Utah Jazz hoping to beat one L.A. team

If a "Beat L.A." chant erupts in EnergySolutions Arena tonight, it might not be because Jazz fans are getting in the mood for a very possible first-round match-up with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The spectators might just be hoping to help the Jazz beat the other L.A. — the Los Angeles Clippers.

Heaven only knows Utah needs all the help it can get.

Considering the Jazz's recent struggles against sub-.500 teams at home — and the team's late-season skid overall — even beating the Clippers suddenly doesn't sound as easy of a feat for Utah to accomplish as you'd imagine it should.

While trying to come to grips with a stunning 118-108 loss to Golden State on Saturday — their latest inexplicable loss to a supposedly inferior NBA team at the supposedly intimidating ESA — Jazz players admitted their shortcomings yet claimed to still have hope for regaining some last-second momentum prior to the playoffs.

"We're not giving up on the season," Jazz point guard Deron Williams said. "We've still got two ballgames to win, and hopefully we can do that."

Losers of six of their past seven games, the Jazz finish off this rough regular season with games against the two L.A. teams. After hosting the Clippers tonight, Utah travels to take on its potential first-round foe, the Lakers, on Tuesday at the Staples Center.

"We'll see how we fight back," said Jazz coach Jerry Sloan.

"We all know what we have to do, I think," added Jazz swingman Kyle Korver. "You know, it's just all about doing it. It's just playing hard and playing together, and that's the whole key.

"And," he continued, "we just haven't done it lately."

Oddly enough, not even against the Timberwolves or Warriors.

Thanks to their puzzling late-season slump, the Jazz's hopes of facing anybody but the loaded Lakers in the first round now fall somewhere between Andrei Kirilenko's body size and Morris Almond's recent NBA playing time.

With their most recent inexplicable loss to the undermanned Warriors and New Orleans' win over Dallas on Sunday, slim and none about aptly describe the likelihood of Utah facing a team that doesn't have Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol on its roster.