Jazz add sour end to Spurs' road trip
Web Posted: 11/30/2006 12:24 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer

SALT LAKE CITY ─ Tim Duncan poked the ball away from Carlos Boozer near
Utah's free-throw line, scooped it up and set his sights on the Spurs' basket
50 feet away.

For all of Duncan's skills, however, foot speed is not among them. After
lumbering down the floor, Duncan started to go up for a dunk only to have
Boozer crack him back to the floor.

The hard foul not only prevented a basket, it sent a message. Apparently, the
Jazz have grown tired of being pushed around by the Spurs.

With Boozer totaling 23 points and 16 rebounds, Andrei Kirilenko pogo-sticking
his way all over the court and Deron Williams burying one clutch shot after
another, the Jazz beat the Spurs 83-75 Wednesday night at EnergySolutions
Arena.

The victory was just Utah's third in its past 25 games against the Spurs.
With it, the Jazz improved their NBA-best record to 13-3 while handing the
Spurs (11-5) their first losing streak of the season.

"Right now they're a tougher-minded club than we are," Spurs coach Gregg
Popovich said. "We have a little ways to go to be as tough-minded as they
are."

Only 10 hours earlier, Utah coach Jerry Sloan had been saying the same of
the Spurs. At the Jazz' morning shootaround, Sloan questioned whether his
young team ─ in spite of its strong start ─ was strong enough to match the
resiliency of its longtime rival.

"San Antonio is one of those teams with guys who thrive when people get down
on them and think they can't do it," Sloan said. "They pour it on you and
teach you a lesson."

The Jazz did most of the teaching Wednesday.

After erasing a 10-point deficit in the first half, they overwhelmed the
Spurs in the game's final six minutes.

With Utah clinging to a 69-68 lead, Boozer poked the ball from Duncan's
hands, creating a layup for Matt Harpring. The next time down the floor,
Boozer blocked Duncan. Duncan grabbed the rebound, but Tony Parker was
called for a carrying violation.

Harpring followed with a 15-footer to stretch Utah's lead to five with
4:11 left.

"That," Popovich said, "was the breaking point of the game." 

Duncan totaled 21 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, but went scoreless
in the fourth quarter, missing the only two shots he took. The Jazz usually
double-teamed Duncan whenever he turned into the lane, but Boozer also
frequently used his quick hands to unsettle him.

"Quick hands are compounded by getting hit on the elbow and the arm and not
getting called," Duncan said. "So he played the right way. He made the plays
and they didn't blow the whistle. In that respect, he did do a great job."

With Boozer's help, Utah overpowered the Spurs on the boards, outrebounding
them 16-9 in the final quarter and 50-34 for the game. The Jazz's 16
offensive rebounds matched the most by a Spurs' opponent this season.

Kirilenko had a lot to do with that. He made only one shot but controlled
the other end of the floor with his help defense, totaling nine rebounds,
five assists, three blocks and a steal.

"They're the best rebounding team in the NBA, and they showed why again
tonight," Popovich said. "They're just relentless in that regard.

 "We made a lot of good stops. They scored only (83) points. But a stop isn't
real unless you get the rebound."

Bruce Bowen scored a season-high 17 points while making five 3-pointers, but
that wasn't enough support for Duncan. Parker was limited to 14 points and
Michael Finley, Robert Horry and Beno Udrih combined to go 6 of 24.

Finley started his third consecutive game in place of Manu Ginobili. But any
hopes the Spurs had of getting the veteran shooter on track during Ginobili's
absence are quickly expiring. He went 1 for 8 and is shooting just 32.2
percent for the season.

"I can't say nothing because I'm the only one in the crew missing layups,"
Horry said. "It's just one of those situations. Most of those guys are
hard-nosed battlers and they'll get through it."

Williams, meanwhile, didn't miss much. He made all four of his 3-pointers,
including one over Parker that helped put the game out of reach with 2:34
left.

"He's not playing like a rookie anymore," Popovich said of Williams. 
"He's out there to put his foot on your throat."

The rest of the Jazz joined Williams in applying the pressure, leaving the
Spurs flying home with their third loss in four games.

"They represent a hard-nosed coach," Horry said, "and they're hard-nosed
players."


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