Jazz rip Nuggets — Injury-riddled Utah handles division pursuer

DENVER — On a night they wanted all the starpower they could get, the Jazz got one All-Star back — but lost two others.

The costly trip was not for naught, though, as Utah used a 36-point third quarter Friday to extend a nine-point halftime advantage to 19 in a 114-104 victory over Denver.

The Nuggets did get back to within single digits late in the final period, but after they did a couple late Matt Harpring jumpers helped the Jazz breath a bit easier.

The successful showing at the sold-out Pepsi Center — primed by a 26-point, 14-assist double-double from Utah point guard Deron Williams — pushed the 36-18 Jazz's Northwest Division-lead over the 26-27 Nuggets to 9 1/2 games.

"I'm not surprised at anything Deron does," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. "He's been the one guy that's kept us going every time, regardless of (who's) out."

Utah clinched a win in its four-game series with Denver while playing without 2007 All-Star center Mehmet Okur, whose consecutive games-played streak — the NBA's fourth-longest behind only San Antonio's Bruce Bowen (409), ex-University of Utah star Andre Miller of Philadelphia (339) and Detroit's Tayshaun Prince (302) — came to a close at 233 because of back spasms.

"I don't care about streak. I never cared about it," said Okur, who was in evident pain after the game. "I just couldn't move. I couldn't even walk."

The Jazz's health woes compounded early in the second quarter of the late-starting ESPN-televised game, when forward Andrei Kirilenko bumped knees with Nuggets All-Star Carmelo Anthony while trying to cut.

Kirilenko briefly returned following a 20-second timeout, but he lasted less than three more minutes before exiting for good with a bruised left knee.

It's not known if either Kirilenko, who was replaced in the opening lineup for the second half by second-season swingman C.J. Miles, or Okur will be available when the Jazz play Boston tonight.

Okur took part in the Jazz's morning shootaround, but afterward the back — which has given him problems previously, but never caused him to miss a game since signing with Utah in 2004 — started acting up.

At that same shootaround, both Williams and '07 All-Star power forward Carlos Boozer declared they'd be good to go Friday night.