LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- The Los Angeles Lakers survived a scare and kept alive their home winning streak.
Devean George hit a 3-pointer with 24 seconds remaining as the Lakers held on for a 94-92 victory over the Utah Jazz for their 26th straight regular-season win at the Staples Center.
The streak is the longest since the Lakers moved to Los Angeles and four shy of the franchise record.
Playing without Karl Malone, who served a one-game suspension for elbowing Dallas' Steve Nash to the face, the Lakers squandered a 21-point lead midway through the third quarter.
"Of course, we missed Karl, but Slava (Medvedenko) did a fine job in that position," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "We just missed Karl's leadership on the boards. We just killed on the boards in the second half, 26-15."
Utah took a 92-91 lead on rookie Maurice Williams' 17-footer with 36 seconds left. But the Lakers got the ball to George, who drilled a 3-pointer from the right wing to put Los Angeles back on top.
"When all of them (Jazz) sucked in thinking they could get a steal, I saw Devean and I gave it to him," Payton said. "He has been hitting shots, so I was not afraid to throw it to him and he knocked it down."
"It just kind of happened," George said. "It always happens like that. Whenever GP drives, they always collapse, and he has good vision."
The Lakers posted their ninth straight victory, matching their longest winning streak since November 18-December 5, 2001.
"They just kept playing," George said. "I think we got lax a little bit once we got a little lead and they kept fighting and fighting."
The Jazz had two chances in the final eight seconds, but Williams and Raja Bell missed long-range jumpers before time expired.
"(The comeback) shows we have heart," said Williams, who led the Jazz with 16 points. "It shows we're not afraid of anybody. We just want to come out and compete."
Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant scored 19 points apiece for the Lakers, who ended the first half with a 15-1 spurt to open a 47-32 lead. Medvedenko's jumper made it 61-40 with 7:07 left in the third quarter.
The Jazz closed within 74-60 by the end of the period and started the final quarter wiith a 15-6 spurt. They took their first lead since the first quarter, 90-89, on Bell's follow shot with 55 seconds left. After O'Neal made two free throws, Williams gave the Jazz their final lead.
DeShawn Stevenson scored 13 points and Aleksander Pavlovic added 12 for the Jazz, who dropped to 1-7 on the road.
