Jersey just what Jazz needed

Sure, New Jersey star Vince Carter remained sidelined with a sprained ankle. Sure, the Nets came to Utah having lost five straight. Sure, Jersey point Jason Kidd hardly looked like his usual standout self, scoring only two points and shooting just 1-of-9 from the field.

But the Jazz sure needed a win, no matter who showed up and who did not.

After all, backup power forward Paul Millsap said after a 10-rebound night, "After dropping two straight ... heads started to drop."

So there were hardly any apologies Monday night, when coach Jerry Sloan's club — coming off consecutive losses Friday in Cleveland and Saturday in Indiana at the tail end of a three-game trip — rolled to a 102-75 victory over the hapless Nets at EnergySolutions Arena.

"It definitely feels good to get home and get the crowd behind us, and get back headed in the right direction," said Jazz point guard Deron Williams, who was man enough to take responsibility for the losses against the Cavaliers and Pacers — and bounced back Monday to finish with six assists and a team-high 20 points on 8-of-11 field shooting.

"I thought we came out and, from the start, we were able to do what we wanted to," Williams added after the now 8-4 Jazz held the 4-7 Nets to a season opponent-low number of points. "We were able to get out in transition and run, establish that. We were able to get stops when we needed it. And our energy level was a lot better."

The Jazz led by as many as 14 points in the first quarter, and took a 10-point advantage — 51-41 — into halftime.

Utah increased that lead to as many as 27 in the third quarter, and was up by 19 or more while coasting so smoothly through the final period that Sloan was able to empty his bench with four minutes and 42 seconds remaining.

"They were shorthanded. You've got a great player like Carter sitting out. This team (the Nets) had to travel from Miami down to here to play us, and that's something that probably helped us a little bit," the Jazz coach said. "But, on the other hand, one of the most important things to me was the fact that I thought our guys tried to get themselves ready to go (Monday) morning at shootaround and I thought they came out and tried to get ready to go again in the game.

"I just hope that they realize that that's what we have to have every night that we step out there, because I saw a different energy than what I saw the last two games," Sloan added. "And I think I have a right to expect that every night."

The Jazz converted their rediscovered vigor into 52.2 percent shooting from the field, including 12-of-17 — a whopping 70.6 percent — during an opening quarter that it won 30-17.