The AP reports: Trailing Denver by 19 points, the Jazz were a mess—turning the ball over repeatedly and making just half of their foul shots until something sparked Utah just before halftime. Utah scored 17 straight points over the end of the second period and beginning of the third and rallied for a 97-91 victory over the Nuggets on Friday night… Deron Williams scored 12 of his 25 points in the third quarter and also had 11 assists, his 11th straight game with 10 or more… J.R. Smith led Denver with 27 points. Carmelo Anthony was in foul trouble much of the game and finished with 20. Chauncey Billups added 12 points for the Nuggets, who knew they blew a great chance to win a division game on the road.
Category: Utah Jazz Blog
Jazz basketball blog – Utah Jazz blog
Boozer, D-Will lead Jazz over Rockets 101-94
The AP reports: Carlos Boozer had his best game since returning after missing three months with a knee injury, scoring 20 points and pulling down 17 rebounds as the Utah Jazz increased their winning streak to nine with a 101-94 win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday… Deron Williams scored 10 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, including a 20-foot jumper with 21 seconds left after Houston got within three points. Williams also had 14 assists for the surging Jazz, who went 17-for-17 from the foul line and won their 10th straight home game. Ron Artest scored 25 points to lead Houston and Yao Ming had 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists before fouling out with 1:23 left.
Nuggets sign Jason Hart
The Denver Nuggets have signed G Jason Hart for the remainder of the season, team Vice President of Basketball Operations Mark Warkentien announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.
Hart, 6-3, 180, averaged 2.3 ppg and 1.5 apg in 28 games with the Los Angeles Clippers this season before being waived on Feb. 27.
In eight NBA seasons, Hart has compiled career averages of 4.9 ppg and 2.3 apg in 16.1 mpg in 325 games with Milwaukee, San Antonio, Charlotte, Sacramento, L.A. Clippers (two stints) and Utah.
Share your Nuggets opinions every day on the Denver Nuggets message board.
Ronnie Brewer shines, Jazz beat Warriors 112-104
The AP reports: Mehmet Okur scored 23 points, Deron Williams had a season-high 20 assists and the Utah Jazz won their eighth straight, beating the voluntarily short-handed Golden State Warriors 112-104 Sunday night. Ronnie Brewer scored 21 points one night after getting a career-high 26 for the Jazz, who moved within two games of Northwest Division-leading Denver… Corey Maggette scored 27 points and rookie Anthony Randolph had a career-high 20 for the Warriors, who rested leading scorer Stephen Jackson as part of coach Don Nelson’s unorthodox plan to give more playing time to his youngsters… Jamal Crawford, who wasn’t allowed to play in Golden State’s loss to Charlotte two nights earlier, scored 20 points in the Warriors’ fourth loss in five games.
Brewer scores 26, Jazz beat Kings 102-89
The AP reports: Ronnie Brewer scored a career-high 26 points and Utah increased its winning streak to seven straight with a 102-89 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night, hours after Jazz owner Larry Miller’s funeral in the same building. Mehmet Okur also scored 26 and Deron Williams added 16 points and 11 assists for the Jazz, who went 10-1 in February. The day started somberly for the Jazz with the funeral for Miller, who died eight days before of complications from diabetes, but ended with another win—a fitting send-off for their longtime owner. Kevin Martin had 19 points to lead the Kings, who haven’t won back-to-back games since November. Rashad McCants had 17 points and Bobby Jackson scored 14 for Sacramento.
Brewer steps up, Jazz beat Wolves 120-103
The AP reports: Ronnie Brewer scored 16 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter and Boozer showed signs of his old self in Utah’s 120-103 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. In his second game back after missing the previous 44 with a knee injury, Boozer had 12 points on 6-for-10 shooting in 21 minutes. Mehmet Okur scored 25 for the Jazz, who extended their winning streak to a season-long six games… Kevin Love had career highs with 24 points and 15 rebounds and Ryan Gomes added 24 points and eight boards for the Wolves, who have lost seven in a row at home.
