Deron Williams stars as the Jazz send the Warriors to their 7th loss on a trot
A feeling of vengance was in the air, as a Deron Williams inspired Utah Jazz trounced the Golden State Warriors 108-95 to avenge an 85-78 road loss against them early in the season.
Williams, NBA’s best in the Western Conference, grasped the court of the Energy Solutions Arena and posted his third straight score of 30 or more in as many games. On the night the phenomenal guard notched up 30 points and complemented
that with 10 assists, as he ripped apart the Warriors defense.
C.J. Miles continued his excellent run, as he came off the bench to fetch 20 points, on 9 for 14 shooting, and 6 rebounds as the team from Salt Lake City turned on the heat down the stretch to carve out their 18th win
of the season.
Both the teams entered the match with some key players missing. The Warriors were without their do-all guard Stephen Curry who missed his second game in a row due to an ankle injury. The Jazz on the other hand had to be content
without Raja Bell and Francisco Elson.
The Golden State Warriors out-rebounded Utah, 46-40 and nailed eleven 3-pointers in the match, but it wasn't enough once Deron Williams got into the groove.
First Quarter
The match swung from one end to the other as the lead changed hands 7 times inside the first eight minutes. With the score at 15 all, 3:36 left till the initial buzzer, Monta Ellis nailed two jumpers and Reggie Williams followed
it with another, nearly two minutes later as the Warriors nudged ahead with a 6 point surge.
The Jazz, who shot only at 32 percent in the first period, missed six straight shots during that period as the Warriors took a 23-20 lead into the second frame.
Second Quarter
The Jazz came into the second quarter with all guns blazing as they reeled off a 16-4 run, capped by a thunderous dunk shot by rookie Jeremy Evans, to sprint at a 36-27 advantage.
The Warriors though were not in a mood to be bogged down as they sprung back with a vociferous 9-2 spurt ending with a Dorrell Wright triple pointer to come within striking distance at 36-38. The Warriors continued to pressurize
the Jazz defense and a seven point unanswered run carried them into the break, ahead at 46-43.
Third Quarter
The Warriors continued to tie down the explosive Jazz offensive prowess going into the second half. After having struggled with their shooting in the first half, the Jazz were letting it rip at nearly sixty percent in the third
quarter but the Warriors nipped their surge with a barrage of 3-pointers.
The Jazz, though, gained momentum and they outscored the Warriors 31-24 in the third quarter to take a 74-70 lead into the fourth period of play.
Fourth Quarter
In the final quarter, the Jazz unleashed their signature up-tempo style of play. C.J. Miles scored 8 in a row to stretch Utah’s advantage to 10 points to set the tone for the rest of the period.
The Warriors tried their utmost to rally back and David Lee’s free throw pulled them to within six points at 82-88. But this was the closest the Warriors got as Deron Williams marshaled the Jazz to 13-2 within a span of three minutes
to completely knock the steam out of the Warriors.
With 3:05 left on the clock the Jazz refused to provide any breathing space to the Warriors and held on to a 108-95 win.
Dorell Wright led Golden State with 20 points, including four 3-pointers while Reggie Williams added 10 for the Warriors but the franchise shot at a combined shooting rate of 39.5 percent as they slumped to their 11th
defeat in their last 12 games.
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