The Jazz have clinched the Northwest Division title, giving them a top-four seed in the Western Conference playoffs. They will start the playoffs on the road, however, if the Houston Rockets finish with a better record.
Utah helped its cause with a win in Houston on April 1. Since then, the Jazz have lost three straight to give Houston some hope heading into the season’s final days.
Deron Williams had 24 points and 13 assists on Saturday — his 29th double-double of the season — but the Jazz went 1-for-6 with two turnovers in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter. They were outscored 39-16 in the period.
“If you look at the second half, we gave them what they want,” said forward Mehmet Okur, who also had two turnovers in the fourth. “They score every time they catch the ball. We cannot play this way in the playoffs.”
While the Jazz are fighting for home-court advantage, the Warriors (37-40) are trying to earn their first playoff berth since the 1993-94 season. Golden State’s 12-year playoff drought is the longest active streak in the NBA.
