Downcast and downtrodden Jazz

INDIANAPOLIS — They went into the fourth quarter up one, and were out of it just a few minutes later.

To tell when the Jazz lost control in a 93-83 loss to Indiana on Friday night at Conseco Fieldhouse, though, one need look at neither score nor clock.

Instead, all it took to tell Utah did not have what it takes to stick with and beat a quality opponent like the 13-8 Pacers was a sneak peak at their body language following a particular final-period timeout.

The one in question came with nine minutes and 11 seconds remaining.

That's right: 9:11.

Rather than dial up some help, the Jazz simply resigned themselves to being victimized, taking it as Indiana All-Star Jermaine O'Neal scored a game-high 27 points with 11 rebounds to boot.

As a result, they opened a five-game Eastern swing failing yet again to win a third straight game for the first time this season. The 10-13 Jazz also fell for the seventh consecutive time to Indiana.

"Things go wrong," coach Jerry Sloan said, "we have a tendency to drop our heads and go, 'Oh, my goodness.'"

Indiana opened the fourth going from 62-61 down to 71-64 up, with a 10-2 spurt capped by Anthony Johnson's 3-pointer. The Jazz called their ill-fated timeout, saw Andrei Kirilenko miss a trey try of his own on an ensuing possession, then watched helplessly as Austin Croshere hit one from behind the line to put the Pacers ahead 74-64 with 8:30 remaining.

Plenty of time to reverse fortune, right?

Not for a team that went into the huddle with heads hanging and came out with eyes still staring at the floor.

"When things like that happen to us, it's a different vibe when we come off the court," Jazz point Deron Williams said of adversity like Johnson's dagger. "That's something we can't do . . . We have to get a different mentality."

A way of thinking, that is, like the one Williams had throughout a third quarter in which the Jazz led by as many as five points.

Williams, working during much of the period out of the 2 spot while Milt Palacio played point, scored 10 of his 14 points while hitting 5-of-7 from the field during those 12 minutes.

Late in the third, though, is when things started to go awry for the Jazz.

With Palacio in foul trouble, Keith McLeod came off the bench and committed two quick fouls that led to four Pacer free throws in the quarter's final 30 seconds.