poll; U. 16th, Y. 22nd
119 - No 'backlash' for pioneers, gays analogy
106 - S.L. vote pending on gay protections
105 - Utes pound winless Lobos
90
It's hard to factor in BYU stats when 70% of BYU students aren't actually...
Blow the dust off your specs. He's also 6-2 and weighs 235. Not like the...
Hey, Doug G., sometimes doing nothing is BETTER than doing something,...
Bite your ute tongue!
One of the strange misconceptions people have on this site is the idea that...
So how is this this enforced? Young people with sporadic income and jobs, no...
First, Utahans...take this opportunity for NO TAXES on unprepared food. ...
["He placed thorns in my flesh to teach me humility"] wow. you should sue...
This is about Kelly, not Brady. Brady is playing with the Packers.
It's a start. Now keep going.



You can be the first to comment on this story.