They'll head into 2007 toting as many victories from the start of a season as they've ever taken into a new year.
Yet even after beating Portland 96-86 and improving to 22-9 Saturday night at sold-out EnergySolutions Arena, the Jazz want more.
Much, much more.
"We're not where we want to be yet, which is a great sign," starting power forward Carlos Boozer said. "You know, we don't want to be peaking too early. We want to continue to get better."
After losing by 23 points just two nights earlier at San Antonio, the Jazz had ample opportunity to do just that — improve — against the now 13-18 Trail Blazers.
They took advantage of the chance, too, in the most well-rounded of fashions, getting a team-high 20 points from Mehmet Okur, a 19-point and 10-rebound double-double by Boozer, 12 assists to cover for his 4-of-13 from the field shooting by Deron Williams, three blocked shots to go with 14 points from Andrei Kirilenko, 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting from Derek Fisher and key contributions off the bench by both Gordan Giricek (nine points) and 11-point scorer Paul Millsap.
It all added up to just enough to satisfy even coach Jerry Sloan, who virtually seemed willing to excuse the 34 points and 13 rebounds allowed to Portland power forward Zach Randolph — and even the fact the Jazz permitted the Blazers to cut what had been a 24-point lead late in the third quarter to as few as six with more than four minutes still remaining.
"I thought we had some moments where we played really well, I thought we had some moments where we struggled," Sloan said. "The important thing is we got the win.
"We did a pretty good job of trying to finish by getting good shots, and obviously making some of them," he added. "Most importantly, we got decent shots."
One of the best came from Williams, who started just 1-of-8 from the field but drilled an 18-footer after Portland had made it 86-80 with 4:32 left.
After Blazers guard Brandon Roy missed a 19-footer on the other end, Okur knocked down two free throws. Randolph made it an eight-point game with a short jump hook with 2:53 to go, but Boozer hit two free throws coming out of a timeout a few seconds later.
Portland never was able to come closer than eight the rest of the way.
That left the Jazz seeming hardly bothered that Randolph got his points on 16-of-25 field shooting, perhaps because Roy — who finished with 17 — was the only other Blazer to hit double-digits.
"They go to him about 50 times a night," said Boozer, who was assigned to Randolph for much of the evening, "and he decides whether to shoot it or pass it."
"Randolph is playing probably as good as anybody in the league, the way he gets the ball and can score with guys all over him," Sloan added with a nod to the Blazers star who came into the game averaging 24.5 points. "That's a tough matchup for us. He had a terrific game."
Sloan — perhaps feeling charitable with a new year on the horizon, and knowing that a three-day break awaits before Philadelphia visits on Wednesday night — even faulted himself for the Blazers' rally bid.
"We had things going pretty easy," he said. "I started substituting, and probably got some wrong mismatches out there. Consequently, they got what they wanted."
Ultimately, though, the Jazz got what they wanted as well.
It was their 22nd victory, a count last realized before the big ball drops way back when John Stockton and Karl Malone were running the show in the 1996-97 season.
And now, a decade, they crave more.
Much, much more.
Perhaps even as many as the 64 posted by that '96-97 club?
That sure sounds like shooting for the moon — the Jazz would have to go a highly improbable 42-9 the rest of the way to do it — but, some figure, why not at least try?
"Right now," backup point guard Dee Brown said, "we just want to be a little more selfish, and want to continue to win, and win the most games as we can."
E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com