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Blazers aim to improve playoff position in Utah

Apr 7, 2011 - 2:35 PM (Sports Network) - Any of the lower-seeded teams in the Western Conference playoff race could be facing an early exile with possible matchups with the Spurs, Lakers or Mavericks looming.

If the regular season ended today the Portland Trail Blazers would square off with two-time defending NBA champion Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. Portland is currently seventh in the West with four games to go and will pay a visit to the Utah Jazz tonight at Energy Solutions Arena.

The Blazers, who have already locked up their third straight postseason berth, fell for the fourth time in 12 tries with Tuesday's 108-87 blowout loss to the Golden State Warriors at the Rose Garden. LaMarcus Aldridge played almost 41 minutes and delivered 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Blazers, who shot 41 percent for the game and also got 17 points from Wesley Matthews.

"Tonight was bad. It was just one of those nights," Blazers head coach Nate McMillan said.

Nicolas Batum scored 15 points off the bench in defeat, as Portland completed a three-game homestand with a 2-1 record. The Trail Blazers will hit the road where they are 17-22 and have lost five of six. Blazers center Marcus Camby is still banged up with a neck injury and will miss tonight's game. He had eight rebounds and no points in 10 minutes of action versus the Warriors.

Utah is playing out the string and will miss the postseason for the first time since the 2005-06 campaign. It hasn't fared so well since legendary head coach Jerry Sloan stepped down from the post, but was able to end an eight-game losing streak with an improbable 86-85 road win against the Lakers on Tuesday.

Gordon Hayward hit a foul shot with six ticks on the clock and finished with a career-high 22 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Jazz, who snapped a nine-game slide to the Lakers on the road and overcame a 10-point hole. In his third start with Utah, rookie Derrick Favors recorded 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Paul Millsap added 22 points and seven boards in the win.

Lakers superstar and MVP candidate Kobe Bryant was held to 20 points and the Jazz improved to 25-10 when allowing less than 100 points in a game.

"It was fun. You're out there competing and especially against Kobe Bryant, growing up, you idolize him. It was a lot of fun," Hayward said.

The Jazz hope to put the brakes on a four-game home losing streak tonight and are 20-19 in Salt Lake City. On the injury front for Utah, guard Devin Harris (hamstring) is probable for Thursday, guard C.J. Miles (ankle) is questionable and forward Andrei Kirilenko (knee) is listed as doubtful versus Portland.

Portland has taken two of three meetings with Utah so far in 2010-11 and hasn't won a season series against the Jazz since 2007-08. The Jazz are still 7-4 in the previous 11 meetings with the Blazers, losers in 16 of 19 trips to Salt Lake City.