Back in the saddle — Korver's late three helps Jazz vault back into first place

They won their fifth straight game overall, and for the ninth time in a row at home.

They did it in fine fashion, too, getting 23 points apiece from Andrei Kirilenko and Carlos Boozer, and a huge-3-pointer from Kyle Korver.

They knocked off the defending NBA champs, fending off a furious fourth-quarter comeback bid — it was a two-point game with less than two minutes remaining — to do it.

What was perhaps most satisfying for the 27-18 Jazz in their 97-91 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night, however, is where it leaves them this morning.

That is atop the NBA's Northwest Division standings, and back holding a postseason playoff position — as one of the Western Conference's top eight teams — for the first time in what seems like forever.

"It's been a long time," Boozer said.

It has.

More than a month, in fact.

Yet here the Jazz are, positioned among the West's playoff qualifiers for the first time since Dec. 18 — back when they were in the midst of losing 9-of-10 on the road that month.

Technically, in fact, Utah's victory over the 28-15 Spurs, combined with Denver's loss at Western Conference-leading New Orleans on Monday, vaults the defending Northwest-champion Jazz not only to the top of the division but also from a non-playoff position to one of the West's top four seeds.

For now.

Of course, it's only by half a game.

And the flip side to that is the Jazz also are only half a game from being out of the playoffs.

On Monday, however, all seemed half-full in a relieved — albeit guarded — Utah locker room.

"It feels good to be back in that spot," said point guard Deron Williams, whose 14-assist, 11-point double-double trumped his 3-of-12 shooting from the field on a night when everyone else and their brother seemed to be knocking down shots.

The Jazz's most proficient shooting came from Kirilenko, who hit a career-best 9-of-10 from the field — including his final eight shots — en route to matching Boozer for team-high scoring honors.

Boozer converted another 10-of-18 from the floor.

Perhaps no shot, though, was more clutch than the one Korver made with 48.1 seconds remaining.