Devean George's 3-pointer with 24.3 seconds remaining lifted the Los Angeles Lakers to a 94-92 victory over the Utah Jazz on Sunday night.

George connected from the right corner after the Jazz, who trailed by 21 points in the third quarter, went ahead for the second time in the last minute on a jumper by rookie Mo Williams.

After George's game-winner, Williams and Raja Bell missed outside jumpers that could have forged a tie. Shaquille O'Neal rebounded Bell's miss and dribbled out the clock.

O'Neal had 19 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists and Kobe Bryant also had 19 points for the Lakers. George added 16 points and Slava Medvedenko and Gary Payton each scored 15.

Williams scored 12 of his career-high 16 points in the fourth quarter. DeShawn Stevenson added 13 points and rookie Sasha Pavlovic scored 12 for the Jazz.

The Lakers (17-3) played without former Utah star Karl Malone, suspended for one game by the NBA for elbowing Dallas guard Steve Nash in the head Thursday night.

Malone, the NBA's second-leading career scorer, has missed only 11 games in his 19-year career — six due to injuries or illness and five because of suspensions.

The win was the ninth straight for the Lakers and their 26th consecutive regular-season victory at home including 11 this season.

But it certainly didn't come easy.

The loss was just the fourth in 11 games for Utah (11-8), which fell to 1-7 on the road.

Pavlovic made two free throws with 7:52 remaining to cap a 10-2 run, cutting the Lakers' lead to 78-73.

The Lakers extended their lead to nine points, but again the Jazz battled back, and a tip-in by rookie Ben Handglogten with 55.3 seconds left capped a 7-0 run and gave the Jazz a 91-90 lead.

O'Neal made two free throws, but Williams made a jumper with 36.5 seconds remaining to put the Jazz back on top. George followed that up with his game-winner.

A 3-pointer by George and a jumper by Medvedenko extended the Lakers' lead to 61-40 with seven minutes left in the third quarter. At that point, the Jazz began creeping back into contention, and it was 74-60 entering the final period.

Payton made three baskets and assisted on two dunks by O'Neal as the Lakers outscored the Jazz 12-1 to finish the second quarter for a 47-32 halftime lead.

The Jazz took a 16-9 lead before Bryant made a 3-pointer, triggering a 21-6 run to finish the opening period and start the second that put the Lakers ahead 30-22.

Notes:@ Malone is scheduled to face the Jazz for the first time Jan. 24 in Salt Lake City. He spent 18 seasons with Utah before joining the Lakers as a free agent last summer. ... O'Neal and Payton both wore Malone's No. 11 jersey during the playing of the national anthem. ... Lakers coach Phil Jackson made his feelings clear on Malone's suspension. "Karl's played a zillion games. Anybody who's watched him play knows he's going to protect the basketball," Jackson said. "Karl said it right — if he wanted to really get (Nash), he would have really gotten him. It wasn't an elbowing foul, he didn't throw the elbow. He protected." ... The Lakers are the only NBA team with an unbeaten record at home. Utah is 10-1 at the Delta Center. ... Carlos Arroyo, Utah's third-leading scorer, missed his sixth game due to a sprained left ankle.

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