It all comes down to last 10 games News Denver Nuggets

And then there were 10. Ten games over 16 nights left, that is, in the Jazz's 2008-09 NBA regular season. The sprint to the finish starts tonight at EnergySolutions Arena against the New York Knicks, with four games coming at home and six on the road. All four in Utah are against clubs that will not be taking part in the playoffs this year, and all six away games are against Western Conference teams that do appear headed for postseason play. By the time the run is done, point guard Deron Williams hopes, the 45-27 Jazz will be sitting pretty.

"We just went on a 12-game win streak," Williams said after Utah beat Phoenix in overtime on Saturday night, marking the Jazz's fourth victory in their last five games. "We can win 10." The optimistic boast, however, does not come without a healthy dose of proper perspective. "We've got some tough, tough Basketball games ? at home, on the road," Williams said after Utah improved to 2-2 when playing one or more overtime periods this season. "So, we've got our work cut out for us. But it's a good test to see where we're at. "You know," he added, "if we get through these games and move up, then we're ready for the playoffs." That in mind, a look at the 10 that remain: 10. MONDAY NIGHT VS. NEW YORK The Knicks ended Utah's five-game win streak and handed the Jazz their first loss of the season back on Nov. 9 at Madison Square Garden. Carlos Boozer had a 19-point, 17-rebound double-double in the loss, which prompted Williams' premature return from a sprained ankle sustained in the preseason. Guard Jamal Crawford, traded less than two weeks later to Golden State for big man Al Harrington, had a game-high 32 points for New York. 9. TUESDAY AT PORTLAND The Jazz took both games at home against Portland, one in early November and another in December. But the Trail Blazers won 122-108 on Jan. 31 at Portland, where Utah played without injured Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko but got 35 points in 38 minutes from an ill Williams. If the Jazz are to win a third straight Northwest Division title, they'll have to not only overtake leader Denver, but leapfrog the Blazers as well. 8. THURSDAY AT DENVER The Jazz won their season-opener at home against Denver and rallied from 19 points down in the second quarter to beat the Nuggets on March 6 in Utah as well. But they were embarrassed in the first visit to Denver, where Nene scored 28 and guards J.R. Smith and Chauncey Billups added 22 each in a 117-97 Nuggets win. Utah is only two games behind Denver in the division, though, and a victory in this one would go a long way toward taking the Northwest yet again. 7. FRIDAY VS. MINNESOTA The Jazz already have claimed three games from the terrible Timberwolves, including a Feb. 25 win at Minnesota in which shooting guard Ronnie Brewer scored 16 of his 20 points in the decisive fourth quarter. The bad news for Utah is that, like Tuesday's game at Portland, this is the second outing in a back-to-back set ? and the Jazz are 3-14 in back-half games so far this season. 6. SUNDAY AT NEW ORLEANS Because of the NBA's unbalanced schedule, this game ? the start of a three-stop road trip and installment No. 3 of Williams vs. Chris Paul this season ? will be the Jazz's only visit to New Orleans. Utah already has taken two from the Hornets, with power forward Paul Millsap contributing a 27-point, 14-rebound double-double in a January meeting and center Mehmet Okur scoring a game-high 25 on Feb. 21 ? the Jazz's first game following the death of franchise owner Larry H. Miller. 5. APRIL 8 AT DALLAS The Jazz have taken two at home against the Mavericks, who are trying to fend off feisty Phoenix for the eighth and final playoff position in the Western Conference. But Utah lost in Dallas on Jan. 17, when the Mavs ended a four-game losing streak behind 39 points and 16-of-20 field shooting from Dirk Nowitzki. 4. APRIL 10 AT SAN ANTONIO This will open a season-ending stretch with four games in five nights for the Jazz, who lost at San Antonio in November and ? despite all five starters scoring in figures ? fell 106-100 when the Spurs paid their only visit of the season to Utah on Jan. 27. Utah hasn't won in San Antonio since Feb. 28, 1999 ? a losing streak of 19 regular-season games there, and 22 including the playoffs. 3. APRIL 11 VS. GOLDEN STATE It's another back-to-back back-half game for the Jazz, who won their first home game against the Warriors this season. They also split a pair in Oakland, but their Feb. 8 blowout loss their kick-started Utah's 12-game win streak ? which included a March 1 victory over Golden State in which Williams dished a season-high 20 assists, one off his career high. 2. APRIL 13 VS. LOS ANGELES Clippers It's the last home game of the season for the Jazz, who took a consecutive pair from the Clippers in early November ? the first at EnergySolutions Arena, and their second two nights later in their only game against the Clippers in Los Angeles. Boozer had 25 points in the first meeting, and Millsap had 24 in the second. 1. APRIL 14 AT LOS ANGELES Lakers What a way to end the season: in L.A. vs. the Lakers, who eliminated the Jazz from last season's playoffs with a 4-2 second-round series win in May. Utah lost to the Lakers on the road in early January, but with Williams scoring 31 they overcame a 37-point performance from Kobe Bryant to win 113-109 on Feb. 11 ? their last game before the NBA All-Star Game break and the first in their 12-game victory streak. E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com