Millsap's block, D-Will carry Jazz over Magic

SALT LAKE CITY (NBA.com exclusive) -- Deron Williams nearly had a triple-double, the Jazz committed just six turnovers and stunningly turned around a game by 34 points against a defending conference champion.

But if there was one play to look back on that was key in Utah's 120-111 win over Orlando on Thursday night, it was one made by reserve forward Paul Millsap.

Millsap blocked a shot in the paint by Orlando center Dwight Howard late in the second quarter. Williams gathered the loose ball and got it to Carlos Boozer in transition. Boozer made a layup and drew a foul, getting the Jazz within 56-45 with 3:24 left in the half.

Utah still trailed by double digits, but Millsap's block got what had been a reserved home crowd into the game, energized the Jazz, and turned the game in Utah's direction.

"It was a great play," Boozer said. "That was a key play -- Paul's block on Superman. He had that kryptonite tonight and then we got it going from there. That gave us a lot of momentum."

Millsap acknowledged his block was a momentum changer in Utah's victory, but didn't want any part of being called a superhero stopper.

"I wouldn't go that far," Millsap said. "I kind of timed it right. I had to get it before he got off the ground. Everybody played good help defense on him to try and contain him."

Millsap's block helped Utah (13-9) overcome a sluggish first quarter to defeat an Orlando (17-5) team that had won eight straight road games. Deron Williams led the Jazz's second-half charge, finishing with 32 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds.

Boozer had 20 points and 14 rebounds, Mehmet Okur had 14 points and 11 rebounds and C.J. Miles provided a lift off the bench with 22 points and three 3-pointers. Millsap had 14 points and five rebounds to go along with his key block.

The Jazz took control early in the third quarter. Utah completely erased what was an 18-point first-half deficit with two 11-1 runs in the third quarter. The first gave Utah a 64-63 lead, and the second helped the Jazz stretch their advantage to 75-69. The Jazz scored 38 points on 62 percent shooting in the third quarter, while holding Orlando to 21 points on 36 percent shooting.

The Jazz took their biggest lead of the game when Miles hit a jumper with 5:57 left to put Utah up 105-89.

Utah appeared to be suffering a hangover early in the game following its devastating 101-77 loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The Jazz scored six points in the fourth quarter of that defeat, and it took more than a quarter to get that out of their minds against the Magic.

"They deserved to win," said Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy. "After the first 18 minutes they just played a lot harder, [had] a lot more energy and a lot more focus than we did. They dominated us."

Going from a six-point quarter on one night to a 38-point quarter on the next is quite a turnaround and shows what the Jazz are capable of -- on both ends of the spectrum.

"It shows what we're capable of doing," Millsap said. "When we share the ball, continue to play good help defense, anything's possible."

It was amazing that the Jazz, who trailed 60-52 at halftime, were within double digits after two quarters. The Magic made eight 3-pointers, and the Jazz were a dismal 10-for-22 from the free-throw line in the first half.

Rashard Lewis picked up two fouls in the game's first 6 minutes and was replaced by Ryan Anderson. The personnel change ended up being a blessing in disguise for Orlando, as Anderson scored 14 points and sank four 3-pointers in the first half. His 3-point bomb with 8:52 left in the second quarter gave the Magic their biggest lead of the game at 47-29.

Orlando's early hot shooting, however, also proved to be a curse for the team. The Magic stopped attacking the basket after drilling so many long-range baskets in the first half. They ran most of their offense from the outside and it stagnated with Howard playing at less than a dominant level in the inside and none of his teammates creating much off the dribble. The Magic attempted 35 3-pointers and made 14 of them.

"We didn't run back and we didn't move on offense," Van Gundy said. "We played with no energy."

Utah's defense had plenty to do with Orlando's struggles on offense. After the first quarter, the Jazz chased the Magic off the 3-point line, collapsed on Howard and took their chances against Orlando's mid-range shooting. The adjustment worked, as the Magic's production got progressively worse as the game wore on.

Vince Carter scored 34 points on 9-for-23 shooting to lead Orlando. Howard had 18 points and 10 rebounds.


Source: Andrew Aragon, NBA.com