"We're still concerned about making the playoffs, just because we could lose a couple of games and be out," the Jazz point guard said before practice Tuesday.

Utah has won eight in a row and is at home for two crucial games this week against Houston on Wednesday and Northwest Division-leading Denver on Friday night. With a five-game road trip looming next week, the Jazz know they can't afford to let their winning streak end at home.

"These are two teams that are ahead of us in the standings right now - two teams that we're still in striking distance of and have a chance to catch this week if we win them," Williams said. "That would definitely give us a nice streak going into the road."

The Jazz (37-23) are just 11-17 on the road this season, so winning at home has been essential in a season filled with injuries. Williams missed the first 13 games while recovering from a severely sprained left ankle and Carlos Boozer only recently returned from a 44-game absence caused by a strained tendon and surgery on his left knee.

Boozer was averaging 20.5 points and almost 12 rebounds before he got hurt Nov. 19 and has a way to go toward regaining that form. Four games into his return, Boozer said before practice Tuesday that his knee was probably at about 80 percent.

"I keep working it. I've only been back for about a week and I've got to continue to work it so I continue to get strength," Boozer said. "It's good to be out there right now. I'm strengthening every day."

Before Boozer's return on Feb. 23, the Jazz had never had all 12 of their regulars available for the same game. At least one player was out with an injury or a personal reasons. Now that everybody is healthy enough to play, the Jazz finally have the depth they had planned on before the series of injuries.

"We're in a good position right now, considering all that's happened this year," Williams said.

The Jazz went 10-1 in February, but the month was marred by the death of team owner Larry Miller on Feb. 20 of complications from diabetes. The Jazz added a patch to their jerseys in memory of Miller, whose funeral was Saturday. The Jazz beat Sacramento that night, then earned a rare road win Sunday at Golden State.

The winning streak has propelled the Jazz from the playoff bubble to the midst of a pileup of teams vying for the seven playoff spots below the Los Angeles Lakers, who are well ahead of everybody else. The Jazz were within 3 1/2 games of San Antonio for No. 2 in the West on Tuesday, but also just a handful of games away from falling to ninth.

"Our goal is to make the playoffs, but at the same time we want to get up as high as we can," Williams said.

A loss or two this week at home could be a huge setback. After next week's five-game trip, eight of Utah's nine remaining road games are against teams that are also in the Western Conference playoff mix.

"We've had a couple of nice road wins, but we have to prove we can win on the road," assistant coach Phil Johnson said.

Johnson ran practice Tuesday for coach Jerry Sloan, who the Jazz said was having a routine medical examination.

"It will help because we're healthy again. any time you bring all of your team back and you have players that are coming off the bench that are veterans, that helps you on the road," Johnson said. "If you've got experience in this league, you're a better team on the road."