The Utah Jazz has been as of late one of the hotter teams in the NBA, having won their last five games prior to their game against the Oklahoma City Thunder Monday night at Energy Solutions Arena.
Both teams shot very well, with each team shooting 51 percent from the floor; however, Oklahoma City held off a late Utah rally late in the fourth quarter, pulling out the 115-108 win.
Prior to the contest, The Jazz’ Deron Williams was named the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Week, averaging 23 PPG, 11.8 APG and 4 RPG.
The game would prove to be physical from the outset as Kyrylo Fesenko and Earl Watson would each require stitches in the first half. Utah was determined not fall behind by double-digits as they have done in the recent past and succeeded, with Williams connecting on three 3-pointers and his first six shots as the Jazz led by as many as 12 in the first quarter.
They would be up by the score of 30-19 before the Thunder finally got it together; Oklahoma City would fight back to take a 50-48 lead with 4:25 left in the half, then led by 13 before the Jazz started what would appear to be another comeback. The Thunder would take a two-point edge into their locker room at halftime.
Fast-forwarding to late in the fourth quarter, Utah pulled to within 109-106 on a Williams layup with 57 seconds left and had a chance to get to within one after a miss by Kevin Durant. but Andrei Kirilenko missed a layup and Durant would be fouled after grabbing the rebound. He would connect on six straight free throws, icing the game for Oklahoma City.
Durant led the Thunder with 30 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals while Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka each added 22 – with Westbrook grabbing a rebound and dishing out 7 assists but also turning the ball over 7 times while Ibaka grabbed 11 boards and dished out an assist along with a steal and 4 blocks.
Williams led the Jazz with 31 points (including 4 three-pointers), 5 rebounds, 11 assists and a steal while Paul Millsap added 20 with 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. C.J. Miles came off the bench to chip in 16 with 2 rebounds and an assist.
Oklahoma City (6-4) plays again on Wednesday when they return home to host the Houston Rockets while Utah (7-4) remains at home to host the New Jersey Nets – also on Wednesday night.


November 16th, 2010
Stephen Rhodes
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