SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Just a couple of weeks ago the Utah Jazz were owners of the best record in the NBA and appeared to be running away with the Midwest Division title.
Now things aren't looking so rosy. Portland leads the Jazz by two full games in the battle for the best record, and it's conceivable -- maybe even likely -- that the Jazz, who play the Sacramento Kings in Arco Arena Thursday night, could be in a virtual tie atop the divisional standings with the Houston Rockets by, oh, about 11 p.m.That would be the case if the suddenly struggling Jazz, now 21-7, lose to the Kings and the 21-9 Rockets beat the Clippers. It's almost a given that the Rockets will down the Clips -- although that's what the Jazz thought on Saturday. Houston should certainly be the fresher team, even though the game will be played on the Clippers' home court. Los Angeles played -- and lost -- in Denver on Monday night while the Rockets were relaxing in L.A.
In any event, the Jazz game against the Kings has taken on more meaning than it would have otherwise -- what with the Jazz having lost three of their last four road games. That includes an embarrassing 26-point setback to the lowly Clips on Saturday. All the while Houston has been on a roll, winning eight straight.
The Jazz play the Rockets for the first of three times this season on Thursday night in the Delta Center. With the San Antonio Spurs also hot on the Jazz's tail, the division title can no longer be taken for granted.
With only 22 games remaining, the Jazz can ill-afford too many more losses -- especially against teams like the Clippers, and even the 13-17 Kings, for that matter.
"We need to turn it around," said John Stockton. "We need to play great basketball from here on out."
The Jazz were quick to give the Clippers much of the credit for Saturday night's showing.
"If they played like that against everybody else too, they'd be in the playoffs every year," said Karl Malone. "But unfortunately, they just get ready to play us, it seems."
Even so, the Jazz realized they came out with little energy and got burned because of it. "It was so far below what we expect from ourselves that, yeah, we were surprised by it," admitted Stockton.
Malone, who was ejected early in the third quarter after getting into a shoving match with Maurice Taylor, failed to score in double figures for the first time in 575 games, finishing with seven points.
All told, though, Malone was pleased it didn't turn out much worse for him. "I'm just happy that I lost only a thousand dollars and not like $80,000," said Malone, fined $500 each for his two technicals.
Malone would have lost much more had his tiff with Taylor gone to blows. Both players would have automatically been suspended for at least a game -- without pay -- for fighting. Taylor told L.A. media he was ready for hand-to-hand combat with Malone but was held back by Clipper point guard Darrick Martin.
That idea made Malone snicker.
"Darrick Martin probably weighs 125 soaking wet," said Malone. "(Taylor) is probably 260. A little guy like that held him back? That would probably be like (son Karl) Junior holding me back if I wanted to get after somebody. My little boy probably weighs about 45, 50 pounds. It's the same thing."
Meanwhile, Malone will have his work cut out for him tonight when he goes up against Chris Webber, who is averaging 20 points and a league-leading 13 boards per game. Webber went off for 26 when the Jazz edged the Kings in overtime at the Delta Center back on Feb. 15. The Kings, with the additions of Webber, Vlade Divac and rookie point guard Jason Williams, are much improved over a year ago -- when they downed the Jazz both times the teams played in Sacramento.
But no matter what happens tonight it can't be worse than what happened on Saturday against the team with the worst record in the league.