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Jazz limping to playoffs

Apr 16, 2007 - 3:11 PM Portland (32-48) at Utah (49-31) 9:00 pm EDT

SALT LAKE CITY (Ticker) -- The Utah Jazz are limping to the playoffs.

Locked in as the fourth seed in the Western Conference, the Jazz can still earn the home-court advantage when they face the Houston Rockets in the first round.

Utah will host the Rockets on Wednesday - the final day of the regular season. The game could determine who will get the home-court advantage only if the Jazz beat the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday and the Rockets lose to Phoenix.

"We've just got to hope they (the Rockets) lose," Jazz guard Deron Williams said. "One of those games, we've got to beat them."

But Utah has lost six of its last seven games. All-Stars Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur each had double-doubles for the Jazz in a 126-98 loss to Phoenix on Saturday.

Portland may be without Rookie of the Year candidate Brandon Roy, who has been bothered by a sore knee. The Trail Blazers are already without Zach Randolph (hand), LaMarcus Aldridge (heart condition) and Ime Udoka (knee).

Jarrett Jack scored 25 points and Travis Outlaw added a career high-tying 22 as the Blazers snapped their four-game losing streak with a 108-102 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics.