• The Jazz finished the 2012-13 season with a 43-39 record, the best of any non-playoff team, and is currently slotted for the 14th pick entering the Draft Lottery.
• Teams with the projected 14th pick have never obtained a top-three pick from the lottery. The closest a team has come was in 1999 when Charlotte, the final team in the lottery, had the 13th pick and received the third overall pick.
• Utah also holds the 21st overall pick (from Golden State via New Jersey) and the 46th pick.
• The rights to Golden State’s 2013 first-round pick (21st overall) reverted to Utah per the February 23, 2011 trade with New Jersey that also brought Derrick Favors, Devin Harris and a 2011 first-round pick (third overall – Enes Kanter) to Utah in exchange for Deron Williams.
• The Jazz franchise has never won the top pick in the NBA Draft. The highest overall pick came in 1980 when the Jazz selected Darrell Griffith with the second overall pick, the franchise’s only second overall pick to date.
• The Jazz has had six lottery selections (2004: Kris Humphries – 14th; 2005: Deron Williams – third; 2006: Ronnie Brewer – 14th; 2010: Gordon Hayward – ninth; 2011: Enes Kanter – third, Alec Burks – 12th).
• Since the implementation of the Draft Lottery in 1985, Utah has never drafted in positions 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11 or 13 (Jazz did receive the sixth pick in 2005 Lottery, but later included it in trade to Portland in exchange for the third overall pick).
• Only once in franchise history has the Jazz improved its draft position via the lottery, improving from sixth to third in 2011 (selected Enes Kanter) despite having just a 9.39% of moving into that slot.
• The final 2012-13 Jazz roster featured six former Lottery picks – Marvin Williams (#2 in 2005 by Atlanta), Derrick Favors (#3 in 2010 by New Jersey), Enes Kanter (#3 in 2011), Randy Foye (#7 in 2006 by Boston), Gordon Hayward (#9 in 2010) and Alec Burks (# 12 in 2011). Kanter, Hayward and Burks were each selected by the Jazz.

2013 NBA Draft Lottery Notables

•  The Lottery will be held on May 21 with the broadcast starting at 6:30 p.m. MT on ESPN.
• This year marks the 29th annual edition of the NBA Draft Lottery.
• The Draft Lottery will be held for the second consecutive year at the Disney/ABC Times Square Studios in New York City.
• The 14 teams participating in the Lottery are Orlando, Charlotte, Cleveland, Phoenix, New Orleans, Sacramento, Detroit, Washington, Minnesota, Portland, Philadelphia, Toronto, Dallas and Utah. Orlando finished the regular season with the worst record (20-62), thus receiving the highest odds for the top pick (25.0%) leading down to Utah which finished with the best record in the lottery (43-39), resulting in the lowest odds for the top pick (0.50%).
• The biggest upset in NBA Draft history came in 1993 when Orlando won the top pick (Chris Webber) with only a 1.5% chance after being slotted in the 11th and what-was-then final lottery pick. The second-largest upset came in 2008 when the Chicago Bulls won the right to draft first (Derrick Rose) with just a 1.7% chance.
• Since the weighted lottery system started in 1990, the team with the worst record has only won three times and the team with the second-worst record has won just four times.

2013 Jazz Lottery Probabilities

Jazz All-Time Lottery Selections

Evolution of the NBA Draft Lottery

• Prior to 1985 – Teams selected in inverse order of final standing with the exception of the territorial rule (a team’s ability to draft a local player). The teams with the worst records from each conference would participate in a coin toss to determine who had the first overall pick. Teams continued to select players in inverse order for all succeeding rounds.
• 1985-1989 – Each non-playoff team had an equal chance at obtaining the top pick. It wasn’t until April 1986 that the league changed the format so only the top three draft choices were determined by the Lottery, with the remaining picks determined by inverse order of final record.
• 1990-present – Introduction of the weighted lottery system gives the team with the worst record the best chance of securing the top pick. The team with the worst record got 11 chances out of 66 at receiving the first pick. Changes were made starting with the 1994 Draft to give the team with the worst record even better odds. The team with the worst record now has 250 chances out of 1000 (raising the chances from 16.7 percent to 25 percent).

 Jazz Draft Notables

The Utah Jazz finished the 2012-13 season with a 43-39 (the best record of any non-playoff team) record and missed the playoffs for only the fifth time in nearly 30 years.

With most of the team entering free agency, this off-season will be very important for the future of the franchise.

The Jazz have a 0.5% chance of moving up into the top spot in the draft.  Only the top three are actual lottery picks, if the Jazz fail to move up into one of those spots they will draft 14^th.  The Jazz have a 0.59% chance of moving up to the #2 spot and a 0.72% chance of getting pick #3.  They also own the Warriors pick this year so they have the chance to draft again at number 21.  14 & 21 are not exactly the most exciting places to pick, but some solid NBA starters have been picked at or after 14 in recent drafts.

2011: Kawhi Leonard (15), Kenneth Faried (22). 2010: Larry Sanders (15), Eric Bledsoe (18).  2009: Jrue Holiday (17), Ty Lawson (18), Jeff Teague (19). 2008: Roy Hibbert (17), Serge Ibaka (24) Nicolas Batum (25).

Bottom line is: even if the Jazz don’t move up into the top three, there are always impact players to be had in the middle of the first round.

The number 14 team in the lottery has never moved up into the top three of the draft, making it a perfect nine for nine (the lottery expanded to 14 times in 2004 with the addition of the Bobcats).

The following shows all the movement that has ever happened in the draft lottery.

According to history the Jazz don’t have the best chance of moving up into the top three of the draft, but stranger things have happened before.

So what should the Jazz do at 14?

Put together a collection of picks and/or players to move up

Putting together a trade to move up isn’t always easy but could be the best course of action for the Jazz.  They will have a hard time because the two picks they own aren’t the most ideal spots to draft so a team giving up a top five pick is unlikely.  The Jazz could also try to pair one of their picks with a player. This could be interesting, a sign and trade with Al Jefferson or Paul Millsap would definitely be enticing for a team in the lottery.  Trades are always difficult to pull off but Utah has shown the ability to move up to get the guy they really want in the past.

If the Jazz aren’t able to move up there are a of couple players who might be there at 14 for them to pick that would energize the fan base and really help get the team where everyone expects them to be.

Shane Larkin

When Marcus Smart decided to stay another year at Oklahoma State Trey Burke started shooting up draft boards, breaking Jazz fan’s hearts at the same time. With Burke and C.J. McCollum most likely off the board Shane Larkin could be a possibility for the team here.

Larkin is the son of baseball Hall-of-Famer Barry Larkin. The sophomore out of Miami led the Hurricanes to one of their best seasons in school history.

Larkin is undersized at 5’-11’’ and 176 LBS but he plays tough and reminds me a lot of Ty Lawson.  He is a smart player and was the unquestioned leader on his team last year as a sophomore.  Larkin would fill a void for the Jazz and could come in and start right away or come off the bench behind a veteran for a couple of years.

Michael Carter-Williams

Carter-Williams is a sophomore out of Syracuse with great size, 6’-5’’ and 175 lbs. Carter-Williams led the Orange to the Final Four before losing to Michigan.

The big knock on him is his jump shot but there is no denying his size and play-making ability. He would be able to come in and take over right away and hopefully improve his shot making.

Notice how both of these guys are point guards? The team is in desperate need of a franchise point guard that will give them and fans a sense of direction in where this team is going.

Some other potential picks could be:

• Shabazz Muhammad
• Kelly Olynyk
• Dennis Schroeder
• Mason Plumlee
• Jamaal Franklin
• Tim Hardaway, Jr.
• Isaiah Canaan
• Myck Kabongo

One thing we know for sure is that only a few people will know who the Jazz are picking until it’s announced.  The organization is more tight-lipped than any other in the NBA so rumors or speculation before the draft will most likely just be guesswork.

It is an exciting and also nerve-racking time to be a Jazz fan but this should be a very interesting summer.  Keep your fingers crossed that the ping pong balls fall in the Jazz’s favor on Tuesday night.

37 Double doubles Al Jefferson totaled this season, 9th in the NBA.

178 The number of three-pointers Randy Foye made this season, setting the Jazz all-time record for three’s made in a season.

9.2 Rebounds Al Jefferson averaged this season, 14th best in the league.

0 Games Randy Foye missed this season.

102 Steals Paul Millsap totaled this season, ranking 10th best among non-guards in the NBA.

10-4 The Jazz’s record in the month of January – the best month of the season.

22.7 Assists the Jazz averaged per game – 13th best in the league.

82 Dunks Derrick Favors had this season, ranking 23rd in the NBA.

609 Two-point field goals Al Jefferson made this season – third best in the NBA.

12.1 Offensive rebounds per game as a team, ranking the Jazz 9th in the NBA.

6.2 Number of assists Mo Williams averaged per game.

40 Points Al Jefferson had on April 12 in a win against Minnesota – the most points scored in a game by a Jazz player or opponent this season.

22 Rebounds Enes Kanter grabbed during a win versus Charlotte on March 1 – the most rebounds pulled down by a Jazz player this season.

20.5 & 15 Points and rebounds Enes Kanter averaged during his two starts this season.

8 Three-pointers made by Randy Foye against Brooklyn on March 30, tying a franchise record for three’s in one game.

4.4 Assists averaged by Jamaal Tinsley – the third highest average by any backup point guard in the NBA.

6-2 The Jazz’s record against Northwest division foes at home this season.

13-6 The Jazz’s record when Derrick Favors had 3+ blocks in a game.

27, 6, 5 & 2 Gordon Hayward’s best stat line of the season (points, rebounds, assists, blocks) after a home win against Dallas on January 7th.

15 The number of double doubles Paul Millsap had this season – the Jazz were 10-5 in those games.

The 2012-2013 season has been an up and down year for Jazz fans and it all ended Wednesday night with the worst offensive output in 82 games. A season low 70 points and a shooting percentage of 32 percent against the Memphis Grizzlies effectively ended the Jazz’s last hope of attaining the eighth seed in the playoffs over the Los Angeles Lakers. The 86-70 loss was tough to watch but wasn’t as tough as knowing how many winnable games there were that the Jazz could have used to secure a playoff spot. While it didn’t matter whether or not the Jazz won because of the Lakers victory over the Houston Rockets, the hope ultimately died in Memphis. The Jazz finished the season 43-39, a respectable (and playoff worthy) record if you aren’t playing in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.

It’s hard not to look back at the four heartbreaking road losses in early March or the Atlanta loss where a former Jazz man brought the Hawks storming back. All winnable games, that would have had the Jazz back in the playoffs for the second consecutive year. When a fan base becomes so accustomed to success and a chance in the playoffs, it’s hard not feel pessimistic about the season. That being said, the future is bright, the players are young, and in no time, the Jazz will be back where they belong amongst the basketball elite.

Al Jefferson played phenomenal in the final 12 games in which the Jazz went 9-3, to get back into playoff contention. After carrying the Jazz all season long, it seems the Mississippi native may not find his way back to Salt Lake City as a free agent. The time for the youth movement to take over has finally arrived and Jefferson and Paul Millsap could be in different jersey’s next season.

The Jazz only have six players under contract for the 2013-2014 season but also have two first round draft picks to help fill the void that may be left from free agency. Derrick Favors, Gordon Hayward, Enes Kanter and Alec Burks–it seems–will all be asked to carry the load and take the Jazz back to where they belong. The culture has been left behind by players like Millsap, Jefferson, and Mo Williams, that taught the young guys how to win. And hopefully they learned.

“We worked our ass off. The many times we could have gave up, we didn’t,” Al Jefferson told The Salt Lake Tribune. A statement that has hopefully been instilled in those young players that may have to take his place next season.

So while Jazz fans wait out the summer months until October, the players should know that the fans are always grateful for the effort they put in every season. We appreciate when they don’t give up. We appreciate the effort they put in to win. We appreciate it all. Mediocre is a good word to describe the Jazz this season, but in the end, it doesn’t matter because the fans know the players gave it all they could. The Jazz most certainly weren’t the most talented or biggest or fastest team in the NBA, but they turned out a winning season when no one expected them to.

So whether or not the Jazz use their salary cap space to re-sign a familiar face or rebuild around the young players or sign someone from a different team, one thing is for certain, the fans will be back, no matter who’s on the court.

After 81 games, the grueling NBA marathon comes to an end tonight.  Every team in the league will be in action tonight and for most teams, the last game of the year is just a formality.  Players entrenched in the lottery have had there Mediterranean cruise or Tahitian island reserved for weeks now.  Even most of the teams ready to get the playoffs started, don’t care about the final game.  The Heat will be sitting their studs.  Kevin Durant will be riding the pine tonight and already apologized via Instagram for not going after the scoring title.

For three teams, however, game 82 means something.

The Jazz, Lakers and Rockets have the playoffs and playoff seeding to play for tonight, and it just so happens that the Lakers and Rockets play each other; while the Jazz travel to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies who have locked up the fifth seed in the West.

The Lakers are playing for their playoff lives tonight while Houston would fall to the eighth seed with a loss to L.A.  If Houston beats the Lakers then they stay at the seven spot.

By now everyone knows the scenario that has to take place for the Jazz to make it.  The Jazz have to beat Memphis, on the road,  then start rooting hard for the rival Rockets, because if the Jazz win AND the Lakers lose then the Jazz will be in the playoffs while the Lakers will go bake Kobe get well cookies.

It’s interesting to note that this is the first time in the Jazz’s history in which they are playing to make the playoffs in the last game of the season.

Whatever happens tonight, Jazz fans should be proud of their team.  Sure, it wasn’t smooth sailing and we lost some games that we weren’t supposed to.  We lost heart-breakers, we were blown out a few times but we also won games we shouldn’t have and won nail-biters, and made it exciting for fans.

The Jazz were ravaged by injuries all season long.  Additionally, Ty Corbin was tasked with meshing eight (potentially nine) soon-to-be free agents into a playoff contender and he did it.

It’s been a fun season and I look forward to the future with much excitement; a future that I hope starts this weekend in the playoffs.

Mo Williams shouldered a lot of the load, chipping in 15 points, seven assists, four rebounds, and four steals. Williams accounted for one of Utah’s three 3-point field goals, Randy Foye making the other two. Milsap tallied 14 points and Derrick Favors rounded out the Jazz players scoring in double figures, leading the Utah bench with 12 points.

Derrick Williams continued to play well against the Jazz, posting a team-high 18 points for Minnesota. In the first contest between the two teams in the last four days he dropped 24 points and 16 rebounds. Williams and company were unable to slow Al Jefferson, who worked hard to find openings in the paint to score.

Defensively the Jazz were able to hold Minnesota to just 2-of-17 from three point range. Utah statistically has struggled to control opposing point guards this season, but the Jazz were able to frustrate Ricky Rubio all night, holding him to six points on 2-of-9 shooting and four assists, nearly half his season average.

Opening the game with a 16-2 lead, the Jazz set the tempo from the get-go. The game went back and forth, Minnesota using a 20-8 scoring advantage in fast break points to stay close, but never led after scoring the initial two points of the game. The Timberwolves did make a run to get within three, 61-58, after two Andrei Kirilenko free throws with 2:28 remaining in the third quarter, but Utah outscored the Timberwolves 25-10 over the next eight minutes.  Randy Foye’s corner three gave the Jazz an 18-point lead at that point, its largest of the game.

Utah swept the season series against the Timberwolves for the first time since Stockton and Malone were still wearing Jazz purple. Utah has defeated Minnesota six straight times, and have taken 11 of the past 13 contests.

Overall the Jazz have won nine of their last 11, and have seemingly saved their basketball of the season for the right time. Over that span Utah is averaging 100.6 points per game and only three of its 11 opponents have been able to score more than 100 points against the Jazz. Utah is still only 13-27 on the road, but has won its last three games played outside Salt Lake City.

The fate of the season now rests on the final game, which is away from home. Though the Jazz don’t control their own destiny, they are focused on winning in Memphis to put them in position to taste the postseason should Los Angeles falter.

This win helps the Jazz remain in the hunt for the eighth seed in the West, and puts the pressure to win on the Lakers, who play their final game of the regular season on Wednesday at home against Houston. A Los Angeles win would clinch the final playoff berth for the Lakers. The Jazz play their final regular season game the same night and hold the tiebreaker with Los Angeles after winning the season series, meaning  if the Rockets can upend the Lakers and Utah can manage to win in Memphis, the Jazz would travel to Oklahoma City for a first round playoff matchup with the West’s best.

With the regular season quickly coming to an end, the Jazz (41-38) and Lakers (42-37) are going down to the wire in the chase for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

As the Jazz head into the final three games, it seems the only way into the playoffs is winning out. Two (home and home) very winnable games against Minnesota and a match-up against the playoff-bound Memphis Grizzlies is how the Jazz will round out their season. If the Jazz can manage to tie things up with the Lakers they will have the tiebreaker, after going 2-1 against them this season.

Kobe Bryant is truly turning into his self-proclaimed nickname on Twitter that references Vino Wine. He’s getting better with age. After another stellar performance last night in which he scored 47 points against the Portland Trailblazers, Kobe and the Lakers are now one full game ahead of the  Jazz.

The Lakers play three playoff teams in their final games; however, they are all at home in the Staples Center. Kobe has played all but seven minutes in the last two games and it’s possible the fatigue may catch up to him during this final run towards the eighth seed. At this point though, it doesn’t seem like anything is slowing down the Mamba.

Bottom line is this…if the Jazz win out and the Lakers lose one of their final three then the Jazz are in.

Get your popcorn ready!

Alan Horton is in his sixth season as the radio play-by-play voice of the Minnesota Timberwolves. He calls every game on the team’s radio home, 830 WCCO, and all across the 28-station Timberwolves Radio Network. Alan is also the voice of the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx, calling their games for the last 5 seasons. Before moving to Minneapolis in 2007, he spent a year in Seattle as the Executive Producer of the Seattle SuperSonics Radio Network and the voice of the Seattle Storm.

A native of Massachusetts, Horton spent 10 years in Southern California as a sports broadcaster on both radio and television. In addition to his time with the Storm, his play-by-play experience includes the San Diego Padres, San Diego State University football, men’s and women’s basketball and baseball, as well as high school football and basketball. Alan is an excellent and interactive follow on Twitter, @WolvesRadio.

All stats in the following exchange are current as of 4/9/13, heading into the Timberwolves’ game at Golden State.

Clint Peterson: Rick Adelman just reached a milestone with head coaching win number 1,000. Is Adelman the right coach to take this Timberwolves team to the next level?

Alan Horton: Since their run to the Western Conference Finals in 2004, the Timberwolves have had seven head coaches (Flip Saunders, Kevin McHale, Dwane Casey, Randy Wittman, Kevin McHale (again), Kurt Rambis and Rick Adelman). With Adelman’s arrival in 2011, he brought immediate credibility to a position, and an organization, that was in desperate need of leadership.  His record speaks for itself, his teams have reached the postseason in 16 of his 22 years, he’s been to two NBA Finals and he recently became the eighth coach in NBA history to reach 1,000 career wins. He has changed the culture here in Minnesota. And even though the Wolves’ record during his tenure has been a disappointment, no one is placing blame on him. Injuries have been the reason. 180 man-games lost last season, 321 and counting this season. Ricky Rubio has been out 50 games over the last two years while Kevin Love has missed 69, and will be out the remainder of the season. Difficult to win games when your two superstars are on the bench in suits. #InRickWeTrust has been a popular hashtag [on Twitter]. As long as Rick Adelman wants to keep coaching, he’ll be here in Minnesota.

CP: The Timberwolves have been one of the NBA’s best teams at forcing turnovers over the last couple of months. Who is responsible for this dramatic leap in forcing transition opportunities, and does the team take advantage of them?

AH: Since February 1st the Timberwolves are #1 in forcing turnovers (17/g), #3 in steals (9/g) and #3 in points-off-turnovers (17/g). Ricky Rubio has been the catalyst. As impressive as he has been distributing the ball at the offensive end, he’s been even more impressive on defense. Ricky is now percentage points ahead of the Chris Paul for the league-lead in steals (2.4/g). His long arms, anticipation and innate ability to read what offense are trying to do led him to being more effective defensively than offensively in his rookie year. As for taking advantage of all those turnovers, now that Andrei Kirilenko, Nikola Pekovic and Chase Budinger have returned to the lineup, the Wolves are finally starting to put things together. They’re 6-4 over their last ten games (entering Tuesday night) after a 7-28 mark in their previous 35 games.

CP: Without looking, I’d bet Minnesota is among the NBA’s leaders in games lost to injury this season. Who has taken advantage of extra playing time the most?

AH: Derrick Williams. The former #2 overall pick has struggled to adapt to the NBA game in his first two seasons. But with Kevin Love’s absence, D-Will has taken advantage. He has scored 20+ points seven times in the last 27 games after reaching that mark just five times in his first 111 NBA games. And its not just the volume of points, but where they are coming from. He is scoring in the paint, drawing contact and getting to the free throw line. You can see his confidence start to grow. And that is important because it is unclear what his future holds. He is a man without a position. The coaching staff has been reluctant to play him at the small forward, so that means limited minutes behind Kevin Love at power forward next season.

CP: Nikola Pekovic is one of my favorite players to watch — such a brute, yet seemingly light on his feet. He was the very first immovable object Enes Kanter ran into playing basketball, it’s a shame Kanter is out with a dislocated shoulder. How big a factor has Pek been to success recently in light of his Player of the Week honors, and what did he do to gain that recognition?

AH: He’s the Montenegrin Monster! Over the last eight games Pek is averaging 22 points, 10 rebounds and shooting a hefty 59% from the field. He’s grabbed an offensive rebound in 72 straight games (second longest active streak in the NBA behind Kevin Love’s 75). With Pek posting solid numbers inside (he sticks to his strengths, never venturing far away from the rim even though he has a decent mid-range shot) defenses have been forced to collapse around him freeing things up on the perimeter. As a result, the Timberwolves offense is as productive right now as it has been at any point this season. And remember, Pek has really only played a year and a half of NBA basketball (he was barely used his rookie year and didn’t become a starter until a month into the season last year), so he’s just scratching the surface of what he can do. Which is why someone is going to offer the restricted free-agent big bucks this summer.

CP: The Timberwolves’ biggest free agents this summer are a restricted Pekovic and former Jazzman Andrei Kirilenko with a player option. Are they coming back for next season, and how important to success will their roles be for a playoff run in 2014 if they do?

AH: Can the core group of Ricky Rubio, Kevin Love, Andrei Kirilenko and Nikola Pekovic lead the Timberwolves to the postseason? That was the question heading into this season. And unfortunately we still don’t have an answer. That group has played a grand total of 12 minutes together. A microscopic sample size on which some very important off-season decisions will be based. Pek will be offered a big contract by some team, and the Wolves will have to decide if they want to or can afford to match it. Kevin Love is already locked up to a max-level deal and Ricky Rubio will be due one in a couple of years. Can the Wolves afford to have most of their salary cap tied up by those three players? Can that core not only get you to the playoffs, but win (multiple) playoff series?

I know Jazz fans have a particular interest in AK. Every time I tweet an AK stat, there are always RT’s and comments from the Jazz faithful. Andrei has kept his cards close to his vest in regards to his player option for next season, but I would be very surprised if he was not in a Timberwolves uniform next year. I think he’s enjoyed playing in Minnesota. Rick Adelman’s system is a perfect fit for his style of play. I think he has taken pride in mentoring fellow Russian Alexey Shved. And most of all, I think he feels that there is unfinished business with this team. He has talked many times about the potential of this group when they are all healthy.

How about a question for you? What’s been the biggest reason for the Jazz turnaround since they lost 12 of 15?

CP: The Jazz offense, always rather predictable, was suffering more so due to scouting and the absence of Mo Williams, who had kept defenses honest. Coupled with a Randy Foye shooting slump and the reintegration of Mo, who is still wearing a splint on the repaired thumb, the Jazz simply lacked the offensive talent to beat many NBA defenses with Al Jefferson the only consistent, predictable threat.

Ty Corbin made tweaks to switch up the offense more, such as running pick-and-rolls with Gordon Hayward as the ball-handler, and Mo Williams finally adjusting to his return at the same time as the team readjusted to him, while Foye broke out of his prolonged slump in a big way tying the franchise record for made threes in a game recently against the Brooklyn Nets making eight of nine.

I really appreciate you taking the time to chat, Alan, here and as always on Twitter. We in Jazzland realize the T-Wolves would like nothing more than to end their season on a high note and play spoiler to a division foe. These should be interesting games with everything both sides can muster left on the floor. Best of luck, my friend!

Coming off a road win in Golden State on Sunday night, the Jazz looked to keep their momentum going with the Thunder in town.

It wasn’t to be, as Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook never let the Jazz in the game.  Durant finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists and Westbrook and his wicked first-step chipped in 23 points.

The Jazz were led by Al Jefferson’s 15 points and 11 rebounds.  Gordon Hayward also played well, scoring 17 points.

Utah played defense and held a powerful Thunder team to 39% shooting but couldn’t put it all together at the right time.

“We should have attacked earlier in the game and looked for shots in the post, we were a little too passive,” Hayward said. “We did a lot of things right tonight but couldn’t get over the hump.”

Throughout the first half the Jazz played the Thunder’s game, settling for outside jumper after outside jumper; only making four of the 15 three pointers they attempted.

Utah stayed in the game with what’s becoming their calling card-defense and hustle.  When the Jazz make it hard for the other team to score, go after loose balls and execute, they are hard to beat.  They showed a little of that before halftime spearheaded by DeMarre Carroll and Derrick Favors.  Favors swatted five shots in 29 minutes tonight, including a doozy on Kevin Durant when he tried to take him one on one.

The Jazz went into halftime down 45-35.

Beginning the second half, the Jazz kept hurling up three’s, making a few. At this point, they had to keep jacking up trey’s to keep pace with OKC.  It reminded me of friendly (read as ultra-competitive) games of NBA 2K13 that I play with my younger brother.  I build a big lead by playing my game and he tries to counteract it with a flood of three point attempts.  Sometimes it works but more often than not, he needs to slow it down and look for easy buckets. At that point it’s usually too late.

Such was the case with the Jazz.

They jacked up 25 three’s overall, well above their season average of 17.  They made seven on this night.

The Jazz played good defense tonight but Durant and Westbrook were just too much to handle.  When they didn’t finish at the bucket, they broke the defense down and kicked it out to an open teammate.  No defense can stymie these two for an entire 48 minutes, let alone an entire shot clock.

In the third quarter, the Jazz kept trying to make plays and get within striking distance.  But then Serge Ibaka would ruin everything.  He was a one-man wrecking crew making jumpers and swatting layups.  Ibaka finished the game with 16 points, eight rebounds and five blocks.

The Jazz made it interesting late in the fourth quarter when Favors had a pair of and-one’s go his way.  Favors was a bright spot in this game and has been for most of the season.  His defense is among the NBA’s elite and his offensive game is coming along.  Jazz fans should be excited about what they are seeing from him.

