Utah Jazz go missing against Orlando

At halftime the Jazz were up by 10 points — and well on their way to a three-game win streak as they headed to Boston to start a five-game Eastern road trip that opens Monday night against the Celtics.

Until, that is, the Orlando Magic reminded them of unfinished business at EnergySolutions Arena.

And, ultimately, that failure to cross all their t's and dot their i's cost the 15-10 Jazz. They allowed the Magic — playing without injured All-Star center Dwight Howard, out with a sore left knee — a 16-1 run at the start for the third quarter in an eventual 103-94 loss.

It was the fourth loss in 14 games at home this season for the Jazz, matching their entire EnergySolutions loss total in all of 41 games last season.

"They came out and killed us in the third quarter," said Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, who was without two usual starters. All-Star power forward Carlos Boozer is injured, and shooting guard Ronnie Brewer is mourning a death in the family.

"They went right at us," he added, "and we didn't seem to have any life to try to compete against them."

As a result, Orlando (18-6) led by 12 heading into the final quarter.

And the Jazz — despite an 11th-straight double-double from Paul Millsap, who was making his 12th straight start in place of Boozer — twice trailed by as many as 15 in the fourth.

"They got the ball where they wanted it to go, and they got us in situations they wanted to get us in. And we couldn't stop them any way," said Sloan, who, with Morris Almond opening in place of Brewer, was using his eighth different starting lineup of the season. "Zone, man-to-man, whatever we decided to do on the pick-and-roll — we couldn't deal with it, especially in the second half.

"They (the Magic) turned the ball over a few times," added Sloan, who also bemoaned the Jazz's 22 turnovers. "But they played harder than we did, and you've got to give them credit for that. They did a better job coaching and everything else."

Sloan did not call a timeout as Orlando built a 62-57 lead in the first five-plus minutes of the third, a decision he steadfastly defended afterward.

"What was I going to tell 'em?" Sloan asked. "You know — play harder? That's like giving a kid a handful of candy. You've got to learn to deal with it yourself, instead of somebody handing you a handful of candy. You've got to fight through some of that.