vs
(From the Associated Press) - Dwight Howard sat on a chair in front of his locker and plopped his son, Braylon, onto his lap. The 2-year-old was wearing a blue shirt with the Superman emblem stamped on the chest. Statement? Hardly. The big man did that on the court. Howard had 22 points and 16 rebounds in a bruising battle with Shaquille O’Neal, and the Orlando Magic beat Cleveland 101-95 on Sunday for the Cavaliers’ first three-game losing streak in two years...Howard was 8-for-13 shooting and added four blocks, and Vince Carter had eight of his 11 points in the fourth quarter to help the Magic beat Cleveland for the first time this season. O’Neal made his first eight shots and finished with 20 points, and LeBron James had 33 points and nine rebounds for the Cavaliers, who were eliminated by Orlando in last year’s Eastern Conference finals...Although the Cavaliers’ losing skid - all since acquiring Antawn Jamison from Washington - comes on the heels of a 13-game winning streak, they still lead Orlando by five games. And with the Magic starting to play their best basketball, a conference finals rematch might be in store...Jamison, acquired from Washington earlier this week, had 19 points - after starting his Cleveland career 0 for 12 - but still doesn’t know what it feels like to win with his new team. “I think Antawn is really going to benefit us, we are just going through a little transition period right now trying to figure out lineups and figuring out certain sets,” James said.
vs
(From the Associated Press) - The Denver Nuggets are building an impressive record against the NBA’s elite teams. J.R. Smith scored 16 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and the Nuggets recovered from blowing an early 20-point lead to beat the Boston Celtics 114-105 Sunday. Chauncey Billups had 26 points and Carmelo Anthony had 23 for the Nuggets, who improved to 4-0 against the top three teams in the Eastern Conference. They’ve beaten Cleveland twice and Orlando and Boston once each this season. “We’re still inconsistent at times,” said Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin, who had 12 points and 10 rebounds. “If we can lock in and just do the stuff we can do and learn from the mistakes we make, that can go a long way.”...Ray Allen had 25 points and Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo and Marquis Daniels added 15 points each for the Celtics, who lost for the first time in their last four road games. They remain an NBA-best 20-10 away from home. “When you get down by 20 against one of the top tier teams, it’s always tough to come back in their building,” said Paul Pierce, who had just 5 points on 2-for-10 shooting that was affected by a sore thumb...After Boston fell behind big early, Daniels made a lay up following a three-point play by Allen that made the score 66-66 with just under 5 minutes to play in the third. From there, the Nuggets scored 16 of the next 24 points, culminating with Martin’s rim-shaking dunk to take an 82-73 lead into the fourth quarter. “A team like the Celtics, we know they’re going to make shots, make runs throughout the game and that’s what they did,” Anthony said. “We gathered together as a team and said let’s not get rattled.”
vs
(From the Associated Press) - The way the New Jersey Nets have played this season no lead is safe. Not even an 18-point lead was enough to stave off the Memphis Grizzlies. Rudy Gay scored 29 points and the Grizzlies added another exclamation point to a frustrating season for New Jersey, rallying from the huge first-half deficit to defeat the Nets 104-94 on Sunday night. O.J. Mayo scored 10 of his 24 points in a 17-point run that bridged the third and fourth quarters and put the Grizzlies ahead for good, adding to the woes of the Nets (5-51)...The Nets were good for about 13 minutes and that was enough to build a 38-20 lead behind a 17-point first quarter by center Brook Lopez. The rest of the night belonged to the Grizzlies, who won for only the third time in 11 games...“It’s not like they don’t know how to win,” Gay said of the Nets. “It’s just right now they don’t have it. You can’t take any team lightly. I’ve been on teams where opponents took us lightly and we went out there and kicked their butt.” Zach Randolph added 18 points and 10 rebounds and Gasol tallied 14 of his 16 points in the second half for Memphis. Lopez had 26 points to lead the Nets, but only four came in the second half. Devin Harris added 16 points and 13 assists, but the point guard was only 1 of 6 in the final two quarters...Yi Jianlian had 15 points for New Jersey, which could not capitalize on its biggest quarter of the season, a 36-point outburst in the first 12 minutes.
