Defense will be key if Utah Jazz are to force a Game 6

LOS ANGELES — Fans often chant about the concept. It apparently wins championships. A certain tractor-loving coach frequently harps about the aspect, too.

With that in mind, Jazz fans in the L.A. area might want to bring their signs with the fourth-letter of the alphabet and the picket slats to Staples Center for Game 5.

Defense, Jazz players believe, is the key to shocking the Lakers on the road tonight and forcing a Game 6 in Salt Lake City.

Not just any kind of defense, either. They need the so-called "nasty" style that helped them win Game 3 on Thursday, when their active, physical effort helped limit the Lakers to 86 points and 37-percent shooting.

In Los Angeles' three double-digit wins, Kobe & Co. have averaged 113.3 points while combining to shoot 56 percent.

Carlos Boozer even claims it's possible as long as the Jazz are more aggressive, like they were in Game 3.

"We came out attacked them defensively," he said. "It's a tall task. They're a very good home team. They've got a really good offense, but I believe if we, one-through-15, come with it defensively and share the ball offensively like we usually do we'll have a chance to win the game."

In Paul Millsap's similar opinion, the Jazz need to "just play harder, basically" in order to snap their 11-game losing streak to the Lakers at Staples Center.

"If you play hard, you know you're going to execute well," Millsap said. "You've got to play good help defense and try to contain Kobe Bryant."

Ah, yes that.

Defending Bryant, who made 11 more shots Saturday than Thursday in his 38-point Game 4 explosion, will be a top priority.

The Jazz are still hoping to find an answer before tipoff, because they're not quite sure what more they could've done to him on Saturday when he remarkably hit jumper after jumper even with defenders all over him.

"There's not much you can do about it. Maybe we could've doubled a little earlier," Deron Williams said. "There's always things you can look back and say, 'What if?' But he just took over that game."

The Jazz, who've lost 10 of their last 13 games, obviously can't allow that to happen again.

"We just have to come with the mentality that we have nothing to lose," Boozer added. "It's all or nothing, leave it out there."

TIME TO HEAL: Coach Jerry Sloan gave his players Sunday off from practice, though the team did travel and some players received treatment.

Mehmet Okur, who saw limited action Saturday for the first time after missing four games with a strained right hamstring, was among those to get medical attention with trainer Gary Briggs.