Two of the hottest teams in the Western Conference go head-to-head on Friday night in a matchup that neither wants to lose due to the upcoming postseason.
Utah, winners of three straight, need the victory to keep pace with third-seeded Memphis and keep the distance between themselves and fifth-seeded Dallas for homecourt advantage in the opening round.
New Orleans, also winners of three straight, might need the victory more than the Jazz if they're even making the postseason. Currently, they sit in 10th place, the final play-in spot, but are just a game ahead of 11th-seeded Portland and a game behind ninth-seeded Los Angeles Lakers.