Williams sparks Jazz to 16th straight home win

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah: Point guard Deron Williams tied a season-high with 20 assists as the Utah Jazz beat the Dallas Mavericks 116-110 in a key Western Conference matchup on Monday.

"It was a great game, another game that felt like a playoff atmosphere," said Williams, who added 17 points. "Any time you play a Western Conference opponent, everybody right know is fighting for their lives and fighting for a playoff spot."

After watching the Mavericks erase a 20-point deficit, the Jazz rode a 16-0 fourth-quarter run to rally back for the victory, their 16th straight at home, three shy of a team record.

Two nights after dishing out 19 assists in a road win over Memphis, Williams outdid himself, making Dallas' newly acquired star point guard Jason Kidd look old in the process.

Of course, it didn't hurt that Williams' teammates weren't missing. Jazz All-Stars Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur were a combined 11-for-12 in the first half alone as Utah exploded for a 25-6 lead over the first six minutes of the game.

However, another former All-Star was taken out of the equation early on. Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko, one of six Jazz players who average in double-figures in scoring, left the floor just five minutes into the first quarter with a right hip injury after being taken down on a flagrant foul by Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki.

Kirilenko laid on the ground for several minutes before finally getting up, knocking down a pair of free throws and then getting escorted to the locker room. Initial X-rays were inconclusive, but he was taken to the hospital during the game for further observation.

In New York, Chris Paul scored 27 points and had a hand in three clutch baskets in the final minutes, leading the New Orleans Hornets over the New York Knicks 100-88.

Tyson Chandler added 15 points and 18 rebounds for the Hornets, who made sure the Knicks will suffer their seventh straight losing season. They did it by controlling the final minutes behind Paul, who finished with eight assists, five rebounds and three steals.

In Los Angeles, Andre Iguodala scored 18 points, five of his teammates also scored in double figures, and the Philadelphia 76ers avoided a letdown after their upset win at Phoenix.

Samuel Dalembert had 12 points and 12 rebounds, helping Philadelphia win for the 10th time in 13 games. The 76ers, trying to earn their first playoff berth since 2005, are a game ahead of eighth-place New Jersey and two ahead of ninth-place Atlanta in the Eastern Conference.

Agencies

(China Daily 03/05/2008 page22)