Bell leads the way, as the Jazz dominate the Pistons 102-97
Raja Bell made a three-pointer and two free throws in the final minute, as the Utah Jazz continue to dominate the visiting Detroit Pistons with a 102-97 victory at the EnergySolutions Arena. It was business as usual, as Utah again turned on the heat to thrash
the Pistons for the 11th consecutive time.
Utah was led by a balanced attack, as six players scored in double-figures. Deron Williams scored a team-high 22 points and 10 assists, while Al Jefferson registered 16 points. Paul Millsap contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Andrei Kirilenko posted
15 for Utah, who have won six of their last eight matches.
Paul Millsap said after the game, “It feels good. We gutted it out. They ran off a lot of screens and were getting any look they wanted. They missed a few shots down the stretch and we made some big plays.''
Tayshaun Prince scored a game-high 26 points in Detroit’s fourth defeat in their last five games. Richard Hamilton ended with 15 points in the season’s 23rd defeat for the Pistons.
Game Story
Nerves were frayed, officials were scorned, and the frustration reached all the way to the rafters. It did not take long for the Utah to get back to their old habit of staging late comebacks. Both teams went into the game full of confidence; fortunately,
the Jazz managed to come out on top.
Jazz Coach Jerry Sloan told reporters after the game, "That was a really difficult game. They are a hard team for us to guard, and I thought they hung in there and fought all night long. To come out with a win, you have to be real happy."
The Pistons managed to make it to the free throw line early, to help build a three-point lead at 28-25 heading into the second quarter. In the second, the Jazz got going offensively and successfully trimmed the deficit. C.J. Miles led the scoring for Utah
in the first half with 11 points, as the Jazz took a 53-51 lead at half time.
Detroit played the third quarter well, and took a single point lead at 79-78 going into the final quarter.
Prince played well for the Pistons in the final quarter, and tied the game at 93-93 with a left-handed hook over Kirilenko with over a minute to go in the game. However, Raja Bell drained a three-pointer to make it 98-95 with 50.4 seconds remaining. The
Jazz retained their lead, as Bell and Williams each sank a couple of free throws to seal the win.
Bell said, “I know their record kind of does not reflect it right now, but they are surely a dangerous team, in a tight ballgame especially. It was tough. We had opportunities to put some distance between us. But ultimately we got the win.''
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