From Deseret News archives:
Utah Jazz top Portland, remain among unbeaten
The Jazz's 103-96 victory over Portland on Wednesday night at EnergySolutions Arena went so well, in fact, that even the professor who has taught forever acknowledged he kind of liked the results.
"We made some mistakes," coach Jerry Sloan said, "but I was really pleased with their effort.
"Everybody seemed to be involved in it," added Sloan, who closed with offseason acquisition Brevin Knight at the point and Ronnie Brewer subbing for sharpshooter Kyle Korver on defensive possessions. "Whoever was out there on the floor, everybody was focused on trying to win. That's what gives you a chance."
As a result, the Jazz now can not only win their fifth straight game at the start of a season for the first time since 2000, but also deliver Sloan win No. 1,000 with the franchise on their own home floor.
Utah plays host to Oklahoma City on Friday, and if things go as well then as they did Wednesday they'll be able to polish some milestone-making before taking off on a five-game Eastern road swing.
Not that Sloan cares about such trivial issues.
"I've never played this game for anything like that," he said.
"I'm fortunate to still be here, and the other stuff doesn't matter," added Sloan, who'll celebrate his 20th anniversary as Jazz head oach on Dec. 9 in Minnesota. "What really matters is what happens with the team, and I'm basically responsible for some of that - when we lose."
When they win like they did Wednesday, though, he was content to credit a now 4-0 club for fighting from 11 points down early in the third quarter, for hitting all but one of its free throws and for showing some early season late-game poise.
"We just hung in there," Sloan said.
The Jazz, playing for a fourth straight time without injured point Deron Williams, were still down by double digits at 75-65 with less than three minutes to go in the third.
But after Knight replaced replacement starter Ronnie Price with 2:45 remaining in the quarter, they slowly shaved at the Portland lead.
Knight used his first pass of the half to feed Brewer for a 3-pointer that ignited a 9-0 run, and after Andrei Kirilenko made 1-of-2 free throws with 7:02 left in the fourth they were ahead to stay at 83-82.
With Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur and Paul Millsap also all on the floor late, it looked like a group of closers quite comfy with each other.
"They've been together for a couple years," said Knight, who came in a summer trade with the Los Angeles Clippers.