Mo Williams ended up with 19 points on 7-17 shooting and brought the Jazz within seven late in the game with a crowd-pleasing three, but it was the closest the Jazz would get all game.

“It’s a tough loss,” said Tyrone Corbin.  “We lost on our home floor but this is a good team that’s playing very well.  We have three games left and we need to be sure to come out Friday and do what we need to do win.”

Neither team was great on this night but the Thunder made the plays when they had to and the Jazz only made some of those plays, but it was never enough.  That’s the difference between these two teams.  OKC is a championship-caliber squad and the Jazz are trying to get there.

Fans shouldn’t be too down about a loss to one of the league’s best.  All is not lost when you lose to a top three team in the league, and the playoffs are still a real possibility for the Jazz. The Thunder are extremely good and sport the best one-two punch in the game.

The Jazz will look to get on track as they host Minnesota in the final home game of the season on Friday night.

A simple word and seemingly such a simple concept.  Hustle on the basketball court takes focus and determination, and it’s the reason why the Jazz went into Oakland and came out with a huge 97-90 victory against the Warriors.

The Jazz played with a hustle and a flow in this game and despite several Warrior runs, the Jazz kept their poise and came out with a win.

Led by Mo Williams and his 25 points, five assists and clutch shooting, the Jazz won their seventh game in the last eight tries, bringing their record to 41-37.  As time ticked down with the Jazz up 93-90, Williams stepped up and drilled a three to put the game out of reach.  After Williams quieted the Oracle Arena, he stood for a second and stared down the exiting crowd.  It was a stare of confidence, of swagger, and a stare to the rest of the league, almost saying “We’re here to stay.”

“The pressure was on,” Mo Williams said.  “We knew we had to come out with intensity, especially on the road and we got this win.  We need to keep this rolling Tuesday night.”

The game went back and forth throughout the first half with the Warriors making timely shots but it was the Jazz who went on a 27-7 run to end the half and took an eight point lead into halftime.

When the game was in the balance part-way through the third quarter, the Jazz’s lead was dwindling and the Warriors seemed to have all the momentum.  The Jazz didn’t back down.  When the pressure was on, they played their best basketball and made all the right plays.  It’s hard to point to just one hustle play that won the Jazz the game because there were so many.  Paul Millsap diving for loose balls, Jamaal Tinsley hustling back and stopping a fastbreak, DeMarre Carroll harassing Stephen Curry everywhere on the floor.  But Derrick Favors and his elite defensive skills stands out among the rest.

Favors didn’t block a shot in nearly the first three quarters but then came to life.  Favors finished with 12 points, 13 rebounds (six offensive) and three blocked shots.  He was everywhere down the stretch and the reason the Jazz won the game. Down three in the final minute, Draymond Green turned the corner and thought he had a wide open layup. Favors rotated off his man and denied the rookie.  It was the play of the game.

After the game, Favors was his usual, humble self.  Taking no credit for his stellar play. “It’s what I do,” Favors said. “My mindset is to play defense and make things tough on them and that’s what I did.”

Ty Corbin should be applauded for his rotation and lineup down the stretch.  He stuck with Jamaal Tinsley for the right amount of time and went with Favors for the entire fourth quarter.

“Everyone laid everything they had out there tonight,” Tyrone Corbin said.  “Focus on the defensive end and hustle is what won the game for us.”

Earlier in the day, the Los Angeles Lakers lost “on the road” to the Los Angeles Clippers 109-95 so the Jazz knew they had to win in Golden State to keep themselves in control of their own playoff destiny.  As of now the teams are separated by one game in the win column, but as most of the basketball world counted this game as a loss for the Jazz (before it even began), it makes it that much sweeter.

The Jazz host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night and the EnergySoultions Arena will be rocking.  It will no doubt have a playoff feel to it and is a game the Jazz need to win to stay in the playoff race.  Get your tickets now because it will be the game of the year for the Jazz.