Live from Salt Lake City Thursday night, it's the...

NBA?

In something of a startling development, the Utah Jazz get a home game, for the first time since Feb. 2, and return to the Delta Center in better shape than when it left. Speaking of startling developments.

The Jazz went away because of the Olympics, but didn't go away. It won six in a row on the road, the end of a run of nine victories in 11 games. The young guys continued to contribute, making this the first Utah season since the Eisenhower Administration that is about the future.

One of the old guys, Karl Malone, starred and had coach Jerry Sloan talking about best stretches ever for the Mailman, which is only totally noteworthy considering the standards that had already been established on the route. And, as if just to make sure there was some normalcy during a crazy time in the schedule, the Greg Ostertag issue remained as constant ever, which is to say he remained a constant pain for Sloan.

So what that most of those five straight victories were against the East. And so what that one of them that should have stood for an important benchmark against a contender from the other conference instead turned out to be a game against the Raptors. Nine in a row away from the Delta Center is still a major challenge, even with the All-Star break in there for rest and only three back-to-backs in the space of nearly a month. There were victories at Indiana, Philadelphia and Toronto, and all in a row. Only two of the opponents broke triple digits in scoring, the Rockets at the start and the Kings at the end.

In what was supposed to be the spring of their disconnect, the Jazz hung together.

Pardon John Starks if he sounds like a man who lately has spent a little too much time on the road.
     
It's only because he has.
     
The Jazz, forced out of Utah by some fluffy February funfest known as the Winter Olympics, have not played a home game at the Salt Lake Ice Center, make that the Delta Center, since Feb. 2.
     
Twenty-six days later they're finally back, ready to open a five-game homestand that starts with tonight's meeting with Memphis, then continues with games every other night against Minnesota, Denver, the Los Angeles Lakers and New York.
     
So when Starks is asked if he's happy to be home, it's no wonder he's a little confused on just what transpired while he was away.
     
"Oh, no question. No question," Starks said. "We did what we wanted to do on the road ? we won six out of seven. Well, seven out of 10, rather. Or, what, six out of nine? We lost our first two right? Yeah ? six out of nine. I think that's a good stretch for us."
     
For the record, it was six out of nine.
     
The Jazz first dropped a disastrous back-to-back set at Houston and Memphis, then, fortunately for them, had a six-day hiatus for the NBA All-Star Game break.
     
A successful six-game trip followed, replete with wins at Indiana, Philadelphia, Toronto, New York, Cleveland and Denver ? granted, largely patsies, none of whom had a winning record as of Wednesday, but all Ws nonetheless.
     
Then it was five more days off before Tuesday night's debacle at Sacramento, a 107-81 loss to the league-leading Kings.
     
No wonder the Jazz are so happy to be back in Salt Lake.
     
With 28 games remaining in their regular season, Utah ? which at 31-25 is currently clinging, however precariously, to a Western Conference playoff position ? can take solace in knowing 14 of those will be in their own backyard.

Tracy McGrady scored 24 points and Toronto went scoreless in the last 4:54 as the Orlando Magic beat the Raptors 90-85 Wednesday night, Toronto's ninth consecutive loss.

Horace Grant added 18 points for the Magic, who have won five of their last six.

Vince Carter had 22 points in his second game back from the injured list. The Raptors went 0-7 without him.

Carter went to the foul line just twice, while McGrady made all 10 of his free throws. McGrady also had eight assists.

Carter's rainbow jumper gave Toronto a six-point lead with 4:54 remaining -- Toronto's last points of the night. The Raptors missed their last nine shots.

McGrady, guarded by Carter, followed with a turnaround jumper. McGrady then assisted on Darrell Armstrong's wide open 3-pointer, which narrowed Toronto's lead to one with 3:09 left.

The Jazz aren"t the only ones playing a homecoming game tonight.

Eddie Gill, who starred for two seasons at Weber State, also returns to Utah -- as a Jazz opponent.

Gill spent most of this season playing for the Kansas City Knights of the American Basketball Association before signing a 10-day contract with the Memphis Grizzlies this week, and now he finds himself in the starting lineup.

In his debut with the Grizzlies on Monday against the Los Angeles Clippers, Gill played all 48 minutes and had 20 points and seven assists.

""I didn"t anticipate playing the whole game, but I felt comfortable," Gill told the Memphis Commercial-Appeal.

With starter Jason Williams and backup Brevin Knight in street clothes nursing injuries, Gill got a crash course in the Grizzlies" offense, learning 15 plays.

""I was pleased with what I did for the first game," Gill said. ""Nervousness was not a factor."

The Jazz made it through their nine-game Olympic trip.
   
The question is, did Jerry Sloan's relationship with Greg Ostertag also survive?
   
In the latest incident between the frustrated coach and his inconsistent center, Sloan and Ostertag got into a shouting match during Tuesday's 107-81 loss at Sacramento.
   
After Andrei Kirilenko, Jarron Collins and Donyell Marshall each picked up two quick fouls, Sloan inserted Ostertag into the game with 4:45 left in the first quarter. In the next two minutes, the Kings bumped a 14-7 lead to 26-9.
   
During one sequence, Ostertag threw the ball away and fouled the Kings' Mike Bibby on a layup. That resulted in an animated discussion between Ostertag and Karl Malone. Moments later, Sloan called time out.
   