vs
(From the Associated Press) - The Detroit Pistons found themselves in a unique situation Sunday—trailing before the start of overtime. Thanks to a technical foul called on Richard Hamilton after regulation ended, Detroit trailed San Antonio 94-93 when the ball was tossed up to start the extra period. It didn’t matter, though, as Detroit dominated the extra session and in a 109-101 victory...The Pistons appeared to have the game won when they led by 11 points with five minutes left, but San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich instructed his team to intentionally foul Ben Wallace on five straight possessions. Wallace missed six of the 10 free throws before being taken out of the game — flinging his headband in disgust—and the Spurs were able to narrow the gap...Wallace’s misses let Manu Ginobili take over, and he scored 11 points in the final 2:20 of the fourth quarter, including a layup with 27.5 seconds left that forced overtime...Detroit went on an 8-2 run once the extra period started, and cruised to the win. Hamilton finished with 27 points and Rodney Stuckey scored 20. “We almost gave the game away making stupid mistakes, but we stayed aggressive,” Stuckey said. “This is a big win for us. We’re fighting for our lives right now, and we need to keep coming back with wins.” Tim Duncan had 29 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs, while Ginobili scored 21. “We battled our guts out, but we shot poorly and the Pistons made big shots,” Popovich said. “You play games and sometimes things like that happen.”
vs
(From the Associated Press) - Even though Kevin Durant is only in his third NBA season, the Oklahoma City Thunder forward has already accomplished something that no other active player in the league has. With a 32-point performance in the Thunder’s 109-107 victory at Minnesota on Sunday night, Durant extended his streak of games with at least 25 points to 28 games. Jonny Flynn and Kevin Love each had 19 points for the Timberwolves, who have dropped five in a row. With a 12-point fourth quarter, Durant was able to eclipse Allen Iverson’s 27-game streak with at least 25 points from Jan. 12-March 9, 2001. No active player in the NBA has had more consecutive games with at least 25 points in their career than Durant’s current streak. LeBron James, the NBA’s leading scorer, did it 21 games in a row in 2008. Durant’s current streak is the longest since Michael Jordan had 40 straight games of 25 or more points in the 1986-87 season...Durant had to work hard to reach the 25-point mark against Minnesota. After being limited to six points in the second and only two in the third quarter, Durant appeared in danger of not getting it before scoring 10 points in the final 2:20. And the Thunder needed every one of them to remain the only team that has not lost a game in February. They led by 17 points in the first half, but had to hold off Minnesota in the fourth quarter to secure their fifth consecutive road victory. Westbrook, who has flirted with triple-doubles on several occasions this season, finally secured one against the Timberwolves, finishing with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists...Minnesota’s Corey Brewer, who finished with 18 points, gave the Timberwolves a 88-86 lead with 8:15 to play. From there, however, Durant, Westbrook and Jeff Green scored 19 of Oklahoma City’s final 23 points. Green finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Damien Wilkins added 18 points for Minnesota.
vs
(From the Associated Press) - David West answered the Houston Rockets’ late charge with power and poise. West highlighted a 27-point outing by muscling inside for a crucial offensive rebound and launching himself back up through three defenders for a slam dunk with 1:51 left. He followed that with two clutch free throws to help New Orleans pull away for a 102-94 victory on Sunday night. Hornets coach Jeff Bower called West’s rebound of Emeka Okafor’s miss and follow-up dunk “a key play that put the game away.”...Hornets rookie point guard Darren Collison added 26 points, the fifth straight game he’s had 24 or more. His driving floater with 34.6 seconds left put New Orleans up 96-89. He added four free throws and converted a steal into a fast-break layup in the final half-minute to close out a performance in which he also had nine assists...Morris Peterson scored 15 points for the Hornets, who led by as many as 17 but found themselves clinging to a two-point lead with 2:16 left before West turned the tide. Rookie forward Chase Budinger scored 18 points and Aaron Brooks added 15 for the Rockets, who have dropped two straight since they were involved in a three-team, nine-player deal at the trade deadline last week...“We just have to come together as a team and understand what the strengths are of each guy and get it turned around,” coach Rick Adelman said. “Offensively we were very impatient.” Kevin Martin, one of the Rockets’ new players, had 13 points, while Louis Scola added 12 points and 11 rebounds...Peja Stojakovic scored 14 points despite an off shooting night (5 of 16), and rookie Marcus Thornton added 12 points for the Hornets, who have won two straight.
