In a six-night span, the Jazz edged Chicago and Houston in tug-of-war games that were not decided until the final moments.
   
Bryon Russell scored a not-so-grand total of 10 points against the Bulls and Rockets. He made four of his 17 field-goal attempts, including 1-for-10 from three-point range.
   
"Oh, my goodness," Russell said. "I have been struggling."
   
Still, the Jazz might not have been beaten either Chicago or Houston without Russell. As teammate Karl Malone points out, "That's what Bryon is all about. Whatever we need -- a [defensive] stop or whatever -- he is always going to be there for us. . . . People tend to forget sometimes, it's not all about scoring points."
   
Often, it's about defense.
   
When it comes down to preventing game-winning baskets, Russell usually gets the call against the opponents' top perimeter scorer.
   
It happened in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals, when Michael Jordan scored and the Bulls won their sixth championship.