With the wild race for a playoff spot in the Western Conference reaching its final days, the Phoenix Suns and the Utah Jazz have yet to settle the score to claim the final seed.
Fittingly in terms of timeliness, they will match up against against each other tonight in the most important game of the season for both teams to determine which team will make the playoffs or go home.
The Suns (33-31) look to sweep the season series for the second consecutive season and put their playoff hopes into their own hands as they visit the Jazz in Tuesday’s best game on TNT.
Utah (34-30) hopes to contain the two-time MPV Steve Nash, who has averaged 12.5 points and 12.5 assists in two games against the Jazz this season. In the last meeting between the two teams on April 4, he hit two key shots in the last 14 seconds to help preserve the 107-105 victory.
With a one-game lead and holding the eighth seed, if Utah wins tonight, the Jazz will clinch a playoff spot.
However, a loss would put the teams in a tie, with Phoenix holding the tiebreaker (although the Suns have one game remaining tomorrow night against San Antonio).
Nash is having quite a season at the age of 38, averaging 12.5 points on a career-high 53.5 percent shooting along with 10.8 assists – second-best in the league.
The Jazz have won three consecutive games and are 23-8 at home, but have lost four consecutive home games to the Suns coming into tonight’s game, dating back to April 15, 2010.
Channing Frye (right shoulder) and Grant Hill (sore right knee) are questionable for the game.
Al Jefferson, last week’s Western Conference player of the week, was asked whether the status of Frye mattered and replied, “No. Steve Nash is good enough you could put the ball boy in the game and Nash makes him good.”
Asked of the importance of tonight’s game, Jefferson answered, “It’s the biggest game of my career.”
James Park is a regular contributor to Sheridanhoops.com. You can follow him on twitter @NBATupark.