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Quin Snyder wasn't interested in helping to write his team's obituary early.

On Sunday afternoon, with just a handful of his players still in the gym the day before what could be their final game of the season, Snyder leaned up against a wall in his team's practice facility and tried to focus on a singular task ahead.

"We can't get to Game 5," the Utah Jazz coach said, "until you play Game 4."

The big question facing the Jazz, however, may very well be the same on Monday night as it will be at the start of the offseason, this time next year, and on into the foreseeable future. It is a nearly universal basketball conundrum.

How do you beat the Golden State Warriors?

The Jazz, trailing 3-0 in their second-round playoff matchup, have immediate hopes of extending their season and forcing a return trip to Oakland for a Game 5 at Oracle Arena.

"It's a chance to break through or the season's over," Snyder said. "If we're able to do that, we'll turn our attention to the next game. Until we can do that, there's no sense looking forward. Just stay completely present."

For the Jazz, however, present and future, micro and macro, have begun to overlap. The franchise is looking to build off its best campaign in seven years — with at least one more win this season, and with championship aspirations going forward — and the themes are similar in both cases. So the questions ahead of Monday's Game 4 at Vivint Smart Home Arena start to look oddly similar to ones that will be important come Game No. 1 of the 2017-18 season:

Will Hayward muster All-Star effort?

The Jazz have needed everything their leading scorer has been able to give them in this postseason. Hayward has averaged 24 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists in the postseason.

The forward said he has been encouraged by the progress his team has made against Golden State in this series.

"It's definitely encouraging," he said after his team's loss on Saturday night. "From where we were Game 1 to where we are tonight, you can see signs of improvement."

The improvement the Jazz have seen, in this series and over the past few years, would take a major blow if they can't persuade Hayward to stay in Utah when he likely opts out of his contract in July.

Will George Hill be in uniform?

The Jazz's starting point guard has missed the last two games while dealing with soreness in his big toe. He is questionable for Monday and his status with the Jazz beyond that is even more uncertain. Hill will be a free agent this summer, when he will be one of the more desirable point guard options on the market. Hill has been a major contributor to the Jazz's breakthrough season, but will Utah commit long-term to a 31-year-old point guard who played only 49 regular season games?

Can the Jazz find a third scoring threat?

Shooting guard Rodney Hood has been fighting through some injuries in the postseason, Snyder said, and his output has suffered. Hood is hitting on just 27 percent of his 3-pointers, down 10 percent from his regular season average, in the playoffs. The Jazz desperately need his production, or they'll have to look elsewhere for a third scoring option to help out Hayward and center Rudy Gobert.

And how do you

stop the Warriors?

No NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in the playoffs and Utah's long odds are certainly longer considering the matchup. The Warriors are one of the most talented teams ever assembled, and until something changes, the super team's presence will loom large over any squad hoping for its shot at a title.

"It's demanding," Snyder said. "… You can't miss plays."

The Jazz needed until Game 3 of the series to take their first lead, and even then the result was the same: a double-digit loss. Still, they believe they've used the matchup to improve.

"I think we've been getting better every game," Gobert said. "It's just those last seven minutes when we let them take over the game. I think we've gotten better and we've got to build around what we've done and keep the same attitude, and keep competing, and just believe in ourselves. I think we'll be fine."

They've also used this postseason as a chance to gather info, and test themselves against a team they'll have to be able to beat if they truly have championship intentions.

"I think we've learned a lot the whole year," Snyder said. "… The playoffs is another step, more information for everyone. I think anytime you're put in a new situation, you see how you react to it. You see what your strengths are. You address your weaknesses and you try to get better. I think that's where our team is at.

"We know, I think, to a large degree who we are. We know where we need to get better. And that's something our attention will turn to once the season ends."

That could come as soon as Monday night.

The Jazz hope to get another few games of intel before that happens. But by now, they know the biggest question facing them.

afalk@sltrib.com Twitter: @aaronfalk —

Tough to match

Probable Game 4 starters and playoff averages

Utah Jazz

Shelvin Mack • 4.5 ppg

Joe Ingles • 6.4 ppg

Gordon Hayward • 24 ppg

Boris Diaw • 6.3 ppg

Rudy Gobert • 11.5 ppg

Golden State Warriors

Stephen Curry • 26.7 ppg

Klay Thompson • 15.4 ppg

Kevin Durant • 24.4 ppg

Draymond Green • 14.6 ppg

Zaza Pachulia • 6.3 ppg