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By DOUG ALDEN AP Sports Writer
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Before thinking too much about how other teams' losses can get Utah back into the playoffs, the Jazz have a road trip that is every bit as critical.
Utah's next three games include a team that is also fighting for the final playoff spot and the two teams vying for the top record in the Western Conference. Two losses, and it won't matter what anyone else does.
"It's a big one. The most important games all year for us," said forward Matt Harpring.
The road trip starts Friday with a game against the New Orleans Hornets in Oklahoma City. The Hornets (38-40) trail the Jazz (39-39) by a game and whoever loses can just about forget the playoffs.
Utah follows that with games at Dallas on Sunday and at San Antonio on Monday. The Jazz are 1-3 against the two teams from Texas so far and haven't beaten either on the road in years.
"We've just got to go out and play our game and not worry about it being on the road," Harpring said. "You don't look at it like a whole road trip. You look at it as we're playing New Orleans first. Let's get through that game."
If -- and that's quite an if -- the Jazz sweep their final four games, they would finish 43-39. But that alone wouldn't get them into the playoffs. The Los Angeles Lakers are in seventh place in the conference at 42-37 and Sacramento holds the final playoff spot at 41-38. Both the Kings and Lakers have three games remaining while Utah still has four to play.
The Jazz would lose a tiebreaker with the Kings. Utah split the season series with the Lakers but would have a better conference record -- if the Jazz win the rest of the way.
It's a lot of mathematical possibilities, which could have been simplified for the Jazz if they hadn't slumped through March. Utah fell to 32-37 with a 91-89 loss at Sacramento on March 25, and the playoff prospects looked bleak.
April has been much better, so far, although it may be too late. But having a chance, no matter how slim, has made the month much more interesting.
"I would think those things would make you a better basketball player," said Jazz coach Jerry Sloan.
Sloan was still a little irked Thursday about Andrei Kirilenko's comments about his shrinking role in the offense lately. Kirilenko had just two points on four shots in the first half Wednesday of a 104-83 win over Denver, but Sloan freed up the versatile forward in the second half and he finished with 14 points and seven assists against the Nuggets, who played without Kenyon Martin (knee) and Marcus Camby (back) having already clinched the Northwest Division.
Sloan said sometimes Kirilenko and the rest of the Jazz have to accept sharing the offense -- especially if they want to continue to win.
"I think they've always been fairly responsive. Everybody has their own way of playing and everybody has their strengths," Sloan said. "In order to get 12 guys happy in that situation, it's kind of difficult at times to do. But I think for the most part they've done a pretty good job."
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APTV-04-13-06 1553MDT
