A familiar tune for the Jazz

SALT LAKE CITY -- Gordan Giricek scored 25 points, and the Utah Jazz moved ahead in the race for the final Western Conference playoff berth with a 92-81 victory over the depleted Memphis Grizzlies last night.

Andrei Kirilenko added 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Mikki Moore scored 13 and pulled down 10 boards for Utah.

The Jazz won in front of former guard John Stockton, who got a standing ovation with 8:58 remaining when he was shown on the big screen eating ice cream during his first game in Utah since retiring after last season.

Utah never missed the playoffs in Stockton's 19 seasons and might just keep that streak alive even after the departure of the NBA's career leader in assists and steals.

By winning the rescheduled game when the rest of the league was idle, the Jazz improved to 41-37 and moved a half-game ahead of Denver (40-37) for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference.

Memphis, which has already clinched its first playoff berth, started the game without key performers Pau Gasol (foot) and Bonzi Wells (back), and by the time it ended the Grizzlies were down to just eight players.

Jason Williams was ejected with 15 seconds left in the second quarter for arguing a foul call, and James Posey was thrown out late in the fourth period when he kicked the ball high into the seats after a foul.

Posey led Memphis with 18 points. Lorenzen Wright added 16 points, and Earl Watson chipped in with 11 points and 12 assists.