Game 82: Utah Jazz (48-33) @ Portland Trailblazers (48-33)

[Crunch 99]

ESPN broadcast and 8:30 pm MT tipoff.

The coveted third seed and momentum going in to the playoffs is on the line! The game should be playoff intensity. Both teams are relatively healthy. Las Vegas is taking the Blazers at home with -3.5 points. Go Jazz!

Jazz, Trail Blazers vie for No. 3 seed in West
http://www.espn.com/nba/preview?gameId=400975975

[Crunch 99]

Projected lineups as of 10am:

[Stern Fixer]

Biggest game of the year is an expression that gets thrown around a lot. But they don't come any bigger than this one. It means the difference between homecourt and no homecourt in all likelihood. Wish we didn't have to play a rested hungry team on the day after one of our biggest wins of the year, but it is what it is. Homecourt or no homecourt, we'll be a difficult out for anybody. Go Jazz!!!!

[zero24gravity]

Trail Blazers vs. Jazz is huge for both teams

This game in and of itself is fairly simple. The winner gets the No. 3 seed. We’ll get to the loser in a second.

Portland has lost four in a row and six of its last 10. The Trail Blazers have a chance at redemption if they can beat the Jazz in the season finale. If not, life gets much more complicated out West.

Should Portland lose, the Jazz leapfrog the Trail Blazers at No. 3 because they have identical records while Utah owns the tiebreaker. Whichever team wins locks up the No. 3 seed in the postseason.

Whichever team loses could take a major hit if the right teams win.

A defeat would give either Portland or Utah 34 losses on the season. As it stands, three other teams have 34 losses: San Antonio, New Orleans and Oklahoma City. All three of those teams play on Wednesday night -- as noted above, the Spurs and Pelicans play each other.

If Portland loses and both San Antonio and OKC win, the Trail Blazers will fall to sixth place, which ironically means a matchup against the Jazz in the first round. The Jazz can only fall as low as No. 5 if they lose to the Trail Blazers and the Thunder beat the Grizzlies, because they already own tiebreakers over New Orleans and San Antonio. The problem: that gives Utah a tough first-round matchup against Oklahoma City.

If the Pelicans beat San Antonio, Portland slides up to No. 4, New Orleans is No. 5, Oklahoma City is No. 6, and San Antonio slides to No. 7 against the Warriors.

Clearly, the scenarios are complex. Bottom line: neither the Jazz or Blazers wants to lose the season finale, which makes for a game with fireworks on the way.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/everything-at-stake-on-the-nba-season%E2%80%99s-final-night/ar-AAvKOsl?li=BBnb7Kz&OCID=DELLDHP

[mark53]

We get Thunder no matter what when they beat Memphis, but the fact that 3rd seed is on the line and GSW having to deal with a tough out is just too much not to give everything for 48. LETS GO!!!!!!!

[ducler]

[SoCalJazzFan]

Trail Blazers vs. Jazz is huge for both teams

This game in and of itself is fairly simple. The winner gets the No. 3 seed. We’ll get to the loser in a second.

Portland has lost four in a row and six of its last 10. The Trail Blazers have a chance at redemption if they can beat the Jazz in the season finale. If not, life gets much more complicated out West.

Should Portland lose, the Jazz leapfrog the Trail Blazers at No. 3 because they have identical records while Utah owns the tiebreaker. Whichever team wins locks up the No. 3 seed in the postseason.

Whichever team loses could take a major hit if the right teams win.

A defeat would give either Portland or Utah 34 losses on the season. As it stands, three other teams have 34 losses: San Antonio, New Orleans and Oklahoma City. All three of those teams play on Wednesday night -- as noted above, the Spurs and Pelicans play each other.

If Portland loses and both San Antonio and OKC win, the Trail Blazers will fall to sixth place, which ironically means a matchup against the Jazz in the first round. The Jazz can only fall as low as No. 5 if they lose to the Trail Blazers and the Thunder beat the Grizzlies, because they already own tiebreakers over New Orleans and San Antonio. The problem: that gives Utah a tough first-round matchup against Oklahoma City.

If the Pelicans beat San Antonio, Portland slides up to No. 4, New Orleans is No. 5, Oklahoma City is No. 6, and San Antonio slides to No. 7 against the Warriors.

Clearly, the scenarios are complex. Bottom line: neither the Jazz or Blazers wants to lose the season finale, which makes for a game with fireworks on the way.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/everything-at-stake-on-the-nba-season%E2%80%99s-final-night/ar-AAvKOsl?li=BBnb7Kz&OCID=DELLDHP

Hey, that looks familiar- haha (I posted in another thread after you). Nice way to see how you want the games to go tonight.

[cashmachine]

I just hope that Lillard doesn't have one of those games where he goes for 40 pts and McCollum adds 28.

[SoCalJazzFan]

Here is another article to help decide who to cheer for:

https://www.deseretnews.com/article/865697553/Every-possible-playoff-seeding-scenario-for-the-Utah-Jazz-Western-Conference.html

[Rauxcee]

Go get it Jazz! I really hope they can win. I'm already worried about OKC as it is, but OKC without homecourt? Forget about it.

Also- to all the Wolves fans that have been hanging around and cheering us on for Ricky- I'm rooting for you guys to get in!

[Note30]

Go get it Jazz! I really hope they can win. I'm already worried about OKC as it is, but OKC without homecourt? Forget about it.

Also- to all the Wolves fans that have been hanging around and cheering us on for Ricky- I'm rooting for you guys to get in!

Thanks!

[Note30]

Go get it Jazz! I really hope they can win. I'm already worried about OKC as it is, but OKC without homecourt? Forget about it.

Also- to all the Wolves fans that have been hanging around and cheering us on for Ricky- I'm rooting for you guys to get in!

If the Wolves get eliminated tonight, I'm hoping you guys make the Finals. And Ricky wins the best teammate ever award. Been watching your team chemistry through the season, really wish we had built something like this for Ricky while he was here.

[BudTugly]

Watch on YouTube

[Joao Saraiva]

Well I'm not sleeping tonight. It will start at 3:30 am here in Portugal and then I'm going to work... but no way I miss this one. Been sleeping before so I lost the champions league matches... hope my Jazz make it worth! Let's go Jazz!!!

[Rauxcee]

Jazz need to hit their shots if they want to keep up.

[Joao Saraiva]

If we win we play OKC... if we lose we play New Orleans. I'd feel more confident playing New Orleans to be honest...

What do you guys think?

[Rauxcee]

If we win we play OKC... if we lose we play New Orleans. I'd feel more confident playing New Orleans to be honest...

What do you guys think?

Nope. We are guaranteed OKC no matter what. It's just a question of who has home court.

[Joao Saraiva]

If we win we play OKC... if we lose we play New Orleans. I'd feel more confident playing New Orleans to be honest...

What do you guys think?

Nope. We are guaranteed OKC no matter what. It's just a question of who has home court.

Care to explain? Didn't see the tie breakers.

[Rauxcee]

A bunch of crazy tie breaking rules. There is a great post on the general board that explains it.

[KqWIN]

This game is everything I hate about this matchup.