• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Sliding Mavericks have little margin for error as they host Jazz

Jan 17, 2009 - 11:24 AM Utah (24-16) at Dallas (22-17) 9:00 p.m. EST

DALLAS (Ticker) -- There's precious little wiggle room for the Dallas Mavericks - or any team, for that matter - in the Western Conference playoff race. The Mavs, however, find themselves in another tough spot in what has already been a trying season.

Dallas will try to snap a four-game losing streak on Saturday night as they host the Utah Jazz in a pivotal Western tilt.

Were the playoffs to start now, the Mavericks would be on the outside. They are a game behind No. 8 Phoenix in what has already become a nine-team race. They have gotten little scoring outside of Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry - which is part of the reason they brought in sharpshooter Matt Carroll in Friday's trade that sent DeSagana Diop to Charlotte.

Whatever the cause and whatever the solution, the Mavericks are going to have to figure things out quickly, lest they fall too far behind. A good start would be defeating a Jazz team that already got the better of the Mavericks earlier this season - and is similarly grappling for position in the playoff standings.

The Jazz won a 97-88 decision in Salt Lake City on December 26 - and that was a Utah group playing without Carlos Boozer, Paul Millsap and Mehmet Okur due to various injuries. This time around ... Boozer is definitely out and Millsap might be. At least Okur is back. And Deron Williams - who collected 17 points and 13 assists in the win over Dallas - is looking like his old self after being hobbled for much of the season with a severe ankle sprain.

The star point guard is averaging 25.0 points and 9.7 assists over his last three games while shooting 50 percent (25-of-50) from the floor.