Guards Fisher, Williams can't save Jazz from elimination

SAN ANTONIO -- Another dramatic midgame arrival from Derek Fisher wasn't enough for the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.

With Deron Williams struggling because of a sore foot, it was already too late for the Jazz.

By the time Fisher arrived during halftime of Game 5 of Western Conference finals, the Spurs were well on their way to a 109-84 victory that sent them to the NBA finals.

Without much help from their starting backcourt, the Jazz never led and trailed by as many as 29.

"They put us where they wanted us all night long," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. "There's never a happy ending if you don't win it all. You end up the season as a loser. And that's never exciting.

"The only thing is are you willing to come back and try it again."

Fisher was returning from New York, where his infant daughter, Tatum, underwent a procedure for retinoblastoma, a cancerous tumor in her left eye. Gordan Giricek started in his place, with Dee Brown prepared to come off the bench.

"We had a successful treatment this morning, as far as we can tell at this point," Fisher said. "And we are just back to day-to-day for a few weeks."

Fisher left the team in the second round of the playoffs for his daughter's treatment in New York, then returned to the team during the third quarter of Game 2 of the series against Golden State. His dramatic arrival, and his five points in overtime, helped the Jazz win that game.

"The pilots on the plane were kind enough to give me a score in the first quarter," Fisher said Wednesday. "I know miracles are possible and I knew that's what we were going to need in order to come back and win this game. I didn't feel that I was that miracle necessarily."

Fisher had two points. Andrei Kirilenko led the Jazz with 13 points and Matt Harpring had 11. Carlos Boozer had 12 rebounds for Utah but only nine points.

"I feel like we had more basketball to be played," Boozer said. "I feel like I got cut short a little bit."

Williams started despite a sprained right foot sustained in the fourth quarter of Game 4, but had only seven points in the first half. He finished with just 11, well below his average from the first four games, and was visibly hobbled.