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The NBA’s Western Conference playoff chase is wild, and the Jazz are right in the thick of it

(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles (2) Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) and Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during the game at Vivint Smart Home Arena Friday, January 19, 2018. New York Knicks defeated Utah Jazz 117-115.

The Jazz have blinders on.

If you mention the stretch run of the Western Conference playoff race, which starts for Utah with Friday night’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers, they make it clear they don’t want to know. The players and coaches are aware of how close the cluster of playoff-contending teams is. But for Utah, the best way to deal with that is the boring route: Worry about the next game, the next night and the next opponent.

Nothing beyond that.

“If we ever start to feel good about ourselves, all we have to do is take a look at the standings,” Jazz center Rudy Gobert said. “We’re still in 10th place.”

The race itself is fascinating. In the Western Conference, four and a half games separate current third seed San Antonio and Utah, which has won 11 straight games.

The Jazz are a game and a half behind the New Orleans Pelicans for the eighth and final playoff spot. But they are a mere two and a half games out of the fifth spot, currently occupied by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

That means every game, and every possession of every game, holds significant meaning for the eight teams involved. As the calendar turns to March next week, the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors are the only two Western Conference teams assured of a playoff spot.

A lengthy winning streak could put a team in a great spot. A prolonged losing streak could put a team in the draft lottery.

THE WILD WEST<br>3. San Antonio • 35-23<br>4. Minnesota • 36-25<br>5. Oklahoma City • 33-26<br>6. Denver • 32-26<br>6. Portland • 32-26<br>8. New Orleans • 31-26<br>9. L.A. Clippers • 30-26<br>10. Utah • 30-28

“The thing we can’t do is fall into chasing other teams, because there are so many variables,” Utah coach Quin Snyder said. “The thing that we have to do is to keep trying to improve. We have to go out there and control what we can control. If we are playing well, we have to keep playing well. If we aren’t playing well, we have to try and play better.”

Because of their monster win streak, the Jazz have given themselves a chance at making the playoffs for the second consecutive season. After losing at Atlanta and dropping to 19-28 a month ago, that possibility seemed remote.

However, because Utah has played one of the toughest slates in the NBA to this point, their schedule down the stretch is easier than many of their counterparts. Fourteen of Utah’s final 24 games are at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Jazz also play 11 teams who currently have a losing record.

As a bonus, teams around the Jazz are dealing with their own issues. San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he would be surprised if star forward Kawhi Leonard returns this season. The New Orleans Pelicans are without star forward DeMarcus Cousins for the remainder of the season. The Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers and Trail Blazers all face difficult schedules down the stretch. The Oklahoma City Thunder are still adjusting to life without Andre Roberson, who is their best defender.

As important as the schedules are the tie-breakers, which makes Utah’s Friday matchup with Portland gargantuan. If the Jazz win, they guarantee themselves the tie-breaker over the Blazers. Utah currently holds tie-breakers over the Clippers and the Pelicans. This is significant, because the race is so close.

At the same time, not much of that matters to the Jazz. They know they have given themselves an opportunity with the win streak. They started their run in the 10th spot of the Western Conference, and they are still 10th, although they’ve closed the gap significantly.

“You do the opposite of what everyone else does,” Jazz forward Jae Crowder said. “You don’t look at that stuff. You focus on the guys on the court and in your locker room and you focus on each game, one at a time. You can’t look ahead. You can’t worry about what other teams do. You just have to take care of what you can control. You can’t look at the standings.”

TRAIL BLAZERS AT JAZZ<br>At Vivint Smart Home Arena<br>Tipoff • Friday, 7 p.m.<br>TV • ATTSN<br>Radio • 1280 AM, 97.5 FM<br>Records • Jazz 30-28, Blazers 32-26<br>Last Meeting • Jazz 115, Blazers 96 (Feb. 11).<br>About the Blazers • Portland signed former Utah guard Brandon Rush to a 10-day contract thisweek. … The Blazers have won three of their last four games, including a win over the Golden State Warriors. … Portland is looking for its first win over the Jazz this season. … The Trail Blazers are currently in the seventh spot in the Western Conference and hold a two game lead on the Jazz. … Salt Lake City native Caleb Swanigan is averaging 2.4 points and2.2 rebounds per game.<br>About the Jazz • With a win, Utah would clinch the season-series over the Blazers. … This is the third game in a season-long six game home stand for the Jazz. …Utah guard Ricky Rubio is listed as questionable for Friday night. … Jazz guard Dante Exum is going through non-contact portions of practice … Friday will be the first game of a home back-to-back for the Jazz.