Now, they just have to force one.

“We’ve got two left with them,” Boozer said. “We’ve got to win tomorrow night to have the second one.”

After making the Western Conference finals a year ago, the Jazz face getting knocked out one round earlier.

The Jazz are 1-1 when hosting a Game 6 and trailing 3-2 in the last 10 years. The victory came in the first round a year ago when the Jazz beat the Rockets in Utah, then won the seventh game on the road.

The loss isn’t a pleasant memory.

It was the 1998 NBA finals, when the Jazz had won in Chicago to pull within 3-2, then lost the series at home when Michael Jordan hit a jumper from the top of the key in the final seconds.

Jordan was the MVP that season. Bryant was the MVP this year. The Jazz want the similarities to end there.

“I think it’s exciting myself. I always have loved to be in those situations. If you like to play, what better position could you be in?” Sloan said. “They have to come and beat us, and we hope we don’t beat ourselves.”

Sloan was coaching Utah in that series and could rely on veterans John Stockton and Karl Malone to counter Jordan and the Bulls. He has a considerably younger team this year, led by third-year point guard Williams.

Williams has been averaging nearly 23 points and 11 assists in this series. He scored 27 on Wednesday and had 10 assists.

Slideshow   The Week in Sports Pictures A kayaker flips out, a racehorse eyes the Triple Crown and more. more photos

The rest of the Jazz haven’t been as consistent. Sloan said he was disappointed in some outside shots his players took quickly Wednesday night instead of setting up the offense and giving the inside players a chance at the rebound.

But he said overall, the Jazz’s composure has improved each game.

“We’re tough enough,” Sloan said. “I think we’ve grown a lot in that area.”

Utah forward Andrei Kirilenko missed practice Thursday to deal with visa details for a summer trip to France, according to agent Marc Fleisher. Fleisher said Kirilenko had to take care of the visa, which is required because he is a Russian citizen, on Thursday or wait another month.

The Jazz said that Kirilenko was expected to play Friday.