Short-handed win: Utah tops Phoenix as Okur leads the way with 22 points

It was a battle of attrition.

And that was before Thursday's late-starting, TNT-televised game between the Jazz and the Phoenix Suns began.

Rather than the usual 12-on-12 NBA affair, in fact, Utah's 108-86 win over Phoenix at sold-out EnergySolutions Arena started just 10-on-9.

It was the Jazz who had the 10 on their bench, as they were without starting small forward Andrei Kirilenko, backup small forward Matt Harpring and reserve combo guard Ronnie Price.

Notable absentees for the Suns included three-fifths of their would-be starting lineup: point guard Steve Nash, small forward Grant Hill and power forward Shawn Marion, who combined represent 49 points from the league's top-scoring, 110.7 points-per-game offense.

Translation: Phoenix down three current or former All-Stars, Utah minus one former All-Star, one gritty veteran and one seldom-used sub.

Advantage, Jazz.

Right off the bat.

And when all was done, too, as center Mehmet Okur finished with a team-high 22 points and season-high 17 rebounds (one board off his career high), shooting guard Ronnie Brewer added a career high-tying 21 points on 9-of-14 field shooting and point guard Deron Williams pitched in a 17-point, 11-assist double-double.

"We're a lot better team when Memo plays like that," Williams said. "I think that's his one of his best games of the year, if not his best game, because he did it from everywhere, he rebounded inside-outside, he played great defense.

"We were able to get a good win for us," Williams added, "and hopefully it will bring us some confidence." It was the fourth straight home win and fourth in their last five outings overall for the 20-17 Jazz, who now are midway through a four-game homestand — two 22-point blowouts so far — that continues Saturday against Orlando.

And it was just the seventh loss in 20 road games for the Western Conference-leading Suns, who fell to 25-11.

Not that either of these clubs resembled their usual selves.

Though he had thought he might be able to go, Kirilenko missed his third straight game with lower-back inflammation.

Harpring was out because wife, Mandy, gave birth at 9:45 Thursday night to the couple's second child — a six-pound, nine-ounce girl, and an arrival that initially had not been expected until next Wednesday.

Price missed his second straight game with a sprained left ankle sustained in practice last Monday.