vs
(From the Associated Press) - Are the Phoenix Suns, the NBA’s highest-scoring team, suddenly becoming a tough defensive team? If the last two games are any indication, they are headed in the right direction. Jason Richardson scored 26 points, Amare Stoudemire had 19 points and 14 rebounds, and Steve Nash had 17 assists, leading the Suns to a 104-88 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night...It was the second consecutive game the Suns held an opponent under 90 points, a rarity for a team known for its offense but notorious for its poor defense...Stoudemire admits that he now is finally starting to grasp the finer points of defense. “In college is where you learn the fundamentals of defense but I didn’t go to college,” he said. “When I played with Team USA, defense was important. Now, I’m starting to enjoy it.” Coach Alvin Gentry was especially pleased with the Suns defense. “I thought we did a great job,” Gentry said. “I thought Steve did a good job on Tyreke Evans. We probably did the best job we’ve ever done as far as dribble penetration. I thought our defense was the difference.” Newly acquired Carl Landry led Sacramento with 18 points. Beno Udrih had 17 and Donte Greene and rookie Tyreke Evans each scored 16 for the Kings...Grant Hill added 16 points and Nash scored 11 for the Suns, who are 13-0 when holding an opponent under 100 points. The Suns (34-23) are 11 games over .500 for the first time since opening the season 14-3...Evans admired the work of Stoudemire on the boards. “He’s a beast,” Evans said. “He was coming in there, jumping over everybody, snatching the rebounds and putting them back up. That’s what hurt us. We’ve got to do a better job of holding them to one shot, like they did to us.”
vs
(From the Associated Press) - The Atlanta Hawks lost their big lead, then their composure and finally a game that could haunt them in their quest to win the NBA’s Southeast Division. Stephen Curry scored 32 points and made the go-ahead free throw in the final minute after a technical foul on Jamal Crawford to help the Golden State Warriors rally from an 18-point deficit and beat the Atlanta Hawks 108-104 on Sunday night. “We just fell apart,” point guard Mike Bibby said. “We’re up 20 points. A team of our caliber shouldn’t lose that game. It happened but we can’t let it happen too much.”...After losing their big lead, the Hawks lost their cool in the final minute. Leading by two points, Joe Johnson turned the ball over and Monta Ellis went in for a breakaway layup that tied the game at 104 with 1 minute left. After Al Horford missed a jumper, C.J. Watson lost the rebound out of bounds for Golden State. But Crawford was called for a technical, giving Golden State the lead on Curry’s free throw. “The tech didn’t help us with Jamal,” coach Mike Woodson said. “I thought he got fouled. He got hit and bumped almost out of bounds, and he didn’t get the call. Sometimes that happens. He kind of lost his composure.”...Johnson led Atlanta with 31 points, Horford added 26 and Smith had 14 points and 17 rebounds. The Hawks have lost three of four. Ellis finished with 26 points for Golden State, but was on the bench for the bulk of the Warriors comeback early in the fourth quarter...The loss was especially tough on Crawford, who had his differences with Nelson last season before being dealt to Atlanta. Crawford scored 17 points, topping the 10,000-point mark in his career, but didn’t come through down the stretch.
vs
(From the Associated Press) - Carlos Boozer wasn’t trying to disparage the rest of the NBA. Utah’s star was simply impressed by the resiliency of his own team. “We fought back. A lot of teams in this league probably wouldn’t have done that being down 25,” Boozer said. Down 25 midway through the third quarter, the Jazz crawled back to force overtime on Boozer’s putback at the buzzer, then pulled away to stun Portland 93-89 on Sunday night...It was all part of Boozer’s stellar night. He finished with 22 points and a career-best 23 rebounds—eight on the offensive end—as Utah won its seventh straight on the road. “To be down the way we were and be able to fight back and hang in there that speaks a lot about our maturity and our ability to fight,” Utah guard Deron Williams said...None of Boozer’s efforts were bigger than at the end of regulation. Utah had turned a laugher into a one possession game with 5 seconds left thanks to a combo of strong defense and horrid Portland shooting. The Blazers made just 4 of 27 attempts in the fourth quarter and overtime...“I always think you have a chance to win. That’s what is fun about this game,” Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. “You put a lot into it and you get a lot out of it.” Williams finished with 18 points and 12 assists as Utah swept the four-game season series with Portland. But this victory could be the most impressive considering what the Jazz were missing. Mehmet Okur missed his second straight game after the birth of his child and Andrei Kirilenko left in the first half with back spasms...Miller added 17 points and Batum had 14 points for Portland, all coming in the first half.
