From Deseret News archives:

Utah Jazz swat Shaq, dash past Phoenix

Published: Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008 12:08 a.m. MST
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
The Jazz were so happy to be back home Monday night, they threw a block party.

Behind three fourth-quarter rejections of Shaquille O'Neal, a 21-point, 15-rebound double-double by Carlos Boozer and another 21 points from C.J. Miles, coach Jerry Sloan's club returned from a disastrous five-game Eastern road swing to beat Phoenix 109-97 at sold-out EnergySolutions Arena.

The 7-4 Jazz — playing without starting point guard Deron Williams, who was out again because of his sprained ankle, and starting center Mehmet Okur, who is back from visiting his ailing father in Turkey but sidelined now by a strained lower back — used a 17-2 run in the fourth quarter to break open a two-point game and snap a three-game losing streak.

Highlights of the pullaway stretch were Paul Millsap's rejection of a dunk attempt by O'Neal, followed three possessions later by a run-closing, five-second sequence in which 19-point scorer Andrei Kirilenko first swatted one shot from Shaq, then stuffed another.

Story continues below
"I'm gonna tell you, man: We had guys that stepped up with big hearts tonight," said All-Star Boozer, whose double-double was his sixth of the season. "Everybody came in and took pride in what we were doing out there, and that's how we got back into it."

The Jazz trailed by nine points after the first quarter and by one early in the third, but went ahead to stay when Boozer hit two free throws to make it 61-60 with about 10 minutes left in the third.

Phoenix, down by six heading into the fourth, did get to within two a couple of times early in the final quarter.

But after Matt Barnes hit a 3-pointer to make it 86-84 Jazz, persistent Jazz bench players Kirilenko, Millsap, Brevin Knight, Kyle Korver and Matt Harpring used a three-shot possession that ended with a Korver-fed Harpring layup to spark their decisive run.

And by the time Millsap made 1-of-2 free throws with 4:51 to go, Utah led 103-86. The Jazz's lead never dwindled below 12 after that.

"A lot of these guys would be starting on other teams in the NBA, and some of these guys could start on this team right here," Boozer said. "So, we're deeper than a lot of people think we are — and we're gonna just keep doing what we do under the radar."

"Our bench was terrific," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan added with reference to a unit of subs that combined to score 59 points and pull down 23 of Utah's 47 rebounds. "They gave us a tremendous lift."

Most uplifting, though, had to be holding down nine-point scorer O'Neal, who shot just 3-of-11 from the field, including four shots in all that were blocked.

"My elbow hurts right now ... but it felt great," Millsap said.

Recent comments

Most "Utahans"? First of all, learn to spell. Secondly, everybody...

re: Seattle Jazzed | Nov. 19, 2008 at 12:01 a.m.

I ran the short version of wp 48 for Collins, Koufos, Price and CJ...

WP48 | Nov. 18, 2008 at 11:53 p.m.

Jimmy Z says : Jerry when you have a player that
is hot leave him...

Jimmy Z | Nov. 18, 2008 at 11:52 p.m.

Image

Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko blocks an attempted shot by Suns forward Boris Diaw in Utah's 109-97 victory on Monday night.

previousnext

Latest comments

Dishonest global warming scientists

RE: Global Warming back up here a few years, remember when a video /...

Over 2 bars per S.L. block approved

It's too bad we need more bars to have a better night life. Why couldn't we...

Miners turn to defense

Give the Miners their due. They are the favorite to take it all. I wish I...

Hot Rod has been drinking again--thinking that it is ok to announce against...

Well the BCS got one of the correct teams for the NC game - other than that...

Snow brings big chill

9 mph wind gusts? 9 mph isn't even a breeze. You haven't lived until you've...

Panel passes college playoff bill

It's all about the money that is being missed by deserving programs....

This is a terrible mistake. If you have ever walked around other large...

EPA chief on U.S. regulating CO2

Now we have a single government beuracrat regulating the air you exhale as...

BYU football: Bronco weighs in on Hall

No support has been offered for these allegations. What Hall did is in the...

Advertisements