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Phoenix • This was supposed to be the easy part of the schedule, the part of the season where the Jazz would be rewarded for having had such a difficult run of games early on, the time when the team could really gain some ground in the Western Conference playoff chase.

And then they blew a big lead and lost at home to New Orleans. And then, days later, they lost at Memphis.

So, with back-to-back games against Western Conference-worst Phoenix and 10th-place Minnesota coming on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, do the Jazz need to fix something to take care of business against allegedly inferior competition?

Actually, Kyle Korver, for one, isn’t buying the narrative that, just because a bunch of sub-.500 teams remain on the schedule, somehow everything should be smooth sailing.

“We come in and everyone’s telling us that our schedule’s a little easier now — all this junk that you gotta block out,” he said. “It’s hard to win in the NBA. I think we just gotta find our juice.”

Forward Thabo Sefolosha, meanwhile, parroted a mantra oft-repeated by coach Quin Snyder in delineating the key for the stretch run: It’s not about what any other team does, it’s about what the Jazz do.

“That’s the main thing for us, to play to the level that we’re capable of, not [be] looking who we’re playing against,” Sefolosha said. “We’re trying to build something for the playoffs, be in a good spot mentally, physically, and everything. We have to take every game very seriously, play to what we’re capable of doing, and just keep improving.”

In case you missed it …

There was another recent loss, too, on Monday night against the Thunder. The big storyline from that game was supposed to have been the triumphant return of Dante Exum. Except, well, something rather nastier occurred that night, didn’t it?

OKC’s Russell Westbrook got into it with a Jazz fan during the game, and was caught on video profanely threatening to beat up the fan and his wife after he claimed the fan hurled racial insults. The Jazz conducted an investigation into the incident, and wound up banning the fan from Vivint Smart Home Arena. Several Jazz players also spoke out in support of Westbrook. Andy B. Larsen and I discussed the incident, plus the Jazz’s recent struggles in a new edition of the Weekly Run podcast.

There was some other stuff we tackled in the last week as well: Like, say, Thabo Sefolosha’s evolution on the court and his role as a leader in the locker room; the increased production of the Jazz bench since the All-Star break; and the relationship between “brothers” Joe Ingles and Shawn James, which began in Israel and has now extended to Utah.

Other people’s stuff

Here’s some of the best Jazz-related non-Tribune stuff from the past week:

• No less than LeBron James spoke out in support of Westbrook, and said fans need to realize when they’ve crossed the line from cheering on their own team to doing something more sinister: “There’s a fine line; well, there’s not a fine line — that line is very bold. Everyone knows that when you’re crossing that line.”

• Deseret News columnist Brad Rock was at Monday’s Jazz-Thunder game, and argues the result perhaps indicates that the Jazz bringing back so much of last year’s roster has turned out to be more treading water than improving via continuity.

• KSL.com writer Ryan Miller wonders if the Westbrook incident could lead to some NBA rule changes.

• Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey joined ESPN insider extraordinaire Adrian Wojnarowski on an episode of the Woj Pod to rehash the trade deadline and discuss the gap between the Warriors and the rest of the league, among other things.

• UtahJazz.com feature writer Aaron Falk takes you inside the film room with Kyle Korver to give you some up-close perspective on how the sharpshooter continues to perfect his craft.

• And The Athletic had a couple of things: Jordan Brenner took a look at the rare teams that still utilize double-big man lineups these days; and Tony Jones also dove into Utah’s struggles against inferior opposition.

Up next

The Jazz are in Phoenix on Wednesday night to face the Suns. They’ll return back to SLC on Thursday for a home game against the T-wolves. On Saturday, they’ll host the surprise team of the season, the Brooklyn Nets. Then, next week, comes the last long road trip of the season: At the Wizards on Monday, at the Knicks on Wednesday, the Hawks next Thursday, and the Bulls next Saturday.