Utah Jazz: Win lifts spirits — at least for now

The opponent was merely the 19-win Los Angeles Clippers, so there's no telling if the Jazz's many ills really are cured.

But with messages about selfishness and desire and the need for better defense delivered loud and clear by coach Jerry Sloan, and evidently heard for at least one outing, Utah did beat the Los Angeles Clippers 106-85 Monday night to snap its three-game losing streak and win its 2008-09 NBA regular-season home finale.

"I hope it continues to help," point guard Deron Williams said. "I hope it doesn't just last this game, then go away, just because we're on the road."

That's because with the 48-33 Jazz paying a season-ending visit to the Los Angeles Lakers tonight, eighth-seeded Utah still has a chance to finish as high as sixth in the Western Conference.

The Jazz's win over the Clippers combined with New Orleans' blowout loss at Houston and Dallas' two-point win over Minnesota on Monday leaves Utah with these postseason scenarios:

If the Jazz lose tonight, or if Utah wins tonight but both New Orleans and Dallas win Wednesday, the Jazz meet the West-leading Lakers in a 1-8 seed first-round playoff series;

If the Jazz win tonight and on Wednesday either Dallas beats Houston while New Orleans loses at San Antonio or New Orleans wins at San Antonio while Dallas loses to Houston, Utah finishes seventh and avoids the Lakers;

If the Jazz win tonight and both New Orleans and Dallas lose Wednesday, Utah takes sixth by virtue of winning a three-way tie-breaker with the Hornets and Mavericks.

"I'm not gonna worry about everybody else," power forward Carlos Boozer said. "I'm gonna worry about our team. The biggest thing about us is coming to play, like we did (Monday)."

The Jazz — who didn't start small forward C.J. Miles because his dislocated left index finger swelled, and who lost starting center Mehmet Okur with a hamstring strain that may or may not sideline him tonight — did trail by as many as five early.

But by halftime they were up, 56-43.

And with Boozer scoring a game-high 20 points and grabbing a game-high 13 rebounds, backup Paul Millsap delivering a 19-point and 11-board double-double in 38 minutes and Williams and Andrei Kirilenko scoring 17 each, Utah led by double digits throughout the second half.

"Well," said Sloan, whose dampened spirits were lifted by 21 first-half deflections, "we'll see what it does for us.