All That Jazz

Donyell Marshall might be the happiest guy in the NBA.

After six years languishing with the Golden State Warriors, he joined aging but still feisty Utah, leading a surge that has the tireless Jazz contending for the top seed in the Western Conference.

“I’m happy every day,” Marshall said. “I like being around my friends and family because we can talk basketball again. Before, I didn’t want to talk about it. Before, I said, ‘If we’re going to talk, let’s talk about life.”’

Marshall isn’t the only one talking about the Jazz lately.

Going into Friday’s game at Boston, Utah has won seven of nine since the All-Star break. The Jazz have surprised their critics by establishing the top winning percentage in the Western Conference.

“We’re not talking about getting the last laugh,” Karl Malone said. “We believed when the season started that we were going to do this. When we got everybody into the mix, we felt this was the kind of team we had.”

The Western Conference, of course, has been heralded as the stronger half of the NBA this season. And remember, too, that some preseason forecasts picked Utah to finish as low as eighth in the West.

The Jazz, however, are the NBA’s equivalent of the villain in a horror movie. Every time you think they’re finished, they scratch across the floor and climb off the ground to make another run.

“It’s been happening the last nine or 10 years,” coach Jerry Sloan said. “Our job is to come and play and do the best we can. Even if you’re not supposed to win, you can still play and compete and hope to gain respect.”

Owner Larry Miller has been mocked around the league for his dogged determination to deliver a championship for his two superstars, 38-year-old John Stockton and 37-year-old Malone.

When Jeff Hornacek retired after last season, it seemed a longshot. But Utah vice president of basketball operations Kevin O’Connor landed Marshall in a four-team trade and signed veterans John Starks and Danny Manning as free agents.

And now the Jazz are in first place.

“We have guys who know how to win,” said Starks, who replaced Hornacek at shooting guard. “Karl and John are two consummate pros who have been doing it for years. It was just a matter of time before we got clicking.”

Marshall has blossomed. He came off the bench for the first 32 games, averaging 9.4 points and 5.2 rebounds. After Bryon Russell was injured in January, Marshall became a starter and has averaged 13.2 points and 7 rebounds.

“He averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds last year. It’s not like he was sitting on the bench,” O’Connor said. “He’s such a good finisher, and we’ve got guys who put him in a position to finish: Karl, John and Bryon.”

Starks remains a streaky shooter but has settled in as a starter. Manning, meanwhile, has became a leader on the second unit. Marshall said it’s been a good fit for all three newcomers.

“We haven’t come in and tried to do things we weren’t supposed to do,” he said. “We’ve come in and done what we were asked, the things they needed us to do. Nobody tried to overstep their boundaries.”

The Jazz also have received double-figure scoring recently from center Olden Polynice and defensive rebounds and blocked shots from backup Greg Ostertag. Their improvement gives Utah an added dimension.

“If those two can go out there and between both of them average about 15 points, it’s a bonus for us,” Starks said. “And if they can shut down an opposing center, we should be all right.”

As for what that means in the next few months, nobody’s saying.

Utah reached the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998, losing both times to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. On their current roll, a return trip seems possible, but the Jazz are being cautious.

“The guys in this room know what we need to do,” Manning said. “We’re not going to give you a lot of lip service. We’re just going to do what we need to do to win.”

While the Jazz have beaten top Western Conference rivals Portland, Sacramento, the Lakers, Dallas, Phoenix and Minnesota, they’ve also lost to each. And Utah is 0-3 against San Antonio, leaving little margin for error.

“They’re all crucial at this point. Every game’s going to count,” Stockton said. “Two games can make you the leader in the Western Conference or drop you out of homecourt advantage.”