Utah Jazz: Okur maintains hot streak, scores career high

Published: Monday, Jan. 12, 2009 11:33 p.m. MST
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
In English, they say a red-hot player who can't miss shots is "on fire." It's "en fuego" in Spanish.

And in Turkish?

Mehmet Okur, of course.

Okur was so hot — pick your favorite language to describe his degree of fieriness — during his career-high 43-point night he even had to blow the smoke off his sizzling, deadly accurate handgun and/or burning fingers on a couple of occasions.

The fun, theatrical flare he did multiple times during the Jazz's 120-113 shootout win by blowing at his fingertips might have been a relief to the Pacers actually.

Every other time his hand raised up near his head, he seemed to be shooting the bull's-eye in the middle of the net.

"I felt like (doing) something like that because I was feeling great," he said with a smile, explaining his playful spontaneity. "That was something I just came up with, and I had a good time."

Okur especially had a good (shooting) time in the first quarter, when he scorched the nets for 18 points. That's becoming a habit, too. He's now averaged 13.4 points in the opening period over the last five games.

Story continues below
He added another eight points by halftime, with teammates prodding him to shoot for 50. Andrei Kirilenko jokingly said he thought Okur might have an "80-point night."

"I felt good," Okur said. "I felt like one of those nights for me I wasn't going to miss."

If the Pacers didn't notice, at least one of their fans wearing Indiana garb at EnergySolutions Arena did.

"Leave Okur on the bench!" the flabbergasted spectator yelled in the third quarter.

Too late.

Before Okur cooled down and (gasp!) missed two shots in a row at the end of the third quarter, he had amassed 41 points on 12-of-14 shooting with nearly 16 minutes remaining in the ballgame. He also had nine rebounds.

"He's amazing. He's been on fire all night long. It starts actually from last game ... He just keep making shots," Kirilenko said. "We're trying to just find him. When a guy's going on a streak like that, you should use him as much as possible."

And they did.

A lot.

"He just, you might say, let it rip," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. "And he did, he had a wonderful game for us."

Okur sounded — and shot — a whole lot like he did Saturday when he hit 8 of 9 shots and finished with 22 points despite sitting out the entire fourth quarter.

"My teammates did a good job," he said. "They really create open shots for me and I felt good ... and my teammates just kept telling me just shoot it when you're open."

Recent comments

memo is having a great season. He's becoming more and more...

schwitz | Jan. 13, 2009 at 6:19 p.m.

way to go Memo. His play is fantastic the last while and the better...

money | Jan. 13, 2009 at 12:16 p.m.

@ anonymous

Clearly you don't watch enough Sports Center. "en...

magnus | Jan. 13, 2009 at 11:17 a.m.

Related content
previousnext

Latest comments

Hatch, Bennett oppose health bill

While I applaud Mr. Bennett's change of heart, he still trampled all over the...

Cougars turn focus to dreaded rivals

Make that 1 1/2 networks. mtn hasn't grown up yet...though HD is a long...

I think this will end up being another classic close game and that the Utes...

My opinion: The letters AARP is a lie.

I wonder if Boozer watch's tapes of the game. While he is so consistant on...

Wendover airfield's legacy lost?

I, for one, don't think a penny of taxpayer dollars ought to be used to...

Don't trust this movie critic. Save yourself the trouble--this movie was...

What in the world was your point! Is the article about abortion rights or...

Cougar passing shreds Air Force

Thank you once again, I appreciate the fire with which you play the game. You...

Text proves Shroud of Turin real?

The faint writings supposedly read: "Jesus Nazarene. Found (guilty of...

Advertisements