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Jazz try to overcome road woes, gain ground in Northwest

Jan 31, 2009 - 11:19 AM Utah (26-21) at Portland (28-17) 10:00 p.m. EST

PORTLAND, Oregon (Ticker) -- For the last two years, the Northwest Division has belonged to the Utah Jazz. This season, however, they have hefty competition from a pair of improving ballclubs.

The Jazz will get a shot at one of them on Saturday night as they try to gain ground in the divisional race. Third-place Utah takes to the road to face the second-place Portland Trail Blazers in a key Western Conference clash.

The Blazers trail the first-place Denver Nuggets by two games, with Utah sitting three games behind Portland - thanks in part to a recent four-game slide. But Utah would clinch the season series with a victory in this meeting.

The Jazz won the previous two meetings between the clubs, as Mehmet Okur scored a combined 49 points in a pair of victories earlier this season. However, both of those contests were on Utah's home floor - the road has been a different story. The team is a miserable 8-15 away this season, having lost eight of nine.

Utah snapped a four-game losing streak on Friday, as Deron Williams posted 24 points, 12 assists and four steals to lead a 110-90 triumph over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Portland, which is looking for its first postseason appearance since 2003, has won three straight and will come into the showdown well-rested after two nights off.