The warning was delivered, loud and clear.
     Be wary of these guys. Don't be fooled by the fact they've lost eight straight.
     "Assume Michael Jordan is on the team," coach Jerry Sloan told his troops.
     Jordan, of course, wasn't.

Warriors' Jason Richardson tries to keep Utah's Karl Malone away from the ball.

Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News
     But Sloan's advice nevertheless was heeded by the 38-31 Jazz, who hung on to beat hungry-but-hapless Golden State 112-103 Saturday night at the Delta Center.
     The 17-51 Warriors had their moments, leading by as many as five points early in the second quarter and cutting a 16-point third-quarter Jazz advantage to as few as four a couple of times in the fourth.
     Utah, though, managed to protect not only its lead, but also its hold on the eighth and final Western Conference playoff position, all by keeping in mind just how dangerous a nothing-to-play-for team like Golden State can be.
     "It's the NBA," forward Scott Padgett said. "Anything can happen on a given night, so you've got to come ready to play."
     The Jazz seemed to, especially after fiery John Stockton was called for a second-quarter technical foul that sparked a 15-0 run, putting Utah up 50-34.
     Stockton was hot because no foul was called when Larry Hughes collided with him, sending the soon-to-be 40-year-old NBA all-time assists leader to the floor. Later, he refused to be lured into complaining about either that or the fact he seemed to get no respect from the refs all night long.