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SALT LAKE CITY: The Utah Jazz needed overtime while the San Antonio
Spurs rolled to a rout Sunday as they squared both Western
Conference series in the National Basketball Association playoffs.
Deron Williams scored 29 points with 14 assists
for the Jazz, who blew a sizeable fourth-quarter lead but eked out
the 123-115 overtime triumph over the Los Angeles Lakers to knot
their best-of-7 second-round series at two games apiece.
Reigning NBA champion San Antonio Spurs then
leveled their series against the New Orleans Hornets at 2-2 with a
100-80 home triumph.
Spurs superstar Tim Duncan collected 22 points
and 15 rebounds and Tony Parker added 21 to send San Antonio into
Game 5 in New Orleans on Tuesday on even terms.
An impressive 21-6 surge to start the second
quarter broke it open for the Spurs, who outscored the Hornets 61-39
in the second and third periods.
They led by as many as 25 points at one stage
and were never challenged in the second half.
“We knew we had to win two games at home and
we did,” Parker said. “We just did our job. We won two games and
now it’s back to zero-zero. Game five is going to be huge.
They’re going to play a little better, they’re going to shoot
the ball a little better. We have to be ready for that.”
The Hornets trailed 85-61 at the start of the
fourth quarter and coach Byron Scott benched all five of his
starters.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich quickly pulled
Duncan, who joined Parker on the sidelines for the rest of the game.
Chris Paul led the Hornets with 23 points, one
of just two New Orleans starters in double figures.
Now the Spurs must try to keep the momentum when
the series returns to New Orleans.
“We’ve done nothing but win our home
games—as have they,” Duncan said. “We’re going to have to go
there and try to steal one.”
The same goes for the Jazz, who head to Los
Angeles for Game 5 against the Lakers on Wednesday.
-- AFP
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