It's just that making the playoffs is, well, more important.

While Utah shoots for its franchise-record 20th straight home victory Thursday night against Kobe Brynat and the Lakers, the Jazz are more worried about how important a win would be to their standing in the incredibly close Western Conference playoff race.

"We're two games out of first place," Ronnie Brewer said, "so every game you play is important. We can't really depend on how other teams do - if they win of lose. We've got to take care of our own business."

Andrei Kirilenko agrees.

"The Lakers, it is always a big game," he said. "But especially right now, at the end of the season, it is very important. So many teams have pretty much the same record, so anyone can win in the Western Conference. . . . We needed to pay attention and stay with a good attitude and we will have a good chance."

With 13 games remaining, including nine at EnergySolutions Arena, the Jazz are one of seven teams lumped within three games of each other in the wild, wild West. That's why every game is vital, especially when contending teams face one another.

"It will be a fun game to be part of," said Deron Williams, who noted the Lakers lead the season-series, 2-1. "They beat is pretty bad down there the last time, so this one's important. It would help us with the tiebreaker. . . . It's just a very important game."

For a coach like Jerry Sloan, these games and this playoff race are nerve-wracking, not fun.

"Very frankly, from a coaching standpoint, it's devastating every day - to wonder about what's going to happen," he said. "A good indication of that was the other night."

During the Jazz's 96-79 win over Toronto on Monday, Memo Okur left the game in the first quarter with a stomach ailment and Carlos Boozer went to the bench with 6:13 remaining after tweaking his back.

"We have Memo start the game and he leaves," Sloan said. "Boozer is playing in the game and he leaves. Now, all of a sudden, we're supposed to win the game and our team is probably not quite as good. . . . Things can change real quick."

Boozer will probably play against the Lakers, although he did not practice Wednesday. A decision on Okur's availability won't come until after this morning's shootaround.

More than most of his teammates, Boozer sounds excited about having a chance to break the Jazz's record for consecutive home wins.

"It's something that hasn't been done before," he said. "This is a chance to go into the record books in Utah, which is a tough thing to do because of all the success they've had before. We want to take advantage of it."

The Jazz won their 19th straight home game against Toronto, tying the record set twice during the Stockton/Malone Era.

"I'm not into break records," Sloan said, "[and] I don't try to compare that team to this team. It's a different group of guys. They aren't the same personalities. It's like when I took this job."

Sloan took over from his ex-boss, Frank Layden, on Dec. 9, 1988.

"Frank was a very difficult guy to replace," he said. "But I had to be who I am, just like these guys have to be who they are and John and Karl and all those guys had to be who they were. You can't make [people] be somebody else. So I don't get involved in that. I don't even like to talk about it because it's not fair."

For Sloan, a win over the Lakers would be significant only because of its impact on the conference standings.

"We aren't anywhere right now," he said. "We're in the playoff - for now - and that's our bottom line. All that other stuff doesn't matter, I'm only interested in how we do and how we can get this team into the playoffs."

luhm@sltrib.com

Lakers at Jazz

Where: EnergySolutions Arena

Tipoff: Today, 8:30 p.m.

TV: TNT

Radio: 1320 AM, 98.7 FM

Records: Lakers 46-21, Jazz 45-24

Season series: Lakers, 2-1

Last meeting: Lakers, 123-109 (Dec. 28)

About the Lakers: They have lost three of their last five, but come off a 102-100 win at Dallas on Tuesday. . . . In three games against Utah this season, they average 112.6 points on 51.4 percent shooting. . . . C/F Pau Gasol (ankle), C Andrew Bynum (knee), F Trevor Ariza (foot) and C Chris Mihm (ankle) won't play.

About the Jazz: They have won seven of their last nine. . . . They are 1-5 in their last six games against the Lakers. . . . G/F Kyle Korver is 72 of 79 from the free-throw line (.911). . . . G Ronnie Brewer averages 15.7 points against the Lakers.

Lakers at Jazz

Today, 8:30 p.m, TNT

Home, sweet home

Jazz can set franchise record for consecutive home wins with victory over Lakers tonight.