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SALT LAKE CITY: Russian Andrei Kirilenko scored 23 points on
nine-of-10 shooting to power the Utah Jazz to a 97-91 win over the
San Antonio Spurs on Monday in a rematch of last year’s playoff
semifinal.
The Jazz, who have been one of the top five
scoring teams this season, won their fifth consecutive game.
Carlos Boozer added 21, seven rebounds and seven
assists as the Jazz won their fifth game in a row.
Kyle Korver’s backbreaking three-pointer with
48 seconds remaining all but sealed the victory for the Jazz as they
held off the Spurs’ inevitable fourth-quarter rally.
But it wasn’t Utah’s numerous scoring
options that kept the pressure on the reigning champions.
Instead, the Jazz made their plays on the
defensive end, picking up 15 steals and forcing San Antonio into 19
turnovers overall.
Despite playing from behind for the length of
the game, the Spurs battled to within three points with a chance to
pull even midway through the third period.
But the Jazz forced turnovers on three straight
possessions for San Antonio.
Monday’s victory was Utah’s third straight
home win over San Antonio in the regular season.
Tim Duncan added 26 points for the Spurs, while
leading scorer Tony Parker was limited to just five.
-- AFP
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