For just the second time in 14 tries, the Jazz finally did it.
     
They beat one of the top-five teams in the NBA's Western Conference, in this case the Los Angeles Lakers, who started the night tied with Sacramento for the league's best record, 42-17.

First time since Dec. 10 against Dallas they've done that.
     
Still, Karl Malone managed to scoff at the issue after Utah's 92-84 victory over the Lakers in front of a crowd of 19,911, just the second Delta Center sellout of the season for the Jazz.
     
"Somebody ask me another question," Malone said when asked about the 34-26 Jazz's still-paltry record against the best in the West.
     
Fine then.
     
Maybe the Jazz's win didn't mean so much after all.
     
The tuckered Lakers had just played Tuesday night, beating New Jersey in Los Angeles, right? And L.A. had to be out of synch, what with Kobe Bryant missing two games previous to Wednesday's while serving a suspension for swinging at Indiana's Reggie Miller, huh? Shoot, the Jazz have had it cushy lately anyway, settling in for this fourth outing in a five-game homestand, don't you agree?
     
Besides, Utah obviously had help, isn't that so, Lakers coach Phil Jackson?
     
"I'm surprised it even got as close as it was at the end," Jackson said. "The officials got caught up in the b.s. that the Jazz do in the third quarter and just sent them to the (free-throw) line all the time."