vs
(From the Associated Press) - Dwight Howard sat on a chair in front of his locker and plopped his son, Braylon, onto his lap. The 2-year-old was wearing a blue shirt with the Superman emblem stamped on the chest. Statement? Hardly. The big man did that on the court. Howard had 22 points and 16 rebounds in a bruising battle with Shaquille O’Neal, and the Orlando Magic beat Cleveland 101-95 on Sunday for the Cavaliers’ first three-game losing streak in two years...Howard was 8-for-13 shooting and added four blocks, and Vince Carter had eight of his 11 points in the fourth quarter to help the Magic beat Cleveland for the first time this season. O’Neal made his first eight shots and finished with 20 points, and LeBron James had 33 points and nine rebounds for the Cavaliers, who were eliminated by Orlando in last year’s Eastern Conference finals...Although the Cavaliers’ losing skid - all since acquiring Antawn Jamison from Washington - comes on the heels of a 13-game winning streak, they still lead Orlando by five games. And with the Magic starting to play their best basketball, a conference finals rematch might be in store...Jamison, acquired from Washington earlier this week, had 19 points - after starting his Cleveland career 0 for 12 - but still doesn’t know what it feels like to win with his new team. “I think Antawn is really going to benefit us, we are just going through a little transition period right now trying to figure out lineups and figuring out certain sets,” James said.
vs
(From the Associated Press) - The Denver Nuggets are building an impressive record against the NBA’s elite teams. J.R. Smith scored 16 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and the Nuggets recovered from blowing an early 20-point lead to beat the Boston Celtics 114-105 Sunday. Chauncey Billups had 26 points and Carmelo Anthony had 23 for the Nuggets, who improved to 4-0 against the top three teams in the Eastern Conference. They’ve beaten Cleveland twice and Orlando and Boston once each this season. “We’re still inconsistent at times,” said Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin, who had 12 points and 10 rebounds. “If we can lock in and just do the stuff we can do and learn from the mistakes we make, that can go a long way.”...Ray Allen had 25 points and Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo and Marquis Daniels added 15 points each for the Celtics, who lost for the first time in their last four road games. They remain an NBA-best 20-10 away from home. “When you get down by 20 against one of the top tier teams, it’s always tough to come back in their building,” said Paul Pierce, who had just 5 points on 2-for-10 shooting that was affected by a sore thumb...After Boston fell behind big early, Daniels made a lay up following a three-point play by Allen that made the score 66-66 with just under 5 minutes to play in the third. From there, the Nuggets scored 16 of the next 24 points, culminating with Martin’s rim-shaking dunk to take an 82-73 lead into the fourth quarter. “A team like the Celtics, we know they’re going to make shots, make runs throughout the game and that’s what they did,” Anthony said. “We gathered together as a team and said let’s not get rattled.”
vs
(From the Associated Press) - The way the New Jersey Nets have played this season no lead is safe. Not even an 18-point lead was enough to stave off the Memphis Grizzlies. Rudy Gay scored 29 points and the Grizzlies added another exclamation point to a frustrating season for New Jersey, rallying from the huge first-half deficit to defeat the Nets 104-94 on Sunday night. O.J. Mayo scored 10 of his 24 points in a 17-point run that bridged the third and fourth quarters and put the Grizzlies ahead for good, adding to the woes of the Nets (5-51)...The Nets were good for about 13 minutes and that was enough to build a 38-20 lead behind a 17-point first quarter by center Brook Lopez. The rest of the night belonged to the Grizzlies, who won for only the third time in 11 games...“It’s not like they don’t know how to win,” Gay said of the Nets. “It’s just right now they don’t have it. You can’t take any team lightly. I’ve been on teams where opponents took us lightly and we went out there and kicked their butt.” Zach Randolph added 18 points and 10 rebounds and Gasol tallied 14 of his 16 points in the second half for Memphis. Lopez had 26 points to lead the Nets, but only four came in the second half. Devin Harris added 16 points and 13 assists, but the point guard was only 1 of 6 in the final two quarters...Yi Jianlian had 15 points for New Jersey, which could not capitalize on its biggest quarter of the season, a 36-point outburst in the first 12 minutes.
