This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
It could be the most important game of the season for the Utah Jazz. Or at least the most important game since Sunday night at the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Houston Rockets visit Vivint Smart Home Arena on Tuesday night with control of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference playoff race at stake, plus control of the tiebreaker between the two teams, should the Rockets come away with the win.
That makes Tuesday night an extraordinarily important game for the Jazz. They have already ceded tiebreakers to the Blazers and the Sacramento Kings. Doing so to the Rockets would make qualifying for the postseason that much more of a difficult endeavor for the Jazz.
The Jazz have yet to beat Houston this season, losing to the Rockets once at home and again on the road. At Houston, the Jazz were competitive until the end, but succumbed late in the fourth quarter, in Rudy Gobert's return from his knee injury.
"It's definitely important to us," Utah coach Quin Snyder said. "We talk a lot about protecting home court, and this is a chance for us to do that."
On Tuesday morning in shootaround, Jazz players spoke of the opportunity that lies ahead. More and more, it looks like Portland is a lock to make the playoffs. Heading into tonight's matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, the Blazers had won 14 of their past 17 games and look to be peaking at the right time.
If that's true, the fight for eighth may come down to Utah and Portland. The Jazz want to make the postseason, for the experience it would afford what is a young team.
"We know what's at stake," Utah power forward Derrick Favors said. "So we have to come out and play well."
— Tony Jones