Jazz's Boozer comes up big in 2nd half against Spain
Boozer, acquired by the Jazz this summer after playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers, came into the contest averaging just over 13 minutes a game. But with frontcourt starters Tim Duncan and Lamar Odom running into early foul trouble, Boozer played 22 minutes, including most of the second half. He made a key play with 4:30 remaining in the fourth quarter with a putback basket that moved the U.S. to an 82-76 lead. A little later, at 2:40, on an assist from Allen Iverson, he made a short-range jump shot to give the U.S. an 11-point lead, 89-78. Boozer and Iverson, the All-Star Philadelphia guard, teamed well throughout the second half, with Iverson assisting on three of Boozer's baskets.
Asked if he'd like to bring Iverson to Utah with him, Boozer said, "I'd love to bring him to Utah. I'd love to have Allen Iverson on any team I play for. He's playing with a huge heart. He fractured his hand and he's (still) playing all out. Hopefully, I can tell our guards in Utah a few secrets about him, but he's a great player."
"We've been together now for about a month and the more time we're around each other, the more chances we have to bond. That always helps. More importantly, we've begun to bond on the court."
"We're trying to seize the moment," he said. "It's just a great experience to be here. A lot of us are in our first, second or third years (in the NBA). We have a good mixture of youth and leadership. We just have to keep concentrating and keep playing and not worry about the other teams, just worry about ourselves."
E-mail: lbenson@desnews.com
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