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Los Angeles • Rudy Gobert won't be in the arena for the Jazz's biggest game of the year. Neither will any of his teammates, for that matter.

Tonight Jazz nation turns its lonely eyes to Houston, where the Sacramento Kings' junior varsity squad will have to steal a win over the Rockets for Utah's playoff hopes to stay alive.

With a Rockets' victory, the Jazz will be eliminated regardless of what happens in the Jazz's finale tonight at Staples Center. To make matters worse for the Utah hopeful, the Kings have announced that DeMarcus Cousins, Rajon Rondo and Darren Collison will all be resting up for the offseason and won't be at tonight's game in Houston. Marco Belinelli (sore right foot) and Omri Casspi (right hamstring strain) are also out of action for Sacramento.

Ouch.

While Jazz fans follow along intently with the goings on in Texas, Gordon Hayward said he'll be trying not to pay attention.

"Just ignore it," he said. "We're trying to win this game regardless of whether it means anything or not. We've played every other game this year the same, so we should do it tonight, too."

If Seth Curry can channel his brother and somehow upset the Rockets, the Jazz would then have to take down the Lakers in Kobe Bryant's last game of his 20-year career. Everyone who isn't watching the Warriors' push for a historic 73rd win tonight will be watching Bryant's farewell. The Lakers say somewhere between 450 and 500 media members have been credentialed for the game, the kind of attention usually reserved for late in the playoffs.

"This is a celebration of his career," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "You can be a part of that and appreciate that and respect that—it's history—but then come out and compete and play the game. I don't think he's ever wanted someone to not compete against him in his life. We owe him that. That's what the game is about, whether you're on the playground or practice or whatever. It's about competing."

The Jazz will be without Gobert, too. The center badly rolled his ankle during Monday's loss to the Mavericks and didn't make the trip to Los Angeles. Shooting guard Alec Burks is listed as questionable to play because of soreness in his knee.

— Aaron Falk