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Jazz vs. Thunder


GameTracker · Box Score · Full Play-by-Play · Recap · Shot Chart · Photos · Glog (Live Commentary)
 
 
  TIME: 09:00 P.M. EST
VENUE: EnergySolutions Arena

Even with a shortened bench, the Utah Jazz are playing their best basketball of the season.

The Jazz look for a season-high fourth straight victory Tuesday night, when they go for their fifth consecutive home win over the Oklahoma City Thunder franchise.

With Kyle Korver (left knee), C.J. Miles (thumb), Matt Harpring (ankle/knee) yet to play a game, and with Ronnie Price spraining his left big toe Nov. 9 against New York, Utah (7-6) was again down to nine players Saturday when center Mehmet Okur missed his third straight game with flu-like symptoms.

The Jazz, though, opened their six-game homestand with a 100-97 overtime victory over Detroit behind 22 points each from Andrei Kirilenko and Carlos Boozer.

Kirilenko, who scored six of his points in the extra period, also grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds.

Boozer added seven boards - snapping his string of four straight double-doubles - but hit all 10 of his free throws as Utah held a 44-25 edge in foul shots attempted.

"I thought Andrei had a great game off the bench," said coach Jerry Sloan, whose team's last four-game winning streak was a 12-game run from Feb. 11-March 10. "Boozer made all these free throws and made some key baskets to help us win the ball game."

Okur is questionable for this game, but Utah's current winning streak began with the return of point guard Deron Williams, who missed two games to be with his daughter while she underwent medical tests.

He recorded his second straight double-double Saturday with 14 points and 11 assists.

"It was a tough game for us," said Williams, who averaged 24.3 points and 9.7 assists in three games versus the Thunder in 2008-09. "We had to win it on the defensive end and that's what we did."

Utah is holding teams to 90.3 points and 41.5 percent shooting during its winning streak. The Jazz will try to extend that run against an Oklahoma City team that shot 37.2 percent from the field in Sunday's 101-85 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Thunder (7-7) matched a franchise record with 15 blocks and outrebounded the defending NBA champions 51-49, but they committed 19 turnovers - six by second-year point guard Russell Westbrook.

"We played against the best team in basketball," said coach Scott Brooks, whose team has allowed an average of 105.7 points in its last three games. "We didn't handle their physical toughness. They got into us, we set the offense too far out and turned the ball over. They capitalized on every mistake, and that's what they do."

Kevin Durant, who missed his first five shots Sunday and scored 19 points, averaged 24.5 and 9.0 boards as Oklahoma City lost three of four to Utah last season, including both games in Salt Lake City.

The Thunder franchise has gone 0-4 at Utah since moving to Oklahoma City for the 2007-08 season, with the last victory there April 7, 2007, when the team was located in Seattle.

Oklahoma City, which is 4-4 on the road this season, didn't win its fifth away game in 2008-09 until March 10.

 
Copyright 2010 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
 
 
Standings
TeamStandingsWLPct.GBL 10Strk
Oklahoma City3rd Northwest 3021.5884.57-3Won 6
Utah2nd Northwest 3218.64029-1Won 9
 
Injuries
Oklahoma City
PlayerInjury
M. HarpringKnee
K. WeaverShoulder
D. WhiteThumb
 
Utah
PlayerInjury
No injuries reported.
 
Key Players
Kevin<br>Durant
Kevin
Durant
, SF
38.4 Min. Per Game 40.1 Deron<br>Williams
Deron
Williams
, PG
27.1 Pts. Per Game 19.8
2.7 Ast. Per Game 9.9
6.9 Reb. Per Game 4.7
44.6 Field Goal % 46.6
23.2 Three Point % 34.9
85.0 Free Throw % 73.6
 
 
Team Rankings
TeamRankPoints
Oklahoma City Thunder1869.44
Utah Jazz581.72
 
Series Game Log
DateLocationResults
Dec 9 @ L.A. LakersLAL 101-77
Dec 12UtahUTA 102-94
Feb 10Utah 
Apr 2 @ L.A. Lakers 
 
Other Games
Phi 107 Final
Wash 108
Ind 112 Final
Tor 123
GS 111 Final
Dal 103
NJ 87 Final
Den 101
NY 90 Final
LAL 100
 
 
 
 
   
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