(My Sportsbook) - With the Utah Jazz losing ground in the Western Conference playoff race, a return to the comfortable surroundings of its home court may be just what the team needs right now.
Utah shoots for an unprecedented 16th straight victory at EnergySolutions Arena when the Minnesota Timberwolves pay a visit to Salt Lake City tonight.
The Jazz have already surpassed the previous franchise record for consecutive home wins and haven't lost as the host since a 106-100 setback to San Antonio all the way back on January 27. Utah is 32-6 at EnergySolutions Arena this season.
The Jazz haven't had nearly the same success on the road, however. The club is a subpar 14-23 away from Salt Lake City and has dropped six of its last seven outings in enemy venues.
Those road struggles have had an affect on Utah's possible playoff seeding. The Jazz currently stand seventh in the West with a 46-29 record, but are just one game ahead of eighth-seeded Dallas.
Utah will play four of its last seven regular-season contests on the road. Following tonight's matchup, the Jazz embark on a challenging three-game trek with stops in New Orleans, Dallas and San Antonio.
The Jazz endured another road failure last night in Denver, where the Northwest Division-leading Nuggets delivered a 114-104 victory behind J.R. Smith's 28 points.
The win extended Denver's lead over Utah to 3 1/2 games for the Northwest's top spot.
C.J. Miles recorded a team-high 19 points for the Jazz, who shot just 36.6 percent from the floor for the game. Deron Williams put up 18 points and 10 assists in a losing cause, while Mehmet Okur (14 points, 15 rebounds) and Carlos Boozer (15 points, 11 rebounds) also registered double-doubles for Utah.
The Jazz will be facing a Minnesota squad that has lost nine straight road games and hasn't won in Utah since December 5, 2005. The Timberwolves have been handed defeats in six trips to Salt Lake City since that victory.
Utah has also won all three meetings between these teams this season and four straight in the series dating back to 2007-08.
The Timberwolves come in off a lopsided home loss to Dallas on Tuesday, Minnesota's seventh defeat in its last eight games. Kevin Love amassed 23 points and 12 rebounds for the Wolves in the 108-88 setback, with teammates Ryan Gomes and Mike Miller each scoring 15 on the night.
Minnesota played a second straight time without guard Randy Foye, the team's second-leading scorer at 16.3 points per game. The third-year pro is dealing with a sore hip and is considered doubtful to return tonight.
