Utah Jazz Schedule Outlook: Difficult Finish to the Season Looming

If the Utah Jazz are going to make the postseason, they’ll have their work cut out for them.

Heading into the home stretch, the Utah Jazz got no favors from the NBA schedulers. According to Tankathon.com, the Jazz have the second toughest schedule in the NBA, with their upcoming opponents having a 54.7% winning percentage.

Utah is currently three games removed from the play-in tournament and trails the Phoenix Suns by six games for a playoff spot. Also, the Jazz have 12 home games and 12 on the road.

The Golden State Warriors have a fairly firm grip on the last spot in the play-in tournament. To surpass the Warrior's current winning percentage of .518, the Jazz must win 16 of their last 24 games. 

If the Jazz do not make the postseason, it can be blamed on their inability to win on the road. Utah has a 9-20 record away from Salt Lake City while owning an 18-11 record at home. They’ll be tested early and often on the road this week, with three games in a five-day stretch.

Utah will start the week on Tuesday with the Atlanta Hawks, followed by playing at the Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat. They will then travel back to Salt Lake City to play in two winnable games against the Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls.

Also worth mentioning is that Utah has 16 out of 24 games versus teams currently locked in for a playoff spot or the play-in tournament. If the Jazz end up shocking the league with a playoff appearance, they’ll definitely need to earn it.

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