"I think these are the games you need, the tough, hard-fought wins," Williams said, "because it could have been a tragic loss. It could have been a bad loss and really negated everything we did yesterday."

After beating Dallas on Thursday, the Jazz won the second game of a back-to-back set for only the second time in 13 tries this season. They will have the chance to win consecutive road games for the first time since Dec. 17-19 on Sunday at Golden State.

Williams scored all 12 of his fourth-quarter points in the last 4:32, including a pair of three-point plays, but it was his decision to ask to guard Martin coming out of a timeout with 43.1 seconds left and the game tied 105-105 that proved fateful.

Martin led Sacramento with 37 points, including 19 in the fourth quarter, but was called for a charge as he tried to drive left on Williams to the basket.

"I think I should have stepped up and took him a little earlier," Williams said. "But I just wanted the assignment. I wanted to see if I could get a stop on him."

At the other end, Williams got into the lane on Bobby Jackson and hit a layup with 20.1 seconds left to push the Jazz ahead 107-105. The Kings called a 20-second timeout and put the game in Martin's hands.

Martin got back the ball from Spencer Hawes and tried to squeeze between Williams and Mehmet Okur into the lane. But he got his legs tangled with Okur's and missed an 18-foot runner with 7.9 seconds remaining.

"We fought back, got in the game and had an opportunity to win it," Sacramento interim coach Kenny Natt said. "There were just some calls that didn't go our way, and that's what happened."

The Jazz led 102-97 as Williams lowered his shoulder, knocked Jackson to the floor and banked in a shot as part of a three-point play. That lead disappeared, however, and the Jazz needed an Okur three-pointer just to tie the game in the final minute.

Williams scored 34 points for the second time in as many nights, despite battling a bruised right quadriceps and swollen knee. The Jazz had lost nine of their previous 10 road games before Friday's victory.

For one half, it appeared as if the Jazz would merely serve as props for Webber's celebration. The Kings brought back Vlade Divac and Doug Christie to help retire his number. Gary Payton and Kevin Johnson, now Sacramento's mayor, also were on hand.

The Jazz trailed 55-45 heading into halftime, with a scheduled 23-minute ceremony that ran even longer. The majority of the Jazz players came out of the locker room to watch from their bench, but Williams was a notable exception.

"I sat back here the whole time and kind of got my legs back, stretched again and I was ready to go the second half," Williams said.

The halftime ceremony gave the Jazz a chance to regroup. They outscored Sacramento 35-22 in the third quarter, taking advantage of 12 Kings fouls and converting 15 of 18 free throws. Matt Harpring had eight points off the bench with Paul Millsap in foul trouble.

The Jazz gained only minimally in the playoff race, remaining a half-game ahead of Phoenix, which beat Golden State. But they were able to avoid falling to a Sacramento team coming off a 48-point loss Monday to the Suns.

rsiler@sltrib.com Storylines

In short ? Deron Williams scores 34 points to spoil Chris Webber's jersey retirement in Sacramento.

Key moment ? Williams draws a charge from Kevin Martin with 34.1 seconds left and the game tied 105-105.

Key stat ? Williams scores 34 points for the second time in as many nights for the Jazz.