Sports Commentator Patrick Blake is host of the Blake’s Take show, airing weekdays from 5-6 p.m. on KZNU Sports Radio Southern Utah Sports Network – 96.7 FM 1450 AM – with live stream online at http://www.KZNUsports.com. Reporting from live TV broadcast.

ST. GEORGE – The Utah Jazz are on a two-game losing streak and now in 10^th place in the Western Conference. The Jazz have five games left and most likely have to win out to get the final playoff spot. With all the injuries pilling up can they do it?

Injuries have hurt the Jazz down the stretch. The Jazz are missing three starters, C.J. Miles, Raja Bell, and Josh Howard. The Jazz are also missing backup point guard Earl Watson, and bench player Jeremy Evans. Now the Jazz are calling DeMarre Carroll questionable with a mild concussion. Paul Millsap and Gordon Hayward are also playing through injuries.

The Jazz have lost seven of their last 11 games and have no room for error. The Jazz are one-and-a-half games behind Houston who holds the eighth and final playoff spot. The Jazz can still catch the the seven and six seeds in the west but would pretty much need both teams to lose out. The seventh seed right now is Denver and the sixth seed is Dallas, who the Jazz play tonight. The Jazz also need Phoenix to fall apart down the strech because they are ahead of the Jazz in the standings and also hold the tie breaker over the Jazz.

The Jazz have their work cut out for them tonight against the defending champion Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks played last night in Los Angeles and lost. This is the last game of a four game road trip for the Mavs.

The Jazz and Mavs tip off at 7 p.m. at Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City.

IN DEPTH LOOK AT THE STANDINGS

Team name                        record            games back

6. Dallas                                34-27                         0

7. Denver                               33-27                         0

10. Utah                                 31-30                        1 ½

LOOK AHEAD

After tonight’s home game the Jazz head out on the road for the last road game of the year, in Portland to take on the Blazers, on Wednesday. The Jazz return home on Saturday to take on the Orlando Magic before wrapping up their season next week.

For more JAZZ talk, tune into Blake’s Take weekdays from 5-6 p.m. on KZNU Sports Radio – 93.1 FM 1450 AM – or online streaming live on the brand new KZNU Sports website: www.kznusports.com

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Twitter:  @BlakesTake

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Copyright 2012 St. George News.