Utah Jazz: Rockets, Spurs still Jazz playoff possibilities

Only three nights remain in the NBA's 2007-08 regular season.

But until playoff pairings become official, Jerry Sloan swears he won't lose sleep worrying about whom the Jazz may or not may not face in the opening round of the soon-to-come postseason.

"You know," the Jazz coach said, "I don't get into that game.

"I'll tell ya: It wears me out.

"What good does it do?" he asked. "So I just try to ignore it and hopefully get our team to play well."

As it happens, however, two of the prominent possibilities for the Jazz just happen to be the same two teams Utah faces in its last two games of the season.

That would be Houston, which visits EnergySolutions Arena tonight for the Northwest Division-champion Jazz's home finale, and defending NBA-champion San Antonio, which on Wednesday night plays host to Utah in the finale for both teams.

Both, of course, are familiar playoff opponents for the Jazz, as Utah went seven games with the Rockets in last postseason's opening round and — after winning a Game 7 in Houston — was dismissed by the Spurs in last year's Western Conference finals.

"We know we have two tough games coming up which will give us good preparation for the playoffs," Jazz All-Star Carlos Boozer said, "and obviously these two teams that we're about to play against could be our first-round matchup."

If it's San Antonio, perhaps the only NBA organization as stable over the long-term as the Jazz, little will be different.

Gregg Popovich is still the coach, Tony Parker still the point, Tim Duncan still the two-time NBA MVP big man, Manu Ginobili still the super sixth man, Bruce Bowen still the dreaded defender.

If it's Houston, however, so much is so different —which, besides the Jazz's still-alive hopes for homecourt advantage in the first round of postseason play — is what makes tonight's meeting so interesting.

Star Tracy McGrady still is the man in Houston.

But Jeff Van Gundy was out as coach while the Jazz were still celebrating last year's opening series victory over the Rockets, and longtime NBA coach Rick Adelman is in.

And giant center Yao Ming is on the sidelines, out for the season after undergoing surgery to repair a stress-fractured bone in his left foot — a development that propelled veteran Dikembe Mutombo into an unplanned but critical role down the stretch.