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Without Sloan, Jazz return home to face Timberwolves

Apr 3, 2009 - 7:03 AM By Matt Beardmore Stats Writer

Minnesota (21-54) at Utah (46-29) 9:00 p.m. EDT

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- While the Utah Jazz continue to struggle on the road, they've been unbeatable lately in Salt Lake City.

Returning home from a winless two-game trip, Utah looks to keep pace in the crowded Western Conference playoff race Friday night against the slumping Minnesota Timberwolves when it goes for its 16th straight victory at EnergySolutions Arena.

Utah, also seeking its seventh straight win at home against Minnesota, faces a near must-win situation if it hopes to win the Northwest Division and secure home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. With seven games remaining, the Jazz trail division-leading Denver by 3 1/2 games following Thursday's 114-104 loss to the Nuggets.

Utah is just one game ahead of Dallas for the eighth and final playoff spot after losing for the sixth time in seven road games. The Jazz shot a season-low 36.6 percent from the field Thursday.

"(Carlos) Boozer, Mehmet (Okur) and Deron (Williams), I don't know what they were, but they didn't shoot the ball very well in the first half," said Utah coach Jerry Sloan, who will miss Friday's game to return to his native Illinois following the death of his older brother earlier this week. "I know nobody's trying to miss shots, but some of our defense, it didn't look like we wanted to help each other enough to try to win a ballgame."

Williams recorded his 38th double-double of the season Thursday with 18 points and 10 assists. In three victories against Minnesota this season, he is averaging 14.0 points and 11.7 assists.

Paul Millsap notched his first double-double since March 8 with 14 points and 12 rebounds against the Nuggets. In these teams' last meeting in Utah, a 112-107 Jazz win January 20, Millsap had a team-high 28 points with 15 rebounds.

Minnesota is trying to avoid its first season series sweep by the Jazz for the first time since losing all three matchups in 1998-99.

The Timberwolves, who have dropped nine straight on the road and 27 of 32 overall, seek to rebound from a 108-88 loss to Dallas on Tuesday when they shot just 39.8 percent from the field.

Even while his team plays poorly as a whole, Minnesota rookie Kevin Love continues to put up big numbers. The 20-year-old, seeking his third straight double-double, has 254 offensive rebounds this season, trailing only Dwight Howard for the league lead.

"Unfortunately he's had a lot of opportunities with Al (Jefferson) being out," Timberwolves forward Brian Cardinal said.

Since Jefferson tore his right ACL in a 101-97 loss to New Orleans on February 8, Minnesota is 4-21.

Love is averaging 14.9 points and 9.6 boards during that stretch.

"We've been undermanned most of the year," said Love, who had 24 points and 15 rebounds in Minnesota's last game versus Utah, a 120-103 loss at the Target Center on February 25.

Wolves guard Randy Foye has missed the last two games with a hip injury and is questionable for Friday.

Minnesota is 9-32 all-time in Salt Lake City, and has not won there since a 91-77 victory December 5, 2005.

Assistant Phil Johnson will coach the Jazz for this contest in Sloan's absence.