This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Oakland, Calif. • With their starters spending most of the first half on the bench, the Utah Jazz fell behind 42-33 by halftime of their preseason opener Monday at Golden State.
True to his word, coach Tyrone Corbin has limited the minutes of his top players and gone through his roster more as a progression than a rotation like we'll see once the real games begin.
Free agent acquisition Mo Williams scored the Jazz's first seven points, and that total led the Jazz at halftime. Warriors power forward David Lee led all scorers with nine points.
Small forward Marvin Williams scored six points, including an alley-oop from Mo Williams, as did DeMarre Carroll. Carroll knocked down three 19-foot jump shots from the left-elbow extended, representing a marked improvement in that aspect of his game.
Thirteen players saw action in the first half for the Jazz, which could serve at least as a partial explanation for the generally disjointed and clumsy performance. The Jazz shot just 34.2 percent from the field, while the Warriors were far more efficient (45.2 percent). Rookies Festus Ezeli and Harrison Barnes finished several times at the rim for Golden State.
The Jazz led 29-27 in the second quarter after point guard Jamaal Tinsley's floater in the lane, but the Warriors went on an 11-2 run.
Paul Millsap started for the Jazz, temporarily putting to rest the debate between he and Derrick Favors. Millsap was limited to nine minutes, while Favors scored two points on 1-of-3 shooting in 10 minutes.
Twitter: @oramb