Wed Apr 2 15:03:27 2008

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Jazz better be ready for a tough finish

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(Sports Network) - The Utah Jazz are No. 4 in the Western Conference playoff race, and are three games ahead of the second place Denver Nuggets in the Northwest Division.

Utah (49-26) will play four of its final seven regular-season games at home. The Jazz will host Minnesota, the Spurs, the Nuggets and Houston, and will visit New Orleans, Dallas and San Antonio.

All-Star forward Carlos Boozer leads the Jazz in scoring (21.8 ppg) and rebounding (10.7 rpg), while Deron Williams, who is second on the club in scoring (19.3 ppg), is averaging a team-best 10.5 assists per game.

Boozer, who is shooting an impressive 55.0 percent from the floor this season, has collected a double-double in six of his last seven contests. The Duke product is averaging 24.6 points and 11.2 rebounds in his last 10 outings.

The Jazz play the middle contest of a three-game homestand when they host the Timberwolves on Wednesday at EnergySolutions Arena. Minnesota is 2-1 against Utah this season. The Timberwolves have dropped four straight as the visitor against the Jazz.

Utah opened the homestand with a victory. C.J. Miles scored a career-high 29 points to lead a balanced Utah attack that included seven players in double figures, and the Jazz trounced the Washington Wizards, 129-87, on Monday at EnergySolutions Arena.

Boozer finished with 19 points, while Williams scored 12 and dished out a game-high 16 assists for Utah, which has captured four of its last five games overall.

Utah, which has won four in a row as the host, is an impressive 33-4 at home this season. The Jazz will host the Spurs on Friday in the finale of the current homestand.

On the injury front for the Jazz, forward Andrei Kirilenko (bruised right calf) is questionable against Minnesota, while guard Ronnie Brewer (strained right groin) is doubtful. Kirilenko has missed two straight games and Brewer did not play against Washington.

The Jazz have scored over 100 points in five straight and 13 of their last 16 games overall. Utah is 31-4 when it holds its opponent under 100 points.

Utah finished the 2006-07 campaign with a 51-31 record and captured the Northwest title during the regular season. The Jazz ended a three-year playoff drought by qualifying for the postseason. They defeated Houston in seven in the quarterfinals, knocked out Golden State in five in the semis and fell to San Antonio in five in the Western Conference finals.