Carlos Boozer returns
The Deseret News reports: They hit 70.7 percent from the field in the first half, their best opening-half shooting success 10-plus years. They led by as many as 26, and rolled in the second half. They had five scorers in double figures, two with double-doubles. They beat Atlanta 108-89 Monday night at EnergySolutions Arena, extended their winning streak to five, improved to 8-1 in February — and did it with all of their 15-man roster intact and healthy for the first time this season, including even starting power forward Carlos Boozer. The Jazz, in other words, had it together — and, accordingly, have head coach Jerry Sloan fretting over a new problem altogether. “Just trying to decide who to play and how to play ’em — that’s going to be the toughest thing,” said Sloan, who got 58 points from his suddenly deep bench, including 16 apiece from Paul Millsap (who also had a game-high 12 rebounds) and Kyle Korver and 15 from Matt Harpring.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports: Boozer, meanwhile, had two points and five rebounds in 21 minutes, going 1 for 5 and missing two free throws. He was originally injured Nov. 19, underwent surgery Jan. 9 and missed 44 games in all, with the Jazz going 25-19 in his three-month absence. Boozer said his knee felt great, estimated it would two weeks to get back in rhythm and was encouraged by the victory. “When we get to the playoffs, if we’re hitting our stride at the right moment, we could be a dangerous team,” he said. The Jazz took a 31-24 lead into the second quarter, then outscored the Hawks 17-8 with Williams on the bench to build a 19-point lead. Such is the strength of their second team with Boozer back, anchored by Paul Millsap, Andrei Kirilenko and Harpring.
Boozer back as Jazz rout Hawks
The AP reports: The Utah Jazz got back two-time All-Star Carlos Boozer and hardly needed him. Boozer was in the lineup for the first time since injuring his left knee in November and had a quiet night with two points and five rebounds in Utah’s 108-89 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday. Boozer, who missed 44 straight games because of a strained tendon and knee surgery, had plenty of help on Monday… Joe Johnson had 15 points to lead the Hawks, who lost their 15th straight game at Utah. Al Horford had 14 points and six rebounds for the Hawks, and Josh Smith scored 11 before he was ejected for the hard foul on Harpring with 8:40 left to play. Harpring was still upset from taking an elbow to the face earlier in the period from Johnson and charged Smith as soon as he got back on his feet.
Utah owner recently passed, Jazz beat Hornets 102-88
The AP reports: On a night he had 13 assists, Deron Williams’ most memorable pass came after the final buzzer. Williams walked across the court after Utah’s 102-88 win over New Orleans and handed the game ball to Gail Miller, the wife of owner Larry H. Miller one day after his death. From the pregame moment of silence on, there was no doubt that this one was for Larry. “It’s great to win on a night like this. We wanted to win for Larry and the whole Miller family,” said Williams, who scored 20 points for Utah. “They’re going through a tough time and hopefully this can ease their pain just a little bit for one night.” Miller, 64, died Friday of complications from diabetes.
Jazz to wear patch honoring Larry Miller
The Utah Jazz announced today that the team will honor the memory of late owner Larry H. Miller by wearing a memorial “LHM” patch on its jerseys for the remainder of the season. The patch will debut in tonight as the Jazz hosts the New Orleans Hornets in the first Jazz game since Miller’s passing on February 20.
The purple patch with green and gold trim is in the shape of the Jazz music note logo (a “J” in the shape of an eighth note) and inscribed with Miller’s initials, “LHM,” in white block letters. The music note logo is representative of the team’s logo, colors and jerseys which were worn at the time Miller originally purchased a 50% stake in the team on April 11, 1985, and the remaining 50% on June 24, 1986. The Jazz wore the music note jerseys until the 1996-97 season.
Prior to tonight’s game at EnergySolutions Arena, there will also be a moment of silence held, followed by a two-minute tribute video to Miller which will conclude with a spotlight focused on the empty courtside seat that Miller commonly occupied during Jazz games.