Hot-shot Okur makes sure Jazz avoid slow start

Jerry Sloan has been less than thrilled with his team's slow starts lately — a gripe he's talked (OK, grumbled) about recently on multiple occasions.

Looks like Mehmet Okur was one of the Jazz players who got the — say it aloud — yep, the message.

And — say it for real this time — the memorandum, too.

For the fourth game in a row, Okur scored double digits in the first quarter. His early 15-point outburst Saturday helped him reach the 20-plus level for the seventh time in the past eight games and helped Utah crush Detroit 99-82 at EnergySolutions Arena.

"I try to step up every night and try to start the ballgame really active offensively and defensively," said Okur, who finished with a game-high 22 points.

"(I) try to crash the board, put the ball on the floor and try to mix up my game," he added. "And it's really working out for me right now."

Tell the team that didn't re-sign him five years ago all about it.

Detroit got most of its bad news via Memo by halftime. After scoring 15 points in the first quarter and 20 by halftime, Okur added another bucket in a scant 5 1/2 second-half minutes.

"He's been on fire, especially (the) first half," said Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko, who watched Okur score 11 points before he first entered 7 1/2 minutes into the game.

"He gives us a chance to lead by like 15 points and the second half we don't even need him," Kirilenko added. "He did amazing. I know how he can play so it's not a surprise to me."

Shouldn't have been for the Pistons, either. Okur has averaged 19.2 points and 9.6 rebounds against his old team in 10 games with the Jazz. Nine of those mild grudge matches were Utah victories, including the last eight in a row.

"We play good against them here and also up there," said Okur, who also had six boards. "Hopefully, we're going to keep doing what we're doing — beat them twice every year."

Okur opened up his full arsenal against the Pistons, scoring on mid-range jumpers, 3-point bombs, a driving hook shot, free throws, and a left-handed scooping shot for good measure.

Okur, who's averaged 12.3 first-quarter points the past four games, was so hot the timer almost popped out of this Turkey center. He sizzled in his first six shots and finished with an 8-for-9 night from the field, which included a 3-for-3 clip from beyond the arc.