As much time as they spent worrying about just making the playoffs in this injury-ravaged season, the Jazz could take a major step toward securing a top-four seed with home games this week against Houston and Denver.
After beating Golden State on Sunday for their NBA-best eighth straight win, the Jazz found themselves trailing fourth-place Houston by one game and Northwest Division-leading Denver by two games in the standings. "If we just keep winning, we'll keep moving up," Deron Williams said. "That's how we've got to look at it. We're not trying to catch one team or look at this team and try to catch them. We're just trying to win basketball games."
Combined with Wednesday's victory at Minnesota, the Jazz have won consecutive road games for the first time since Dec. 17 and 19. They also improved to 3-11 in the second game of back-to-back sets and avenged their Feb. 8 loss to the Warriors.
The Jazz's winning streak has continued even as Carlos Boozer has struggled in his first four games back from an injured left knee. Boozer had 10 points and nine rebounds Sunday but went 5-for-14 with three turnovers and five fouls.
Boozer had back-to-back baskets in the third quarter, but ended up on the bench the entire fourth quarter after picking up two offensive fouls, one for hooking his arm around a defender, the other for a charge.
"I'm still encouraged," Boozer said. "Just got to keep working."
JAZZ 112, WARRIORS 104: Behind Deron Williams' season-high 20 assists, the Jazz pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Warriors and avenge a 116-96 loss last month to Golden State. Williams' 20 assists were one shy of his career high and helped make up for a 3-for-12 shooting night in which Williams scored a season-low six points. Rookie Anthony Randolph scored 12 of his career-high 20 points for Golden State in the third quarter, which he filled with blocks, dunks, tip-ins and jumpers.
