NBA 2K: How would the Utah Jazz have finished the regular season?

Games 73 through 82

3/28 vs ATL Jazz win 115 to 109

3/30 vs CHI Jazz win 107 to 105

4/1 vs CLE Jazz win 114 to 97

4/2 @ POR Trail-Blazers win 124 to 110

4/5 @ DEN Nuggets win 130 to 122

4/7 vs LAC Jazz win 121 to 116

4/11 @ PHX Jazz win 113 to 101

4/13 @ OKC Thunder win 125 to 118

4/14 vs DEN Jazz win 104 to 96

In this final stretch of games there were four critical contests against inner-division rivals that ultimately determined the fate of playoff seeding. The Jazz went 1-3 in those games, choking at the finish line and hurting their playoff position.

By the time the regular season finale came, the Utah Jazz had already lost control of the third seed in the Western Conference to the Denver Nuggets. Both teams rested their top rotation players all except for Joe Ingles, who refuses to sit out a game he’s healthy enough to play in.

Not surprisingly, all three of the losses in this stretch came when the other team scored more than 120 points. The Jazz now know for sure that if they fail to defend, they fail to win against playoff opponents.

Now they have just three days to rest and prepare for their playoff series which starts far away from the friendly confines of Vivint Smart Home Arena.