Win streak was bolstered by defense down the stretch

Before they looked so out of it in Golden State on Saturday that not even a fifth period would have helped, the Jazz had something special going in fourth quarters.

During the final 12 regulation minutes in their six previous outings, the Jazz won final-quarter play each time. On five of those occasions, their margin was in double-digits — including a 22-point advantage in last Wednesday's 21-point comeback at Sacramento.

The key to it all?

"It's defense in the right times," forward Matt Harpring said. "The fourth quarter, especially down in crunchtime, is when you've got to have it.

"The fourth quarter is a different game," Harpring added. "The first three-and-a-half quarters are a certain type of game, and then you've got to have extra juice, extra stamina, for the stretch. ... (Coach) Jerry (Sloan) says all the time, 'Anyone can play the first three quarters."'

Closing the deal, Sloan suggested, is what matters most.

"To really be good," he said, "you can't make mistakes when you get in tough parts of (games)."

Which raises the question: How come the 12-2 Jazz have been able to do it so many times this season, but not so much in the recent past? "We're a more-mature team. We're another year older, another year with more chemistry. We know each other's games very well," forward Carlos Boozer said. "All that stuff adds into being better in the fourth quarter.

"The more you're with the same team, same guys, you're gonna become better and better as time goes on," Boozer added. "And that's what's happening."

BLAMING THE REFS: According to the Los Angeles Times, Lakers coach Phil Jackson "found fault with referees Leroy Richardson, Derrick Stafford and Derek Richardson a day after the Lakers' 114-108 loss (Friday) in Salt Lake City."

"It was one of those nights in Utah that you know you're going to get," Jackson, addressing the issue of physical play, told the Times. "The league throws out some referee corps that you're dubious about to start with and, you know, the game ends up to be like that.

"Jerry (Sloan) plays into that well," Jackson added. "He gets a technical and gets them intimidated and things get a little bit rough."

Getting a free pass in Jackson's blame game: Young Lakers center Andrew Bynum, who had just four points in 14 minutes against Utah.

"The big key with Drew is they wouldn't let him play," Jackson told the Times on Saturday. "They called a walk on him that wasn't a walk. He was fumbling the ball around, and they were smacking him around. It was just a roughhouse game."

The Jazz and Lakers meet again Thursday in Los Angeles, a game that will be televised nationally by TNT.

HILL BACK: Orlando's veteran star guard, Grant Hill, is scheduled to start tonight against the Jazz after missing the Magic's game against Atlanta last Saturday so he could attend his grandmother's funeral.

According to Florida Today newspaper, Vivian McDonald, 88, died last week in New Orleans following a lengthy battle with cancer.

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com