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Jazz-Pacers Preview

Mar 26, 2010 - 10:15 PM By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA STATS Senior Writer

Utah (47-25) at Indiana (26-46), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The Utah Jazz are in a tight race for playoff position in the Western Conference. None of their recent victories, however, have been remotely close.

After a highly successful opener to a three-game road trip, the Jazz look to win their fourth straight game as they visit the Indiana Pacers on Friday night.

Utah (47-25) is coming off a 113-87 victory over Toronto on Wednesday night. The Jazz are in a tie with Denver for third place in the West, but they would come up short in a tiebreaker by virtue of losing the season series.

"Hopefully they have their heads screwed on because that is how important each game is," coach Jerry Sloan said. "We are in a tough race to try and continue where we are and every time you play you try and move up."

Sloan certainly appears to have his team up for the challenge. The Jazz have won five of six, outscoring their opponents by an average of 20.8 points in the victories.

With 10 games remaining, Deron Williams continues to be the Jazz's catalyst on both ends of the court. The All-Star point guard had 18 points, 16 assists, eight rebounds and four steals versus the Raptors.

"We need that every night," Sloan told the Jazz's official Web site. "How he goes is how we go."

Williams and the Jazz may get some much-needed help, with Andrei Kirilenko (calf) reportedly close to returning. The veteran forward, averaging 12.0 points, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks, has missed six of the last seven games.

Kirilenko may have to guard Pacers star Danny Granger, who had 31 points in a 99-82 win over Washington on Wednesday night.

Indiana (26-46) has won a season-high six straight at home and four in a row overall. Though the Pacers are virtually out of the playoff race, Granger dismisses the notion that they should lose games in order to improve the chances of getting a high draft pick.

"I really don't believe in trying not to win," he said. "I don't even know how you can say that about a team, tell them not to win. It goes against every principle of sportsmanship that's out there."

Granger has helped Indiana's starters outscore their counterparts by an average of 41.0 points over the past four games. Granger has scored at least 30 points in his last three contests.

"Three games, yeah, 30 points, but three wins too," he said. "That's the best part about it. It's one of those things where you just keep winning and you wonder 'What if this would have happened a month and a half ago, two months ago.'"

The Pacers may be without center Roy Hibbert for the second straight game. He sat out with a sprained jaw after taking a hit in a 98-83 win over Detroit on Tuesday night.

If he can't play, Josh McRoberts will likely get his fourth start.

Indiana forward Mike Dunleavy is expected to play after spraining his right ankle in the third quarter against the Wizards. Coach Jim O'Brien said Dunleavy could have returned if necessary.

The Pacers have lost four straight to the Jazz, including a 96-87 defeat Dec. 4.