From Deseret News archives:
Williams likes his options
"I have a lot of guys I can go to," he said.
Lately, though, it's looking more and more like the second-season point has a new favorite go-to guy.
Starting power forward Carlos Boozer who is averaging 22.7 points per game, which ranks 17th among all NBA scorers has posted 22 or more in five of his last seven games, including three outings with 32-plus for the 11-1 Jazz.
Williams, meanwhile, has pushed his per-game assists average to 9.3 heading into tonight's home game against the Los Angeles Lakers. That's good for second in the league behind only the 10.2 from two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns.
"He gets me a lot of my assists," Williams said after Boozer scored 32 on 14-of-20 field shooting in Wednesday's come-from-behind 110-101 win at Sacramento. "I thank him every day; he thanks me every day."
Boozer, who is hitting 59.9 percent from the field on mostly inside shooting, is averaging 15.2 field-goal attempts per game. That's up three-plus attempts from a season ago, the second of two straight injury-plagued years for the 25-year-old from Duke.
"He's a beast," Williams, who is averaging 18.3 points himself, said in borrowing the same tag teammate Andrei Kirilenko put on Boozer earlier this season.
As for Williams, he continues pursuing a previously stated mission of giving Jazz coach Jerry Sloan no reason to have his starting point seated on the bench.
"Once you get that confidence that ... you can play with any point guard in the league, that helps," he said. "That's how I feel out on the court. I just feel like I can come out here to prove a point to help my team win."
That point, it appears, is coming across loud and clear.
"Williams played a great game for them," Sacramento coach Eric Musselman said after watching Williams score 20 and dish 13 assists while logging a game-high 39 minutes against the Kings. "And that's why they are 11-1."
IRONMAN: Jazz starting center Mehmet Okur played in his 192nd straight game Wednesday, the same night the league-leading consecutive games streak of Toronto's Morris Peterson ended at 370 due to a slight elbow tendon tear.
That moves Okur up to seventh place on the active streak list, now topped by Atlanta's Joe Johnson at 367.
Comments
- Party crashers had no invitation 8:33 a.m.
- Iran releases 5 British sailors 8:26 a.m.
- Gates, Mullen & Clinton pitch plan 8:25 a.m.
- Oil falls below $78 on supply jump 8:23 a.m.
- Stocks mixed after jobs report 8:22 a.m.
- Utes prepare to go bowling 6:15 a.m.
- Unbeaten BYU takes trip to Logan 6:14 a.m.
- Wildcats dangerous foe for Utes 6:04 a.m.
- Flash get dramatic win over D-Fenders 6:01 a.m.
- All-MWC football awards 5:57 a.m.
- 2 citations issued at Y.-U. game
- BYU says Hall incident resolved
- Witness: Mitchell wanted attention
- Max Hall: a fixture in rivalry lore
- 'Grandfamilies' a growing trend
- MWC '09 season in review
- Find joy in life, Bishop Burton says
- Mitchell called intelligent, controlling
- Daughter: Mitchell fed me my pet
- Jazz ready to be without Harpring
- Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
906 - Cougars beat Utes in overtime
483 - Hall reprimanded by MWC
404 - Max Hall issues apology
387 - Hall's pain reflects self-betrayal
349 - Utes won't respond to Hall
276 - BYU says Hall incident resolved
238 - 2 citations issued at Y.-U. game
164 - BYU is champion of the state
143 - Religion in politics is tiresome
131
Those were quite the pictures of Jamie Whittingham mixing it up with BYU...
"Religion is quickly wearing out its welcome in the public forums. I would...
It is time for a change. Bennett a nice person but we need someone in...
I liked about 97% of the talk to war, I did not like the part about a full...
The problem with polls, rankings, and formulas instead of a playoff, is that...
I think it is time to layoff the question mark key & try to figure out how to...
"Best of luck to a team coached by a bunch of BYU grads!" What you forgot...
I do believe, we own that color. :) And it is so nice of you to have a crush...
Once again the Republican party does not disappoint and acts as a good...
You are entering the land of no return with a victory, unless you call...
what the Utah defense could have accomplished this year if Kruger and Smith...





You can be the first to comment on this story.