Big time: Williams last-second layup gives Jazz win

Published: Thursday, Nov. 8 2007 12:12 a.m. MST

Cleveland's LeBron James drives through the lane and around Utah's Gordon Giricek and Deron Williams to the basket.

Michael Brandy, Deseret Morning News

Eight personal turnovers weighed heavily. So did his 4-for-12 shooting from the field. But the last thing on starting point guard Deron Williams' mind was waiting to see if coach Jerry Sloan wanted a timeout.

Instead, Williams took matters into his own hands and wound up delivering the game-winning layup with 1.3 seconds remaining as the Jazz held on to beat LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers 103-101 late Wednesday night at soldout EnergySolutions Arena.

"I didn't even look at Coach," Williams said after the ESPN-televised game. "Booz (teammate Carlos Boozer) threw it to me, I'm going."

And go he did.

Williams raced past swingman Devin Brown, then went under and around 7-foot-3 Cavs center Zydrunas Ilgauskas to stave off a second-half Jazz collapse.

He never noticed that Sloan — not sure if Boozer would see Williams — was indeed trying to call a timeout to set up one final possession with the game tied.

And last season's Eastern Conference-champion Cavaliers?

They seemed uncertain as to what the now 3-2 Jazz would do, too.

"I think he (Sloan) might have tried. ... Luckily they (game referees) didn't see him," said Williams, who finished with a 15-point, 12-assist double-double and did not sit for a second after halftime. "So, I don't know if he did — because I was gone.

"I think they (the Cavs) thought we were gonna call a timeout," Williams added. "So, I mean they're looking back to see what we're doing — and while they're doing that we're racing up the court. It was like a 1-on-2. I had just two people to beat, and I tried to cut inside and got a step on Ilgauskas and was able to make the shot."

Williams' heroics overshadowed not only a 32-point, 15-rebound, 13-assist triple-double by James, but also a 23-point, 12-rebound double-double (his fifth in as many games this season) by Boozer and a career-high 24 points from backup power forward Paul Millsap.

"I feel I had a horrible game," Williams said. "I was turning the ball over, couldn't hit any shots. But I didn't let it get to me. You know, I just kept trying to play, keep myself going, try to take it to basket ... and I think that gave me the confidence to make that last shot."

James, meanwhile, scored 16 of his points in the fourth quarter and drained a 24-foot 3-pointer with 6.8 seconds to go to tie the game at 101.

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