vs
(From the Associated Press) - The Detroit Pistons found themselves in a unique situation Sunday—trailing before the start of overtime. Thanks to a technical foul called on Richard Hamilton after regulation ended, Detroit trailed San Antonio 94-93 when the ball was tossed up to start the extra period. It didn’t matter, though, as Detroit dominated the extra session and in a 109-101 victory...The Pistons appeared to have the game won when they led by 11 points with five minutes left, but San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich instructed his team to intentionally foul Ben Wallace on five straight possessions. Wallace missed six of the 10 free throws before being taken out of the game — flinging his headband in disgust—and the Spurs were able to narrow the gap...Wallace’s misses let Manu Ginobili take over, and he scored 11 points in the final 2:20 of the fourth quarter, including a layup with 27.5 seconds left that forced overtime...Detroit went on an 8-2 run once the extra period started, and cruised to the win. Hamilton finished with 27 points and Rodney Stuckey scored 20. “We almost gave the game away making stupid mistakes, but we stayed aggressive,” Stuckey said. “This is a big win for us. We’re fighting for our lives right now, and we need to keep coming back with wins.” Tim Duncan had 29 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs, while Ginobili scored 21. “We battled our guts out, but we shot poorly and the Pistons made big shots,” Popovich said. “You play games and sometimes things like that happen.”
vs
(From the Associated Press) - Even though Kevin Durant is only in his third NBA season, the Oklahoma City Thunder forward has already accomplished something that no other active player in the league has. With a 32-point performance in the Thunder’s 109-107 victory at Minnesota on Sunday night, Durant extended his streak of games with at least 25 points to 28 games. Jonny Flynn and Kevin Love each had 19 points for the Timberwolves, who have dropped five in a row. With a 12-point fourth quarter, Durant was able to eclipse Allen Iverson’s 27-game streak with at least 25 points from Jan. 12-March 9, 2001. No active player in the NBA has had more consecutive games with at least 25 points in their career than Durant’s current streak. LeBron James, the NBA’s leading scorer, did it 21 games in a row in 2008. Durant’s current streak is the longest since Michael Jordan had 40 straight games of 25 or more points in the 1986-87 season...Durant had to work hard to reach the 25-point mark against Minnesota. After being limited to six points in the second and only two in the third quarter, Durant appeared in danger of not getting it before scoring 10 points in the final 2:20. And the Thunder needed every one of them to remain the only team that has not lost a game in February. They led by 17 points in the first half, but had to hold off Minnesota in the fourth quarter to secure their fifth consecutive road victory. Westbrook, who has flirted with triple-doubles on several occasions this season, finally secured one against the Timberwolves, finishing with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists...Minnesota’s Corey Brewer, who finished with 18 points, gave the Timberwolves a 88-86 lead with 8:15 to play. From there, however, Durant, Westbrook and Jeff Green scored 19 of Oklahoma City’s final 23 points. Green finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Damien Wilkins added 18 points for Minnesota.
vs
(From the Associated Press) - David West answered the Houston Rockets’ late charge with power and poise. West highlighted a 27-point outing by muscling inside for a crucial offensive rebound and launching himself back up through three defenders for a slam dunk with 1:51 left. He followed that with two clutch free throws to help New Orleans pull away for a 102-94 victory on Sunday night. Hornets coach Jeff Bower called West’s rebound of Emeka Okafor’s miss and follow-up dunk “a key play that put the game away.”...Hornets rookie point guard Darren Collison added 26 points, the fifth straight game he’s had 24 or more. His driving floater with 34.6 seconds left put New Orleans up 96-89. He added four free throws and converted a steal into a fast-break layup in the final half-minute to close out a performance in which he also had nine assists...Morris Peterson scored 15 points for the Hornets, who led by as many as 17 but found themselves clinging to a two-point lead with 2:16 left before West turned the tide. Rookie forward Chase Budinger scored 18 points and Aaron Brooks added 15 for the Rockets, who have dropped two straight since they were involved in a three-team, nine-player deal at the trade deadline last week...“We just have to come together as a team and understand what the strengths are of each guy and get it turned around,” coach Rick Adelman said. “Offensively we were very impatient.” Kevin Martin, one of the Rockets’ new players, had 13 points, while Louis Scola added 12 points and 11 rebounds...Peja Stojakovic scored 14 points despite an off shooting night (5 of 16), and rookie Marcus Thornton added 12 points for the Hornets, who have won two straight.
