Utah Jazz: Losing streak snapped as Jazz defeat Wolves

SALT LAKE CITY Deron Williams was taken away from them Friday because of a wrist injury, and the Utah Jazz lost Mehmet Okur for the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Dont forget about those six straight games that opponents snatched from them, either.

That being the case, Jerry Sloan's slumping squad, which had been losing so much lately, used disparate measures in their desperate times.

The Jazz stole in broad EnergySolutions Arena light a much-needed victory from the T-Wolves. A season-high 20 steals, including a career-high six from Paul Millsap and five by Andrei Kirilenko, sparked Utah to a 108-100 win over Minnesota.

They didn't uncork any bubbling bottles, but the Jazz's first win in two weeks at least allowed the franchise and fans to exhale a little easier.

So what if the victory came against a 10-win Minnesota team?So what if the victory came against a 10-win Minnesota team?

"It is a relief," forward Andrei Kirilenko said. "It's big time to finally leave it behind and start over."

Did someone say big time?

Kirilenko had one of his classic AK-47 stat-sheet-filling performances, scoring a season-best 27 points with seven assists, six rebounds, five steals and a blocked shot.

That output nicely complemented the game-high 30-point outing from Millsap, who was a gametime decision because of his right thumb injury.

Then there was the gutsy game by Earl Watson, who played an energetic 39 minutes after replacing Williams (hyper-extended right wrist) in the starting lineup.

C.J. Miles also added a big boost from the bench with 22 points and seven rebounds.

Sloan specifically mentioned the sparkling performances of those four players, who helped snap Utah's longest losing skid in three years and prevented the team from its worst slump since the 26-win season of 2004-05.

Sloan especially liked the upbeat tempo by Watson, who had his first Jazz double-double with 13 assists and 10 points.

"When you've lost six straight, the most important thing is we won the game," Sloan said. "I thought our guys really played hard. We need everyone to play well for us to be able to get a win with D-Will out and some guys getting banged up."