LAKERS TONIGHT

Opponent--Utah Jazz.

Site--Delta Center, Salt Lake City.

Time--5 PDT.

TV--Channel 9, TBS.

Radio--KLAC (570).

Records--Lakers 52-24, Jazz 58-17.

Record vs. Jazz--0-2.

Laker update--The favorable schedule ends in a big way, with the Lakers playing the Jazz twice and the Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers once to finish the regular season. All but the Kings are headed to the playoffs, and the Jazz and Suns are the two hottest teams in the league. The last trip to Salt Lake City on the second night of a back-to-back resulted in a 26-point loss for the Lakers, which stood for 3 1/2 months as their biggest defeat of the season. The Orlando Magic eventually tied it.

Jazz update--A winner of 13 in a row overall, the Jazz is 34-3 at the Delta Center and will go into the playoffs with home-court advantage throughout the Western Conference and maybe over everyone but the Chicago Bulls. The most excitement left for local fans before the start of the playoffs is Karl Malone’s run at his first most valuable player award. It’s shaping up as a two-man battle with Michael Jordan and some straw polls have an edge for Malone.