When Ostertag came to the bench, Sloan said something to him. When Ostertag responded, Sloan shouted back and immediately replaced him with John Amaechi. Ostertag did not play again until the final six minutes, when the Kings were mopping up their third easy win of the season over the Jazz.
   
Just three weeks ago, Ostertag was suspended for one game with pay after bumping Sloan in front of the Jazz bench during an 86-79 loss at Memphis.
   
Now, Ostertag seems to be flirting with more trouble.

There's a new chapter to the saga of Jazz coach Jerry Sloan's battles with center Greg Ostertag.
     
Ostertag entered Utah's 107-81 loss at Sacramento on Tuesday night with four minutes and 45 seconds remaining in the opening quarter and the Jazz about to go down by seven points. Barely more than two minutes later, the Kings were up 16 and Sloan had to call a time-out because, he said, of Ostertag's play.
     
Sloan yelled at Ostertag as he sat on the bench, and Ostertag shouted back as the coach yanked the 7-foot-2 backup center from the Jazz lineup. Ostertag at first walked away from the Jazz huddle, then returned, saying, "It's my fault. . . . It's all my fault" loud enough for fans in the front row to hear. He sat all the rest of the first half and did not play again until garbage time late in the second.
     
"Same thing," Sloan said when asked what happened. "Greg got upset because I took him out; I got upset because he didn't seem to understand where he's supposed to go. You have to call a time-out to try to tell him sometimes."
     
It's not the first time the two have had a run-in.
     
Earlier this month, Ostertag was suspended one game because he bumped Sloan while angrily walking the sideline at Memphis. Ostertag, who refused comment after Tuesday's game, also was suspended for disciplinary reasons last season.

The Jazz commit a season-high 27 turnovers. They lose to Sacramento by 24 or more points for the third time this season. And Jerry Sloan has another public tiff with Greg Ostertag.

Even after a six-game winning run and five full days off, some things never change.
     
"Evidently, we must have been satisfied," Sloan said after the streak was snapped, "because we came out and didn't have a chance to even be in the ballgame."
     
The result was a 107-81 loss to the Kings on Tuesday night that left Utah right where it was when it started a now-ended, nine-game Winter Olympics-imposed banishment from the Delta Center: wondering, maybe even doubting, if it has what it takes to compete against the NBA's elite.
     
"Obviously we know who they are: They're a great team," Sloan said of Sacramento, which owns a league-best record of 41-15 and is now an amazing 29-2 at Arco Arena.
     
"I said it tonight before the game ? I said, 'If you can't get ready to play against these guys, who are probably gonna be world champions, the way they're playing. . . . That would be exciting,' " Sloan added. "But it didn't look like we had too many people excited about playing them out there. It looked like we were about half-scared and about half-afraid to be here."

With his usual dry sarcasm, Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan described what was similar in each of his team's three blowout losses to the Kings this season:

"The score," Sloan said. "I'd say the scores have been about identical."

Include Tuesday night's 107-81 yawner in an impressive trio of Kings' victories over their once-overwhelming nemesis: The Kings won at Arco on Jan. 24, 113-80, then repeated the feat in Salt Lake City two days later 114-90.

The Kings seemingly own the Jazz -- whom they face one last time April 5. The clearest reason is their tempo. But at least part of the equation has to be intensity.

With his usual dry sarcasm, Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan described what was similar in each of his team's three blowout losses to the Kings this season:

"The score," Sloan said. "I'd say the scores have been about identical."

Include Tuesday night's 107-81 yawner in an impressive trio of Kings' victories over their once-overwhelming nemesis: The Kings won at Arco on Jan. 24, 113-80, then repeated the feat in Salt Lake City two days later 114-90.

The Kings seemingly own the Jazz -- whom they face one last time April 5. The clearest reason is their tempo. But at least part of the equation has to be intensity.

"They're a great team," Kings guard Bobby Jackson said of the Jazz. "They beat us so regularly for so many years. We just come out a little more focused against them. We need to do that against every team."

The Jazz was the cure for whatever had been ailing the Kings, losers of three of their previous four. Sacramento jumped to a 17-point lead within 10 minutes and never looked back.

Intensity was certainly on Sloan's mind as well after the game. The Jazz had won six in a row heading into Arco Arena -- all on the road.

"Evidently we must have been satisfied (with a 6-3 mark on a nine-game road trip thanks to the Winter Olympics being held in their hometown)," Sloan said.

It turns out that all the semi-sickly Kings needed to get better was a visit from the Utah Jazz.

That and the decision to play as hard as they could from start to finish allowed the Kings to post a 107-81 victory Tuesday night at Arco Arena.

The Kings halted a two-game losing streak and remained the only team not to have lost three in a row this season.

Utah had a six-game winning streak stopped. The Jazz was playing its ninth consecutive game away from Salt Lake City because of the Winter Olympics.

The difference in the Kings' effort and intensity was evident from the beginning, and the fact they never let up pleased coach Rick Adelman.

Sacramento (41-15) helped force 29 turnovers by Utah (31-25). That was a season high both for the Jazz and a Kings opponent.

"We defended well the whole game," Adelman said for the first time since his team defeated Boston on Feb. 6. "I was pleased with the intensity we showed. We really didn't let down. As the game progressed, we stayed with it."