Jazz bounce back from loss, beat Bobcats
December 20, 2009
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)—Deron Williams(notes) had 23 points and 10 assists, CarlosBoozer(notes) added 22 points and 11 rebounds, and the Utah Jazz bounced back from amiserable performance a night earlier to beat the Charlotte Bobcats 110-102 onSaturday.
Boozer and Williams combined for eight points and as many turnovers on3-of-15 shooting before being benched in the third quarter with the rest ofUtah’s starters in a blowout loss at Atlanta. It prompted Williams to apologizeto Utah fans.
Williams came back energized, constantly beating Charlotte in transition,while Boozer dominated the inside as the Bobcats faded early in the fourthquarter.
Charlotte Bobcats' Raymond… AP – Dec 19, 8:52 pm EST Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan di… AP – Dec 19, 8:44 pm EST
Utah Jazz's Mehmet Okur(no… AP – Dec 19, 8:42 pm EST
Charlotte Bobcats' Raymond… AP – Dec 19, 8:26 pm EST
Utah Jazz's Carlos Boozer(… AP – Dec 19, 8:23 pm EST YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index = 4; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_lazy_images = [http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091220/capt.d7323ddc1a66498bb4117447c94d945a.jazz_bobcats_basketball_nccb105.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=293&hc=326&q=70&sig=6OK1qFcOWIgwBNxfYMDNvw--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091220/capt.cc18345cd5174da49c37978808b1bf2d.jazz_bobcats_basketball_nccb102.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=345&hc=383&q=70&sig=x_Mtl8UIo_YIFIFk4g04Ng--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091220/capt.a42e5714dddf4f21a89ad7dfddfd7774.jazz_bobcats_basketball_nccb104.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=329&hc=366&q=70&sig=v2IDE6pczNyjKMrC_PDj3Q--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091220/capt.f97f9a1854bf483cbfbb993cc37296ca.jazz_bobcats_basketball_nccb101.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=38&yc=1&wc=336&hc=373&q=70&sig=Y8KJIX_4ebfaxSCAILzQpw--]; YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(window,load,YAHOO.Sports.articleLazyLoadCarousel.init); 1 of 5 Uta-Cha Gallery function prev_photo() { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index > 0) { goto_photo(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index – 1); } else { goto_photo(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index); }}function next_photo() { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index 0) { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_prev, prev); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_prev, prev_disabled); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_prev, prev_disabled); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_prev, prev); } if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index < YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index) { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_next, next); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_next, next_disabled); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_next, next_disabled); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_next, next); }*/}function goto_photo(p) { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos) { for(i = 0; i < YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos.length; i++) { if (i == p) { YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos[i], display, ); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos[i], display, none); } } if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page) { YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page.innerHTML =(p + 1); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index = p; } } update_buttons();}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init = function () { YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(article_carousel_prev, click, prev_photo); YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(article_carousel_next, click, next_photo); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index = 0; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page = YAHOO.util.Dom.get(carousel_page); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos = YAHOO.util.Dom.getElementsByClassName(item, div, leadphoto); if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos) { goto_photo(0); }}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init();
Gerald Wallace(notes) had 30 points and 13 rebounds, and Stephen Jackson(notes) added 18points for the Bobcats, who have dropped two straight.
The matchup of veteran coaches with a combined 2,437 professional winsseemed to tilt in Larry Brown’s favor coming in. The Bobcats were 9-3 at homeand off since Wednesday’s loss in Indiana.
But Jerry Sloan’s bunch was angry—and the Jazz weren’t nearly as tired asexpected after Sloan’s mass benching. Sloan didn’t even bother looking at thetape of Friday’s debacle against the Hawks, where the Jazz trailed by as many as32 points. Boozer played only 24 minutes against the Hawks, and Williams 21.
“If you think backwards, you’re probably going to play backwards,” Sloansaid before tipoff.
Utah shot well early, building a 50-41 lead late in the second quarter. Itwas a familiar early deficit for the Bobcats, who rallied to beat New York onTuesday and saw a late comeback stall a night later in Indiana.
The Jazz led 52-47 at halftime, while the crowd was still buzzing fromWallace’s spectacular block late in the first quarter. With Ronnie Brewer(notes) goingin for a fastbreak dunk, Wallace came in from behind and swatted the attemptinto the stands.
But Charlotte’s biggest flaw, Wallace’s teammates on the front line, was toomuch to overcome.
Tyson Chandler’s(notes) woes since being acquired from New Orleans for Emeka Okafor(notes)last summer continued. He missed an open dunk early in the fourth quarter withUtah leading 85-75.
Soon Utah was off on a game-clinching run, with Paul Millsap’s(notes) 3-pointerwith 6:53 left pushing the lead to 98-79.
Chandler was held without a field goal, finishing with two points and fiverebounds. Power forward Boris Diaw(notes) didn’t score after the first quarter, andCharlotte wasted a big night from Wallace with a poor defensive effort.
The Jazz shot 53 percent, but did get some bad news. A night after playing aseason-high 15 minutes in his third game back from left knee surgery, swingmanKyle Korver(notes) felt discomfort and was limited to two scoreless first-halfminutes.
NOTES: Brown thinks the NBA should keep only one list for coachingvictories, not an NBA-only list and another with combined NBA and ABA victories.The first list excludes Brown’s 229 ABA wins before the merger. “That’s sobogus I always laugh about that. Does that mean you were invisible all thoseyears?” Brown said before the game. “That’s the biggest joke.” The NBA Guideshows both lists. … Boozer’s parents and former NBA player Wes Matthews,father of Utah’s Wesley, sat behind the Utah bench. … Referee Dick Bavettawhistled Bobcats G Raymond Felton(notes) for a second-quarter technical foul.
