Utah Jazz: Okur maintains hot streak, scores career high
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.
"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.
- Trapped dog reunited with owner 7:13 p.m.
- Spartans hold on to beat Citadel 7:06 p.m.
- Witness: Mitchell stalked victims 6:57 p.m.
- UTA, union continue contract talks 6:44 p.m.
- Alleged controversy in '07 Jazz game 6:39 p.m.
- U. says it needs campus repairs 6:31 p.m.
- Ranking the bowl games 6:30 p.m.
- $2M error could mean layoffs 6:29 p.m.
- Stranded hikers rescued 6:24 p.m.
- Payson family loses home in fire 6:10 p.m.
- Letters: Liberal because LDS
277 - Y. profs: Beck not all-knowing
256 - TCU to play Boise in Fiesta Bowl
202 - Hate not limited to 1 in-state rivalry
191 - Aggies shoot past Cougars
179 - Cougars going back to Vegas
142 - N.Y. Senate rejects gay marriage
140 - Utah/BYU rivalry can be more civil
129 - Letters: Global warming a lie
129 - George lost in rivalry hatefest
119
Cal offensive tackle Mike Tepper had this to say about the Golden Bears'...
He's undeniably one of the toughest, fastest and most explosive running...
Keep it clean or go join the Crimson Line!
I think that the TCU and Boise State teams should agree to not play the game....
No, Maxie will not make it. He'll be QBing for Utah since their QB couldn't...
I would hate it if the Jazz end up having a record that warrants only one...
Fewer bees mean fewer plants get pollinated which means less food. What do...
I ask with sincerity, who of you 59 commenting have read Palin's book? Write...
A woman shouldn't have an abortion, because of the right's of the child -...
BYU Fan & BCS Cowards, I agree, they should withdraw to make a point but...
Everybody whines every time we get the invite to the Vegas Bowl, why? Here is...
Louis has inspired me to be passionately involved with the poor both with my...

