Five nights earlier at Washington, in a one-point loss to the Wizards, Jazz point guard Keith McLeod was ejected because of a shoving match.
Thursday night at the Delta Center, he pushed up-court with the stolen ball in his hands and ample opportunity for both a game-winning layup and redemption.
Typical of the Jazz's season, however, a well-devised plan went awry.
McLeod's would-be winner did not fall, allowing the Wizards to beat the Jazz 85-84 and hand Utah its 10th loss in its last 11 games.
"Well," said Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, who remains tied with legendary Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach for sixth place on the NBA's all-time regular-season coaching victories list, "we had a chance."
Yet again, however, the 21-47 Jazz failed to take advantage of it.
Finishing without starting forward Andrei Kirlenko, who sustained a season-ending broken left wrist early in the opening quarter, and using their 23rd different starting lineup of the season, the Jazz overcame Washington's six-point early fourth-lead.
When Gordan Giricek hit a 15-foot floater with 1:05 left, they were up 84-83.
Larry Hughes answered, hitting a 21-footer from the top of the key to put the 37-29 Wizards ahead 85-84 with 46.4 seconds to go.
Giricek, however, then missed an 18-footer on the other end.
"I made terrible plays, particularly my last shot," he said. "I'm so mad about myself, about that kind of play."
He was not nearly as hot, however, as McLeod was afterward.
As 25-point scorer Hughes drove to the basket with 6.9 seconds remaining and about four seconds left on the shot clock, McLeod reached in and nabbed the ball.
He then took off downcourt, with only 29-point game-high scorer Gilbert Arenas back to defend and with Jazz teammate Raja Bell trailing just behind on his right side.
McLeod drove the length of the court, but rather than take it right to Arenas he veered to the right at the last moment. At that point, his only options were to shoot or drop the ball to Bell. McLeod shot, the layup attempt rocketed off the glass with less than a second remaining and no foul was called on Arenas.
"That was a tough play. Keith made a great steal," said Bell, who was called for fouling Arenas just before he hit his game-winner free throws back on Saturday. "He (McLeod) was trying to make a play. I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing. He thought he got fouled."
McLeod exited the Delta Center sans shower and without comment, leaving Sloan to defend his point.
"I thought we were in pretty good shape," the Jazz coach said. "You second-guess yourself on everything you do in this business, but it looked like we had some people in position.
"I guess if there's one I would try to do, it's take it to the guy, rather than fall away a little but, and try to get to the free-throw line," added Sloan, whose Jazz resume a seven-game homestand Saturday night vs. Milwaukee. "Or, you lean a little bit and give it to somebody else. It looked like we had a mismatch coming at them."
Sloan, though, understood why McLeod tried to make the play he did.
"He's a very determined guy. He's not afraid," the Jazz coach said. "He took the ball in there, and I think he probably thought that he could get it up off the glass and go from there.
"Those are experiences you've got to grow with," Sloan added, "and hopefully come away with something."
Something, that is, besides yet another loss.
E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com