Utah Jazz share wealth in a 97-90 win over Western Conference leading Oklahoma City Thunder: NBA
Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combined for 23 of the 25 Oklahoma City Thunder points in the first quarter, but went scoreless in the second to allow Utah Jazz a 97-90 win on Tuesday night.
Paul Millsap went 10-of-16 from the floor to pace the Jazz charge with 20 points while Al Jefferson returned from a two game absence to drop 16 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists.
Point guard Devin Harris had 15 and Gordon Hayward finished off with 11 points and 8 boards as the Salt Lake City franchise romped to a fourth straight victory. Jamaal Tinsley also had 11 while C.J. Miles chipped in with 10 for
Utah, which mauled OKC 50-20 on the points in the paint.
Westbrook finished with a game high 23 for OKC, who have now lost 3 of their last six games. Durant scored all of his 18 points in the first and the third quarter and James Harden posted 17 off the bench. Durant missed seven shots
in the fourth quarter and rued the cold night after the game;
"They played good defense. You have to give those guys credit, but I can't miss seven shots in the fourth quarter as one of the main guys," Durant said.
Serge Ibaka completed the only double-double of the game with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks.
The win has put Jazz half game away from Houston Rockets for the eighth spot in the Western Conference. As far as the Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin was concerned, the win over OKC announced his team as a force for the post season;
"I don't know if it sends a message to anybody else but to us. Our goal is to get into the playoffs. It's always been that. We're in good shape now, but there's a lot of basketball left to play."
After a tight first quarter, OKC managed to draw a 40-34 lead with 6:28 left in the first half. However in ensuing passage, they missed seven field shots and committed five turnovers to allow Jazz a 18-4 run and a 52-44 halftime
lead.
The shots started falling for Oklahoma City in the third, but Harris exploded with 13 consecutive points which included three treys to keep the visitors in check at 67-53. A 13-2 run in the next few minutes brought Thunder at 66-69,
but Jazz created some breathing space at 76-70, entering the last quarter.
Thunder tried to overcome the deficit through short bursts throughout the fourth, but with Durant misfiring and Jazz eager to close out the game, they never succeeded in doing so.
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