Second-best record in the West

INDIANAPOLIS — The Jazz did absolutely nothing Thursday evening here in Indiana.
Yet they woke up this morning tied with Denver and Dallas for second-best record in the NBA’s Western Conference, thanks in large part to Portland’s late-night win over the Mavericks.
Even at 47-25, though, they’re still fourth in the West — and headed, should they win their first-round playoff series and the conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers do the same, for a second-round meeting with Kobe Bryant and company.
Whether or not that would mean instant ejection from title contention for the Jazz is anyone’s best guess, but it probably need not be noted that it was the Lakers who bounced Utah from the playoffs each of the past two postseasons.
Thank tie-breaker scenarios for the Jazz being fourth even though neither the Nuggets nor the Mavericks have a better record.
All that could change, though, tonight, when a Jazz win at Indiana combined with a Denver loss at Toronto would put Utah — at least for the moment — alone in second.

-30-