vs
(From the Associated Press) - Are the Phoenix Suns, the NBA’s highest-scoring team, suddenly becoming a tough defensive team? If the last two games are any indication, they are headed in the right direction. Jason Richardson scored 26 points, Amare Stoudemire had 19 points and 14 rebounds, and Steve Nash had 17 assists, leading the Suns to a 104-88 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night...It was the second consecutive game the Suns held an opponent under 90 points, a rarity for a team known for its offense but notorious for its poor defense...Stoudemire admits that he now is finally starting to grasp the finer points of defense. “In college is where you learn the fundamentals of defense but I didn’t go to college,” he said. “When I played with Team USA, defense was important. Now, I’m starting to enjoy it.” Coach Alvin Gentry was especially pleased with the Suns defense. “I thought we did a great job,” Gentry said. “I thought Steve did a good job on Tyreke Evans. We probably did the best job we’ve ever done as far as dribble penetration. I thought our defense was the difference.” Newly acquired Carl Landry led Sacramento with 18 points. Beno Udrih had 17 and Donte Greene and rookie Tyreke Evans each scored 16 for the Kings...Grant Hill added 16 points and Nash scored 11 for the Suns, who are 13-0 when holding an opponent under 100 points. The Suns (34-23) are 11 games over .500 for the first time since opening the season 14-3...Evans admired the work of Stoudemire on the boards. “He’s a beast,” Evans said. “He was coming in there, jumping over everybody, snatching the rebounds and putting them back up. That’s what hurt us. We’ve got to do a better job of holding them to one shot, like they did to us.”
vs
(From the Associated Press) - The Atlanta Hawks lost their big lead, then their composure and finally a game that could haunt them in their quest to win the NBA’s Southeast Division. Stephen Curry scored 32 points and made the go-ahead free throw in the final minute after a technical foul on Jamal Crawford to help the Golden State Warriors rally from an 18-point deficit and beat the Atlanta Hawks 108-104 on Sunday night. “We just fell apart,” point guard Mike Bibby said. “We’re up 20 points. A team of our caliber shouldn’t lose that game. It happened but we can’t let it happen too much.”...After losing their big lead, the Hawks lost their cool in the final minute. Leading by two points, Joe Johnson turned the ball over and Monta Ellis went in for a breakaway layup that tied the game at 104 with 1 minute left. After Al Horford missed a jumper, C.J. Watson lost the rebound out of bounds for Golden State. But Crawford was called for a technical, giving Golden State the lead on Curry’s free throw. “The tech didn’t help us with Jamal,” coach Mike Woodson said. “I thought he got fouled. He got hit and bumped almost out of bounds, and he didn’t get the call. Sometimes that happens. He kind of lost his composure.”...Johnson led Atlanta with 31 points, Horford added 26 and Smith had 14 points and 17 rebounds. The Hawks have lost three of four. Ellis finished with 26 points for Golden State, but was on the bench for the bulk of the Warriors comeback early in the fourth quarter...The loss was especially tough on Crawford, who had his differences with Nelson last season before being dealt to Atlanta. Crawford scored 17 points, topping the 10,000-point mark in his career, but didn’t come through down the stretch.
vs
(From the Associated Press) - Carlos Boozer wasn’t trying to disparage the rest of the NBA. Utah’s star was simply impressed by the resiliency of his own team. “We fought back. A lot of teams in this league probably wouldn’t have done that being down 25,” Boozer said. Down 25 midway through the third quarter, the Jazz crawled back to force overtime on Boozer’s putback at the buzzer, then pulled away to stun Portland 93-89 on Sunday night...It was all part of Boozer’s stellar night. He finished with 22 points and a career-best 23 rebounds—eight on the offensive end—as Utah won its seventh straight on the road. “To be down the way we were and be able to fight back and hang in there that speaks a lot about our maturity and our ability to fight,” Utah guard Deron Williams said...None of Boozer’s efforts were bigger than at the end of regulation. Utah had turned a laugher into a one possession game with 5 seconds left thanks to a combo of strong defense and horrid Portland shooting. The Blazers made just 4 of 27 attempts in the fourth quarter and overtime...“I always think you have a chance to win. That’s what is fun about this game,” Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. “You put a lot into it and you get a lot out of it.” Williams finished with 18 points and 12 assists as Utah swept the four-game season series with Portland. But this victory could be the most impressive considering what the Jazz were missing. Mehmet Okur missed his second straight game after the birth of his child and Andrei Kirilenko left in the first half with back spasms...Miller added 17 points and Batum had 14 points for Portland, all coming in the first half.
No comments:
Post a Comment