The Jazz Play Together, and Win Their 7th Straight

Following a 118-105 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, the Utah Jazz have won 7 consecutive games and 11 out of their last 12. Just like their previous 10 outings, the Jazz played wonderful team basketball, as they got contributions from anywhere they could.

To put emphasis on the balance the Jazz are displaying lately, they were led in scoring by Mehmet Okur (28 points), who has been criticized for his poor play in recent games. (There have been people saying that they need to bench him, as he is not the typical center, and he doesn’t have that defensive presence in the middle. Then he scores  28, and everyone is loving him again). In addition to his 28 points, Memo picked up 8 rebounds and had 1 blocked shot. The thing that surprised me the most about Memo’s performance was that he shot 11-13 from the field, which is nearly 85%! Keep it up, Memo!

Another impressive performance belonged to Andrei Kirilenko, who I am directly linking to the Jazz’s recent success. (Ever since Jerry Sloan decided to put him in the starting lineup, the Jazz are 10-1). In this game, AK had 22 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals. If that’s not a filled-up stat sheet, I don’t know what is. And a game like that is exactly why AK has been so valuable to Utah. He always does a little bit of everything, and sometimes he even goes above and beyond in one or two categories. To get 22 points out of AK is such an added bonus for a guy who brings so much everywhere else. He is the energy that boosts this team in the right direction when things are down, and he is also the energy that helps fend off opponents, who are trying to claw their way back into games. Without AK, I don’t know where the Jazz would be right now.

In every game, the Jazz find a third scoring option to step up and provide the necessary support to keep this team’s offense rolling. In this game, Wesley Matthews was that guy. In 24 minutes, Matthews shot a perfect 6-6 from the field, as he scored 16 points and snatched 5 boards. When you are able to get game like that out of your rookie backup, it speaks volumes of the depth that your team possesses. I am still shocked that this guy didn’t make the Rookie-Sophomore Game.

Of course, no post can go by without mentioning Deron Williams. D-Will had a very balanced game, as he scored 13 points, and dished out 13 assists. And that, to me, is the best part of the Jazz’s starting point guard. If he does not put up that many points, he will put up big numbers in the assists column. What that shows is that Williams is someone who promotes team basketball. He would rather be successful by getting everyone involved, than to have great stats for himself.

After the game, Williams was asked about his performance, specifically the lack of points he put up. He had this to say: “Right now, guys are making plays. I don’t have to be as aggressive. I feel like I know when I can and have to be aggressive. I think early on I was trying to do too much and guys weren’t getting the ball. So now everybody’s got that confidence and we’re having fun.”

Oh yeah, he definitely understands what team basketball is all about.

In their next game, the Jazz will be hosting the Denver Nuggets, the only team ahead of the them in the Northwest Division. It is sure to be a great one!

LT’S NOTES

– With the win, the Jazz are 3-0 against the Blazers this season.

– Since becoming a starter for the last 11 games, AK is shooting 64.7% from the field.

– Brandon Roy did not play because of a right hamstring injury.

– Paul Millsap‘s numbers have gone down in each of the last 2 games. (Told you so).

– The Jazz shot a season-high 62.7% from the field.

– Carlos Boozer was sitting on the bench.

– The Jazz have beaten the Blazers by double digits in every meeting this season.