JAZZ GET ROAD WIN OVER THUNDER IN OKC

When a team has struggled on the road as badly as the Utah Jazz has this season, they’ll take what they can get.  While Friday’s 101-94 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Ford Center won’t make any year end highlight packages, every victory is important for the Jazz down the stretch as they try to improve their position in the tightly bunched Western Conference playoff race.  Even with the win, the Jazz are only 14-20 away from the Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City this season which underscores the significance of any victory on the road.

Deron Williams’ ‘double/double’ paced a balance Jazz scoring attack which saw a total of six players in double figures.  Williams led the scoring hit parade with 24 points to go with 11 assists, followed by Carlos Boozer who just missed a ‘double/double’ of his own with 15 points and 9 rebounds.  His backup, Paul Milsap, added 14 points and 7 boards off the bench while Mehmet Okur and CJ Miles scored 12 and 11 respectively.  Reserve Kyle Korver chipped in for 10 points and 5 rebounds in the Utah triumph. 

The Thunder’s Kevin Durant earned his own ‘double/double’ with a solid all around game that produced 24 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists plus a steal and a blocked shot.  Point guard Russell Westbrook added 22, Jeff Green 15 and reserve Nick Collison 11.  Nenad Krstic rounded out the Thunder double digit scorers with 10 points along with 6 rebounds. 

Mehmet Okur, Utah’s second leading scorer, suffered a poke in the eye and didn’t return for the second half.  Post game evaluations showed no structural damage, however, and he’s not expected to miss any time.  With an important offensive weapon on the shelf for the second half, Jazz pointguard Williams said that he tried to amp up his offense after spending the first 24 minutes getting his teammates involved:

"I just felt like I needed to get it going a little bit.  "The young fella (OKC’s rookie point guard Westbrook) was trying to come at me in the first quarter a little bit. I was just trying to get everybody involved. The first half, I thought we were doing a good job executing. There was really no need for me to force things and get eight turnovers. So, I was just trying to play that role.  It was a must-win. I told the guys that before the game: `This is a must-win game and we've got to come out and this has to be our game.' That's another reason I tried to step up in the second half is because I didn't want to take any chances of letting this one slip away."" 

Teammate C.J. Miles explained that while you know what’s coming when you play against Williams, trying to stop it is a different matter:

"If you step back, he makes it. And if you don't, he goes by you and he finds somebody. It sounds simple, but defensively trying to guard him, it's real hard."

Jazz coach Jerry Sloan was generally pleased with his team’s effort:

"I thought that our team was more ready to play than they have been in some time out on the road.”

The Jazz will host Houston on Wednesday night before beginning a ‘home and home’ series with the Phoenix Suns.  Utah will play at Phoenix on Wednesday night, with a return date in Salt Lake City on Saturday.  The Thunder will play on the road against Minnesota on Sunday before returning home to host the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.  They’ll head to Toronto later in the week for a game against the Raptors on Friday night.