"He's mad on the court a lot now, isn't he?" Korver asked after Utah's 119-109 win over Golden State on Tuesday at EnergySolutions Arena. "He has a chip on his shoulder. I like it."

Williams led the Jazz in the shootout with 29 points, 12 assists and two steals. He also tied Paul Millsap for a team-high two blocks.

"That's what I am, a shot-blocker," Williams said afterward.

He was kidding. Well maybe he was. It seems Williams is bent on improving every aspect of his game since he was left off the All-Star team, so who knows, maybe he'll become Utah's best shot-blocker.

Since the All-Star teams were announced Jan. 31, Williams has averaged 20.5 points and 10.9 assists. He is averaging 19.3 points and 9.7 assists for the season.

If he needed any more motivation than the All-Star snub or playing Golden State, he got it a little more than three minutes into Tuesday's game when he was popped with a technical after arguing a call.

In the three minutes that followed he had three assists to three different players, made a layup and free throw. His only miss in the first quarter was a three-point attempt.

"I don't know if it matters or not if he was mad," teammate Carlos Boozer said. "He's pretty damn good whether he's ticked off or not."

After that miss, Williams made his next six shots, a streak that didn't end until the fourth quarter when he was off the mark on an 18-footer. By then, he already had inflicted most of his damage with 24 points and 10 assists through the first three quarters.

"He is such a fantastic ball-handler, we all go out there and feed off him," Korver said. "It all starts with him, he and Boozer."

It's hard to imagine, the way Williams controlled the floor, it wasn't the style of game he wanted, as he said afterward. Maybe he was mindful of coach Jerry Sloan's preference for defense first.

"It wasn't the type of basketball we like to play, but it was good to get the first win after the break," he said. "You never know how that first one is going to go."