This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Jazz finally got their fast start. And a team that has recently survived via the thrill of resilient late-game rallies pulled off another inspiring one Monday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
But what should have been a perfect winning combination for Utah instead became defeat as the Jazz fell to the Thunder 115-108 in a Northwest Division matchup at EnergySolutions Arena before a sellout crowd of 19,911.
The loss abruptly ended a five-game winning streak for Utah, which had come back from a combined 88-point deficit during the run to become the talk of the NBA.
The Jazz fought back once more against the Thunder, turning an eight-point fourth-quarter margin into a slim 103-101 Thunder lead with 4 minutes, 24 seconds to go.
But this time, that was as close as Utah (7-4) got. Oklahoma City point guard Russell Westbrook torched the Jazz, pouring in 20 second-half points. And as Thunder star forward Kevin Durant softly stroked the net from the free throw line — he was 16 of 16; his team was 33 of 34 — Oklahoma City (6-4) slowly put Utah's rally to rest.
The Thunder "have done a terrific job. This is a tough game. To come back and play a team in your division after a long road trip — to come home and have one day to prepare for them," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. "That's not an excuse. That's pretty much a fact."
Deron Williams recorded game highs in points (31) and assists (11) for Utah. The Jazz shot a season-high 50.6 percent from the field, dished out 25 assists while committing just 15 turnovers, and outscored the Thunder 46-36 in the paint.
But during a game that Utah played well, the Thunder were simply better. Durant scored a team-high 30 points for Oklahoma City. And the Thunder shot 50.7 percent from the floor, 40 percent behind the 3-point line and were a near-perfect 97.1 percent from the foul line.
"We beat a very good team, a team that is playing the best basketball in the league right now," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said.
Several Jazz players and Sloan credited an Oklahoma City squad that played highly efficient team ball, highlighted by 71.4 percent shooting during a third quarter that saw the Thunder outscore the Jazz 35-29.
OKC was also aided by the fact that Utah starting shooting guard Raja Bell (left abductor strain) spent the game in street clothes. Rookie forward Gordon Hayward made his first career start, filling in for Bell at shooting guard. The ninth overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft finished with four points and two assists in 22:15.
Hayward was serviceable in Utah's offensive system. But where the Jazz truly missed Bell — a veteran leader whose defensive prowess precedes him — was on the other end of the court.
Sloan refused to factor in Bell's absence, though.
"I can't play that way," Sloan said. "I've got to play whoever's there, and hopefully they play well, and I thought they did."
Meanwhile, the Thunder played off a Utah defensive attack that saw the Jazz focus on Durant, providing help and extra bodies in an attempt to hold him down. But as Utah zoned in on the NBA's leading scorer, Thunder role players Serge Ibaka and Thabo Sefolosha easily flew beneath the radar, combining for 33 points on 13-of-20 shooting.
How good was Oklahoma City? So good that Sloan joked that his team could have used a little extra help holding the Thunder down at the line.
"I'm going to get somebody to defend the free throws. Maybe the Bear can come down once in a while; see if that helps us," said Sloan, referring to Utah's mascot.
The Jazz initially helped themselves. Utah avoided a recent trend of slow starts, taking a 13-4 lead after Williams nailed his third 3-pointer just 2:48 into the game. The home crowd roared, the Thunder were winded, and the Jazz finally had the fast start that eluded them during a successful but draining four-game road trip.
But 15 first-period points by Durant helped Oklahoma City slim Utah's margin to 33-27 at the end of the first quarter.
The Thunder continued to slice away, holding a 58-56 advantage at halftime. OKC then dominated the third quarter, starting with an 11-3 run and finishing 15-of-21 from the field. It was 93-85 Thunder heading into the final period. The Jazz had too tall of a climb this time to keep their streak alive.
"We are not going to hang our heads over one loss," Williams said. "We just got to bounce back."
Twitter: @tribjazz —
Nets vs. Jazz
P Wednesday, 7 p.m.
TV • FSN —
Third quarter
Oklahoma City outscored the Jazz 35-29 during a decisive third quarter. The Thunder shot 71.4 percent (15-of-21) from the floor, 60 percent (3-of-5) behind the 3-point line and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line.
Player FG Pts
Kevin Durant 2-4 5
Serge Ibaka 5-5 10
Thabo Sefolosha 2-3 5
Russell Westbrook 3-4 8
Nick Collison 2-3 2
Eric Maynor 1-1 3
James Harden 1-1 2 —
Good, better
Jazz FG Thunder
50.6% 50.7
Jazz 3-pt Thunder
37.5 40
Jazz FT Thunder
81.8 97.1