Utah Jazz have D-Will to beat Thunder in OT

SALT LAKE CITY — Even with just four games to go now in their 2009-10 NBA season, there is no telling what opponent the Jazz might draw for the first round of the playoffs.

But if it somehow happens to be Oklahoma City and what happened Tuesday night at sold-out EnergySolutions Arena is any indication, it could be one doozey of a series.

Utah beat the Thunder 140-139 in overtime with a point total that marked its highest since a December 1990 game against Denver, doing so behind Deron Williams' career-high 42 and game-winning jumper, Carlos Boozer's 28-point and 15-rebound double-double and one of the greatest escape acts since Houdini was worming his way out of Chinese water torture cells.

It was the 10th straight home win for the 51-27 Jazz, who moved alone into second place in the NBA's Western Conference, half a game ahead of Dallas, Denver and Phoenix.

Had Utah lost, the team would have fallen into fifth place, half a game behind those three — and Oklahoma City would have found itself only a half game behind the Jazz.

"We knew the significance of this game, just as they did," Williams said, "and it was a fun game to be a part of."

Especially when things fall like they did for the Jazz on Tuesday.

Williams dropped in the winner with 1.1 seconds left in OT, taking a handoff from Boozer and rising to knock down his 20-footer over the outstretched hands of both Jeff Green and James Harden.

"He had the ball, he wanted the ball. There's not any problem with that," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said of Williams, who topped his previous 2007 career-best by one. "He felt good enough, and he liked the play we were going to run, so we ran the play to give him the basketball. He got it and had a good look at the basket."

On the other end, Thunder All-Star Kevin Durant — who finished with a game-high 45 points, a Jazz-opponent high for the season — tried to answer with a 3-point attempt from 29 feet out.

But C.J. Miles was credited with a block on Durant, whose immediate reaction indicated that for the life of him, he couldn't figure out how in the world the Jazz swingman managed to get away without being called for a foul.

So Foul? "Nah," a sheepish-looking Miles said. "They don't call 'em, it's not a foul.