With the playoffs just a couple of weeks away, the Utah Jazz feel their game is getting close to where it needs to be.
It's been a few games since they put together a full four-quarter effort, but certain players have stepped up their efforts lately, John Stockton's back is slowly improving and the Jazz are beginning to look like they did at midseason - namely, like a team that can compete with anyone."We feel if we execute, we can play with anybody, anywhere," said Jazz forward Karl Malone.
It's hard to disagree with that assertion. Fact is, it's difficult to remember a game in which the Jazz executed and didn't win.
"If we do the job we are capable of doing and stay humble, we are going to be really good in the playoffs," Malone said. "Everyone is talking about everybody else, but we're excited about the playoffs."
(By the way, when's the last time you heard an NBA star use the word "humble"?)
Among the Jazz's goals in their remaining five games are these: 1. stay healthy, and 2. get everybody at full speed.
After Thursday's game against the Warriors, Malone said he became worried about staying on the floor late in the contest. Those are the times when overexuberant youngsters and fringe players, eager to show a coach what they can do, can hurt somebody.
"You want to stay focused and go into the playoffs with some momentum, and you are thinking to yourself that you don't want to get hurt because there are bigger things that we want," the Mailman said.
As a team that has built its success around Malone, Stockton, Jeff Hornacek and whoever is hot that night, the Jazz can ill-afford to lose anyone.
"Everybody at this stage of the season needs to be hammering on all cylinders and start playing well," Stockton said. "It's going to take all 12 guys if we are going to make a run at the title."
The problem is when you face opponents who, on the surface, appear capable of being beaten on fewer than 12 cylinders.
After the win over the Warriors, Jazz forward David Benoit admitted, "It's kind of hard to get up for a game like this."
And if it's hard to get up for the Warriors, a team with 25 wins, Chris Mullin and Latrell Sprewell, how hard will it be to get excited about playing tonight's opponent, the Los Angeles/Anaheim Clippers?
The Clippers are 16-61, they're 21 games behind the current No. 8 playoff team and they've won four road games all season.
Then again, it was these same lowly Clippers who thumped the Jazz exactly two weeks ago in California by 18 points.
Benoit said that defeat wouldn't provide additional motivation, then added, "I'm not going to make a prediction . . . but I'm pretty sure we're going to play well."