Utah Jazz: Triumphant return

Coming in, Jerry Sloan figured that — 16 games into the 2008-09 NBA season — his Jazz would have been a lot better off than 10-6.

Then again, he also wasn't counting on playing so many games without — his words — "a full deck."

And even after point guard Deron Williams re-joined the hand Wednesday night, dishing a game-high 15 assists in a 117-100 win over the Memphis Grizzlies at sold-out EnergySolutions Arena, the Jazz remain a few cards short.

One — still-injured All-Star power forward Carlos Boozer — is relative royalty.

Others are lesser cards, like also-hurting reserve point guard Brevin Knight, backup shooting guard Kyle Korver and bench big Jarron Collins.

But Williams — who afterward said "I felt pretty good out there" — is Sloan's ace in the hole.

The Jazz coach acknowledged as much after his max-money point guard logged 28 difference-making minutes in just his third game this season — and his first in two weeks, when an attempted return from a sprained left ankle sustained in the preseason was deemed decidedly premature.

"Ronnie Price is not a true point guard," Sloan of the undrafted combo guard from Utah Valley State who started all 13 games Williams missed. "He's a tremendous competitor; he works very hard.

"But that's the difference (when) we talk about a 'point' guard," Sloan added. "He (Williams) has the ability to hit people in the open court, half-court, wherever you want to put 'em. And that's why he's such a great player."

Williams singlehandedly boosted the otherwise lacking spirit of a team that not only lost at the buzzer to Chicago on Monday, but also had dropped four of its seven outings since his first comeback bid ended after a split back-to-back road set in mid-November.

He had six assists in the first half, when the Jazz built a commanding 59-46 lead, and another half-dozen in the third period alone, a quarter the Jazz took 36-25 to assure they would beat the struggling 4-11 Grizzlies for the second time in five nights.

"He's a great player, an Olympic gold medalist, a hard worker, and he's the general of the team," Grizzlies rookie O.J. Mayo said of Williams, who struck gold with Team USA this past summer in China.

"He's been out most of the season, but with the general back he can generate energy in most of his teammates — and he did a great job with that."

Williams opened the third quarter feeding Ronnie Brewer for a layup.

He later found C.J. Miles for a 3-pointer, then delivered two passes to Mehmet Okur for back-to-back baskets midway through the period.

And before being subbed for by Price, he hit Brewer again on a fastbreak, then delivered an alley-oop to Miles.