From Deseret News archives:

Big time: Williams last-second layup gives Jazz win

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

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"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.

"Every time we hit a big shot they hit a big shot," said Williams, who the Jazz led for all but a brief few moments in the third quarter. "We knew it was in them. We knew LeBron is player capable of doing that — taking over a ball game, which he did."

Recent comments

Sweet Shot. I see Utah rolling back to the Western Conference Finals.

Casey | Nov. 9, 2007 at 1:36 p.m.

I guess we owe Kevin O'Connor a bit of time to see if Hart pans out....

Moto X | Nov. 9, 2007 at 9:53 a.m.

Oh I was cracking up. That's a good one.

Re: Keith McClank | Nov. 9, 2007 at 12:17 a.m.

Image
Bob Plumb, Deseret Morning News

Deron Williams of the Jazz goes around the Cavaliers' Zydrunas Ilgauskas in Utah's 103-101 win.

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