Got matchup problems? Not this Jazz team

You know the type of person. The kind who has an answer for everything. You tell one story, that guy's got a better one.

That seems to be the case with the Jazz these days. After holding off Golden State 116-112 in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, they're looking like a regular gang of Mr. Know-It-Alls.

An answer for everything.

In any event, the Jazz have their mojo back. Their playoff streak now stands at three. They took care of Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady after falling behind in their first-round series to Houston, and on Monday night they fended off Jason Richardson and Baron Davis.

Got guys who can play off the bench? So do the Jazz. Got some long-range threats? The Jazz have that, too. What about a great point guard? Yup. And stop asking.

For a couple of minutes Monday it looked like the Jazz had two great point guards. Third-string Dee Brown came on to relieve Deron Williams — who had five fouls — in the fourth quarter and scored two crazy layups to keep the Jazz in range. Then Williams came back to finish up a 31-point night.

Whatever the Warriors offered, the Jazz had an answer. And so down the stretch, when Golden State's Jason Richardson tied the score on two free throws, Carlos Boozer rebounded to give the Jazz a 114-112 lead.

After Stephen Jackson missed, Matt Harpring sealed it with a pair of free throws.

Ain't bragging after you've done it. Especially if everyone saw it.

Monday night's tipoff brought the requisite dementia to Jazz fans. That's because the Jazz closed out Houston with a finish that nearly had coach Jerry Sloan smiling in the postgame press conference.

Nearly.

He said he was as happy for this team as any he's ever coached, thanks to the nature of the season. After which he immediately mentioned how difficult the second round would be. The celebrating lasted, oh, a minute and a half. By that time Sloan was furrowing his brow, worrying about Golden State.

But if the Jazz intended to use their first-round upset as a rallying point, that promised to be hard to do. That's because nobody is a bigger giant-slayer/lovable eccentric than the Warriors, who shocked Dallas — the league's best team — in the first round.