Jazz 110, Trail Blazers 93

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- With Andrei Kirilenko dominating at both ends of the floor, the Utah Jazz certainly look like a playoff team.

"When we do everything good, execute and play defense, nobody can stop us. It's interesting to how our team will react and how we will fight," Kirilenko said after scoring 15 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter of Utah's 110-93 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night.

He also had nine rebounds, five assists and seven blocked shots, marking a league-leading 27th game with four or more blocks.

"Andrei was terrific in helping our people. His seven blocked shots were lifesaving coming down the stretch," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. "Their momentum picked up there at the end and we looked a little tired, but he kept us out of trouble."

Kirilenko's strong finish also moved the Jazz within 2 1/2 games of the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings, who are tied for the final two spots in the Western Conference. The Jazz are even with New Orleans in ninth place with six games to play.

The Blazers cut the lead to 10 points twice in the last 3:30, but Kirilenko rejected Zach Randolph twice and made eight straight free throws down the stretch.

"Kirilenko does such a good job of defending. I drew up a play to get him away from the ball and he still came all the way from the weak side to block the shot," Portland coach Nate McMillan said.

After the final buzzer, Kirilenko apologized to McMillan for a meaningless dunk in Utah's 102-89 win on April 1. The Blazers hold no hard feelings and had nothing but praise for the Russian.

"I love watching (Kirilenko) play. I like his aggressiveness and how he hustles and never gives up on a play. I like his whole attitude toward playing the game," Theo Ratliff said.

Kirilenko hopes the Jazz will be playing a little later in April this year.

"It's like playoffs now. We need to stay in the game, every game," he said.

Utah has won five of its last seven games and completed their first season sweep of the Blazers since the 1988-89 season.

Randolph had 28 points and nine rebounds. Darius Miles added 13 points, but twisted his right knee early in the fourth quarter and did not return.

"I loved our aggressiveness in getting to the free throw line 38 times, but missing 16 free throws in a tight game like this ... you basically shoot yourself in the foot," McMillan said of the Blazers' 22-of-38 performance at the line.

Matt Harpring scored 29 points, including seven during a key 17-6 run in the third quarter that ended with his 18-foot jumper to extend Utah's lead to 75-60.

"One of the advantages of this lineup, pick your poison, is a smaller guard will try to guard me or try and guard Andrei. But were trying to get the ball low," said Harpring, who started at guard and added a season-high six assists.

Mehmet Okur added 18 points and 10 rebounds as the Jazz outrebounded the Blazers 45-32. Both teams played the night before but the Jazz burst out to a 14-3 lead to open the game. The Blazers fought back and kept it close until the third quarter.

Portland is 2-14 in the second game of back-to-backs, losing by an average of 15.3 points. The Blazers have lost 13 of their last 14 games and are tied with Charlotte for the worst record in the league.

"We miss assignments. We don't box out, turn the ball over. Those are the things that hurt us every night it seems," Ratliff said.

Notes:@ Portland center Joel Przybilla did not play and will miss the next week, and possibly the rest of the season, because of a bruised right knee. ... Trail Blazers rookie Martell Webster, who scored 23 points in the teams last meeting, didn't enter the game until late in the third quarter but played the rest of the contest, scoring six points. ... Miles got a technical for hanging on the rim after dunking in the third quarter.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APTV-04-08-06 2322MDT

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