Golden State Warriors defeat Utah Jazz 107-100
On Wednesday night, the Utah Jazz took to their home court looking to avoid their fifth straight loss at the Energy Solutions Arena; an infamy they had averted for nearly 30 years.
However, the Jazz were left winless three games into the post-Jerry Sloan era, as a resurgent Golden State Warriors flexed their muscle down the stretch to silence the Jazz 107-100.
The Warriors, who have now won three in a row, were led by their phenomenal shooting sensation Monta Ellis. The sixth year guard pounded the Jazz with 35 points, seven assists and three steals. Dorell Wright had 22 points while Reggie Williams came off
the bench to score 15. Stephen Curry however, had a night to forget as he could only muster four points on a 1-of-7 shooting.
The Jazz got off to a blistering start as Paul Millsap canned the first three Utah possessions. The Warriors however, were quick to respond as they caught up with the flowing Jazz offence. The match was tied seven times in the first nine minutes of play
as the teams headed into the second quarter with Utah leading by 23-20.
Utah made the move early in the second frame and extended their lead to six points. The Warriors bounced back immediately though with an 11-4 midway run. What ensued was a deadlock that saw the teams fight for every point. The game was tied at 48 at half
time and was then deadlocked at 76-all at the end of the third.
The game continued to be a thriller in the fourth quarter. Utah took the lead first but the Warriors responded to every Jazz attempt, as they raced to an 87-84 advantage early in the period. Al Jefferson and Deron Williams however, combined to fight back
for the Jazz, who went ahead 90-89 on a putback by Al Jefferson.
This was where Ellis took over the game.
He drove past the Jazz defence for a layup, Reggie Williams followed it with a three-pointer and Ellis then scored five straight to make it 99-92 with less than three minutes left on the clock. The 10-2 spurt firmly put the Warriors in the driver’s seat.
However, the Jazz still had some fight left in them.
With 52 seconds remaining, Deron Williams' banged one in from downtown to cut the lead to 103-100 and give the Jazz some hope. The Utah guard however, missed his next two triple point attempts, as the Warriors cruised to a 107-100 win.
The Warriors made 8-of-19 three-pointers, while the Jazz shot just 3 of 14. Al Jefferson led the Jazz charge with 23 points and 11 rebounds, Paul Millsap chipped in with 22 points and C.J. Miles finished with 20.
Deron Williams continued to struggle with his shooting in this match as well. He converted only 5-of-13 from the field and 1-of-5 from long-range to finish with 18 points and 11 assists.
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