While the Utah Jazz look to get another win streak started tonight, other Western Conference foes are fighting it out in games of their own in an attempt to jockey for playoff position. Here’s a look at teams not named Utah that all Jazz fans should be rooting for this evening.
As all Utah Jazz fans are aware of by now, despite recently coming off an 11-game win streak and going 12-2 since January 24th, Utah has remained in only 10th place in the Western Conference. In short, if Utah wants to sneak into the playoffs this season, they need help.
Here’s a look at tonight’s games and who to cheer for while waiting for Utah’s later than usual tip-off:
Denver at Memphis, 6:00 pm MT
The Denver Nuggets currently hold a two-game lead over the Jazz and sit at 8th place in the conference. An unexpected loss here to an extremely subpar Memphis squad would be nothing but great news for Jazz fans. A Denver loss tonight could be especially important as once former Jazz fan-favorite Paul Millsap is off his minutes restriction, so the Nuggets are likely to play much better and could climb in the standings.
Oklahoma City at Phoenix, 7:00 pm MT
Here’s another great example of where an unexpected loss would be great news for Jazz fans. Despite the Oklahoma City Thunder currently sitting in 7th place, I don’t really buy the idea that they’ll fall completely out of the playoffs. If anything, a loss here could potentially impact playoff seeding rather than who’s in and who’s out.
New York at Los Angeles Clippers, 8:30 pm MT
Once again, the team the Jazz would like to see lose will be heavily favored. The New York Knicks were on a tear earlier in the year and primed for a breakout season after trading away Carmelo Anthony, but after superstar Kristaps Porzingis tore his ACL back on February 6th, their season was basically ended. The Clippers, on the other hand, seem to be faring rather well after trading star player Blake Griffin last month to the Detroit Pistons. Even though the Clippers are currently sitting outside the playoff picture in 9th place, the Jazz will still need to inevitably pass them by the end of the season if they wish to make the playoffs.
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Any of the aforementioned teams losing would be huge for Utah. The way things are going recently, though, don’t be surprised if the Jazz receive no help tonight.