On the other hand, they were just a couple of games back of fourth place, a much more comfortable spot, considering possible first-round matchup implications.

Safe to say, the Jazz would rather play the Hornets or Rockets than the Lakers or Spurs.

It's an April thought forced upon them now in February, as though the postseason has been extended, thrust forward two months, causing the Jazz to label each game as a must-win.

"It is a must-win," Ronnie Brewer said in the run-up. "We have to win these games."

So, with more immediately at stake, they did.

"We have high hopes," Deron Williams said afterward.

The Celtics' worries, on the other hand, were of a different sort, perhaps even more long-range, centering on the hours earlier in the day, before the trade deadline expired at 1 p.m., and then later in a frightening occurrence during the game.

They were preparing to play the Jazz, but were keeping a closer eye on the Cleveland Cavs, who had been exhaustively maneuvering to obtain another talent to bolster their frontline.

The Cavs supposedly wanted -- and were alternately in talks with teams about -- players from Shaquille O'Neal to Antawn Jamison to Marcus Camby to Richard Jefferson, and were offering back the expiring contract of Wally Szczerbiak as a means of bolstering their playoff weaponry against Boston.

And the Celtics were concerned. LeBron getting additional help was the last thing they wanted. They were up on Cleveland in the Eastern Conference standings by a couple of games, and a win over the Jazz would have been nice and all, but a shut-out Cavs' trading effort was more important.

Boston ended up getting just the latter.

It was a good day, then bad, with that aforementioned scary thing mixed between.

Kevin Garnett got hurt.

He tweaked a knee near the end of the first half, hopping off the floor and into the locker room. He did not play in the second half, suffering a strain, and as a result, the outcome for Boston became almost inconsequential. Garnett will be evaluated again today.

Characterizing the game itself is a complicated task. The Jazz started out horribly, hitting just four of 21 shots in the first quarter, which works out to exactly 19 percent. Basically, the Jazz looked like a troupe of plumbers trying to ROOT out a nasty clog. And the game resembled something out of a 50-and-over rec league.

Bricks, turnovers, bad execution, all around.

Boston might have buried the Jazz right there in the first quarter, but the Celtics stunk, too, going up by only nine at the end of the period.

Thereafter, the Jazz climbed back, trailing by just one at the half, 39-38. They lifted that 19-percent shooting to 29 by the break.

Boston was limited through the second half by both Garnett's absence and its own turnovers. Still, the Jazz deserved credit for methodically hanging tough despite their troubles. The margin stayed within a handful of points down the stretch, the Jazz lifted by guts and balanced scoring, modest though it was.

The payoff came in the final minutes, close, compelling, and taking on a playoff aura, which was fitting for the Jazz, given their precarious standing in the West.

At the end, their worries propelled them past the Celtics -- by way of an 8-2 run -- and their worries. Bottom line: The Jazz needed a win this night, gladly taking a victory they had to have.

gmonson@sltrib.com .