The Jazz have struggled to win in the second game of back-to-back sets (3-14) and struggled to win on the road (14-21) this season, but will need to do both with a pair of season-defining games the next three days at Portland and Denver.
"It's two playoff teams," Deron Williams said. "I don't think we've beaten a playoff team on the road yet this season, so we've got to get some wins." "We know this trip is huge," Kyle Korver added. "You're going to see a very focused team. We'll see what we can do."
The Jazz (46-27) trail Denver by 1 1-2 games and are tied with Portland in the Northwest Division race. They have won the division the last two seasons, which brings a guaranteed top-four playoff seed and possible home-court advantage in the first round.
Both the Trail Blazers and Nuggets need victories to split the four-game season series against the Jazz. The next tiebreaker would be division record, with the Jazz 10-3, Denver 9-3 and Portland 7-5.
"There's so much ground to gain or to lose," Korver said.
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Injury report
Andrei Kirilenko left Monday's game after hitting his hand on the rim with 5:32 left in the second quarter.
Kirilenko did not return in the second half with a sprained right ring finger but said he thought he'd be fine to play tonight against Portland.
Although he considered returning Monday, Kirilenko said, "We talked with the doctors and they said it was better to put a splint on it right now and just kind of don't bother it for a few hours."
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Briefly
Ronnie Price and his wife, Jenni , welcomed daughter Brielle Nicole on Saturday. Price admitted getting a little caught up in the Jazz's victory over Phoenix that night after the delivery. "They had me going crazy in the hospital room," he said. . . . The Jazz finished 15-15 record against Eastern Conference teams after going 21-9 last season. ... The Jazz own New York's 2010 first-round draft pick, with the Knicks bringing the NBA's ninth-worst record into Monday's game. If the Knicks finished the same way next season, the Jazz would have a 1.7 percent chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick and a 6.1 percent chance at a top-three pick in the draft lottery. ... If they can beat Minnesota (21-53), Golden State (25-48) and the L.A. Clippers (18-56), the Jazz would take an 18-game home winning streak into the playoffs, one shy of matching the franchise record.
rsiler@sltrib.com Jazz at Portland
At Rose Garden
Time ? 8 p.m.
TV/Radio ? FSN Utah, 1320 AM, 98.7 FM
Records: ? Jazz 46-27, Portland 46-27
Last meeting ? Jazz lost 122-108 (Jan. 31)
Line ? Portland by 5
About the Jazz ? The Jazz came into Monday having won 19 of 24 games since a lifeless loss in Portland to close January. The Jazz are 14-21 on the road and 3-14 in the second game of back-to-back sets. ... Deron Williams scored a season-high 35 points the last time the Jazz and Trail Blazers played.
About the Trail Blazers ? Portland has been almost as good at home as the Jazz have been this season, with a 30-7 record. ... Brandon Roy is averaging 27.0 points in three games against Utah this season. ... Nicolas Batum had 16 points and hit four three-pointers against the Jazz in January. ... The Blazers held Memphis to 66 points in winning Saturday. Jazz at Portland
At Rose Garden
Time ? 8 p.m.
TV/Radio ? FSN Utah, 1320 AM, 98.7 FM
Records: ?Jazz 46-27, Portland 46-27
Last meeting ? Jazz lost 122-108 (Jan. 31)
Line ? Portland by 5
About the Jazz ? The Jazz came into Monday having won 19 of 24 games since a lifeless loss in Portland to close January. The Jazz are 14-21 on the road and 3-14 in the second game of back-to-back sets. Deron Williams scored a season-high 35 points the last time the Jazz and Trail Blazers played.
About the Trail Blazers ? Portland has been almost as good at home as the Jazz have been this season, with a 30-7 record. Brandon Roy is averaging 27.0 points in three games against Utah. this season.
