Milsap back in action, helps Jazz beat Warriors

The injury plagued Utah Jazz got some good news on Monday night as power forward Paul Milsap returned to the lineup and posted his 18th consecutive double/double leading his team to a 119-114 victory over the Golden State Warriors at the EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City.  The victory allowed the Jazz to keep pace with Portland for second place in the NBA’s Northwest Division with 20 wins. 

Milsap became the Jazz’s starting power forward when brittle Carlos Boozer suffered what looked to be a minor hamstring injury and responded as if he’d been shot.  Boozer may have all but shut it down for the season, but Milsap has rendered him largely irrelevant with his tough defense and solid inside game.  Against the Warriors, Milsap further validated the many Jazz supporters who consider him the power forward of the future as he posted 19 points, 14 rebounds and two blocked shots.  After the game, usually taciturn Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan was effusive in his praise for Milsap:

"Paul made a couple blocks, got a couple steals and knocked the ball out of people's hands. I thought he was terrific tonight. He stays around the baskets and he stays after it."

The Jazz also benefited from another stellar game from All Star point guard Deron Williams, who finished with 25 points and 15 assists.  Mehmet Okur added 20 points and Andrei Kirilenko contributed 19 points off the bench.   Overall, six Jazz players scored in double figures.  Golden State was led by 28 from Jamal Crawford, 23 points off the bench from Corey Maggette, and 15 from Stephen Jackson.  Jackson would strain his hamstring muscle on the final play of the first half and did not return for the second.  His status is still undetermined.

Williams suggested that the win was important for the Jazz as they look to make a push to improve their playoff seedings:

"We definitely needed this one, to build our confidence at home. We've got some tough games ahead of us, but this is time where we can go on a streak. We had a successful January last year, why not do it again?"

Utah will host the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night, Detroit on Saturday night and the Indiana Pacers on Monday.  Golden State likewise has a tough stretch of games, hosting the team with the league’s best record—the Los Angeles Lakers—on Wednesday night before traveling to Portland for a game against the Blazers on Saturday.  They’ll return home for a Sunday night contest against the Indiana Pacers.