Upbeat Utah mindful of play-off heartbreak
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SALT LAKE CITY • Even during the Utah Jazz's heyday in the late 90s with National Basketball Association (NBA) legends Karl Malone and John Stockton on their roster, they have never managed to finish the regular season as the sole owners of the best record in the league.
But after making history by defeating the Sacramento Kings 121-99 on Sunday to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and ensure home-court advantage for the play-offs, the team refused to dwell too much on the feat.
Utah have reason not to get ahead of themselves despite their 52-20 regular-season record.
Their recent play-off history is riddled with failures, having not reached the conference Finals since 2007, while they last made the NBA Finals in 1998.
Rudy Gobert, whose 13-point display augmented a game-high 33 points from teammate Jordan Clarkson, said: "Going through what we went through last year (first-round elimination by the Denver Nuggets), I learnt to enjoy every moment.
"That doesn't mean you don't prepare for what's coming. Just enjoy the moment."
Jazz coach Quin Snyder added: "As much as the accomplishment for me, you appreciate this group of men and appreciate the opportunity to coach them.
"That feeling about our team, I want all of them, all of us, to enjoy this moment because I feel like if we do that, appreciate the regular season, I think that transitions us to the mindset we need to have to try to play well in the play-offs."
On Friday, the loser of the Los Angeles Lakers-Golden State Warriors game will face the winner of the San Antonio Spurs-Memphis Grizzlies game.
The winner of that final play-in tournament game will be the eighth seed and the Jazz's first-round opponent.
Gobert does not have a preference as to who he would like to meet, even though his team are likely to be without fellow All-Star Donovan Mitchell, who has missed the past 16 games with an ankle injury, for part of their post-season.
"Those games are going to be fun to watch," the French centre said. "Whoever we face, we know that it's going to be a long journey, and we're going to be ready."
REUTERS
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NBA PLAY-OFFS
WESTERN CONFERENCE
• Utah Jazz v 8th seed
• Phoenix Suns v 7th seed (Los Angeles Lakers v Golden State Warriors winner)
• Denver Nuggets v Portland Trail Blazers
• Los Angeles Clippers v Dallas Mavericks
EASTERN CONFERENCE
• Philadelphia 76ers v 8th seed
• Brooklyn Nets v 7th seed (Boston Celtics v Washington Wizards winner)
• Milwaukee Bucks v Miami Heat
• New York Knicks v Atlanta Hawks
* Lakers v Warriors loser to play Memphis Grizzlies v San Antonio Spurs winner; and Celtics v Wizards loser to face Indiana Pacers v Charlotte Hornets winner for two final play-off spots. The play-offs start on Saturday.