Utah Jazz: Take the pesky out of Minnesota

SALT LAKE CITY — With two losses to them already this season and a critical one late last season, the Jazz didn't have to be reminded of their recent history with the Timberwolves.

Yet there were friendly clues, hints and pointers on what should not be forgotten prior to Utah's 122-100 blowout win over Minnesota on Wednesday night at EnergySolutions Arena.

"The talk was they're a better team than what their record shows," power forward Paul Millsap said, "so we have to come out there and play them like any other team."

So the Jazz did just that, falling behind — as has been their penchant against teams good and bad this season — in the early going.

When coach Jerry Sloan called a quicker than usual timeout less than four minutes into the game, in fact, 14-55 Minnesota was up eight at 14-6.

"He don't say too much," Millsap said when asked what Sloan said in the timeout. "He just gives us that look. Got that look on his face. When he gives us that look, we know what to do."

They do, and the Jazz did it Wednesday, knocking off their silly long-distance shooting and eventually pounding it inside to shake the pesky Timberwolves.

"We started off the ballgame trying to take all outside shots," Sloan said. "It looked like we were gonna try to get our (shot attempt) average before we decided to play, and that's always kind of frustrating, to start off like we did. But we got the win. That's the most important thing."

"When we get it in inside, you know, good things happen — like kick it outside to the wide-open shooter, guys pass and cut," Millsap added. "When we do that we're at our best basketball, so it was real important for us to get the ball down low and try to attack them down there."

Millsap led the way with a game-high 21 points, fellow sub Kyle Korver scored a season-high 20 points while shooting 7-for-9 from the field and Carlos Boozer had 19 points and 11 rebounds — his 45th double-double, third-most in the NBA this season — as Utah improved to 44-24.

Banged-up Deron Williams added 11 assists, marking his 21st straight game with at least nine dimes — the longest such in-season streak the league has seen since Mark Jackson did it 29 consecutive times in the 1996-97 season.

Moreover, Utah finished with a season-high-tying 15 steals — three by C.J. Miles, who has at least three in each of his last four games, and a game-high four from backup point Ronnie Price.

"I thought we never we're gonna get one the first half — because they kept shooting layups," Sloan said.