Houston • Gordon Hayward’s season- and game-high 29 points led the Jazz to a 103-91 victory against the Rockets on Wednesday at Toyota Center.

Goran Dragic’s 19 points topped Houston.

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER ANALYSIS

The First: Jazz 30, Rockets 26

Utah plays well on the offensive end but can’t contain Houston’s two-guard attack, and it’s 19-13 Rockets midway through the quarter. Gordon Hayward keeps firing, though, ending up with 12 points on 3-of-4 shooting.

The Second: Jazz 56, Rockets 46

Six consecutive points by Paul Millsap stretch Utah’s lead to 38-26. A 10-0 Houston run follows, peaking with a 3-pointer by Chase Budinger. Then Hayward and Millsap regain control.

The Third: Jazz 80, Rockets 67

Utah’s attack doesn’t stop. Hayward keeps hitting, Millsap continues to pound, and the Jazz completely outwork Houston. Utah’s blitz hits 78-60 late in the period.

The Fourth: Jazz 103, Rockets 91

story continues below

Houston finally comes to life. Kyle Lowry wakes the Rockets up, then drills a 3 that cuts Utah’s lead to 87-83. But the Jazz go big while Jamaal Tinsley runs point, and Utah finishes the Rockets off.

Jazz-Rockets boxscore

Western Conference playoff standings

Twitter: @tribjazz

Copyright 2012 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Devin Harris scored 25 points, including 11 straight in the fourth quarter, and the Utah Jazz halted the San Antonio Spurs’ 11-game winning streak and boosted their own playoff hopes with a 91-84 victory Monday night.

Paul Millsap added 18 points for the Jazz, who avenged a 114-104 road loss Sunday to the Spurs.

Utah (30-28) is injury riddled but the Spurs (40-15) were short-handed in a different way, choosing not to bring stars Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili for the rematch. Coach Gregg Popovich wanted that trio, averaging 46.8 points, to rest.

Gary Neal and Tiago Splitter scored 14 points apiece, and DeJuan Blair added 13 in San Antonio’s first loss since March 17.

The Jazz were down eight, and pulled within two before Harris scored 11 straight, including a pair of 3-pointers. Millsap’s follow dunk sealed it for the Jazz, who won despite 20 turnovers.

Utah had lost its three previous meetings this season to San Antonio by nearly a 10-point margin and went 0-3 against the Spurs last season.

But Popovich called it a “no brainer” to rest Duncan, Parker and Ginobili when he looked at San Antonio’s upcoming schedule.

The Spurs play three games in four days starting with the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. They have 11 games remaining in the condensed season and already have locked up a playoff spot.

Popovich wasn’t worried about securing the No. 1 overall seed but “trying to survive.”

The Jazz are trying to do the same, as they entered Monday’s game in 10th place, 1 1/2 games out of the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot.

Both teams looked out of sorts early, with the Jazz starting 1 of 7 with a pair of turnovers and the Spurs starting 1 of 6.

Much of it could be attributed to makeshift lineups both teams put together.

With their stars at home, the Spurs started Patty Mills, Boris Diaw and Stephen Jackson. The Jazz, missing small forwards Josh Howard (knee) and C.J. Miles (calf) because of injury, started DeMarre Carroll, who was on his fourth team in three years and making only his second career start in 99 games.

While veteran Al Jefferson got things rolling for the Jazz with eight points on 4-of-6 shooting in the first quarter, Blair carried the Spurs early.

Blair, whom Popovich sat Sunday to give him a rest, led the Spurs with 11 points in the first quarter on 5-of-7 shooting.

The Jazz took a 23-19 lead into the second quarter and bumped it to 30-23 on a spin move inside by Derrick Favors.

Neal, Mills and Splitter brought San Antonio back with seven points apiece in the second quarter as the Spurs pulled within 47-44 at the break.

The Spurs looked in control in the fourth, when they surged ahead 75-67 on a free throw by Splitter.

But Jamaal Tinsley hit a jumper, then Harris took over. He finished 7 of 17, but 3 of 7 from beyond the arc, and made 8 of 12 free throws.

Gordon Hayward added 16 points, and Jefferson had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Notes: Hall of Famer John Stockton was in attendance and received a standing ovation from the crowd when he was announced and shown on the big screen. … Utah signed NBA D-League sharp-shooter Blake Ahearn to a 10-day contract Monday. … The Jazz announced backup point guard Earl Watson would have surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee. He is out indefinitely. … Miles won’t travel with the team on its three-game road trip because of a strained left calf. … Jazz F Jeremy Evans sprained his right ankle in the third quarter and did not return.

SALT LAKE CITY — In the middle of the season when the shots weren’t falling and he was struggling on the court, Devin Harris was the subject of some trade rumors. But not from the Utah Jazz.

“Not by us, not by us,” Utah Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin insisted Tuesday.

Right now, the Jazz couldn’t be happier with Harris, who has been one of the team’s most consistent players since the All-Star break. He has almost single-handedly willed the Jazz to a couple of victories, including Monday night’s come-from-behind win over San Antonio.

In that game, he scored a game-high 25 points, including 12 in the fourth-quarter when the Jazz outscored the Spurs 27-16. That came on the heels of an 18-point game the night before and a 28-point game two days earlier against Golden State when he sank 8-of-13 shots, including 5-of-8 from 3-point range.

Harris is looking more like the player who made the NBA All-Star team three years ago, and he’ll be a big key to Utah’s hopes over the next four days when the Jazz play three important road games beginning tonight in Houston. The Jazz are missing five players due to injuries, including three guards, and will need Harris to keep up his hot play of late.

When asked why Harris has been playing better the past few weeks, the first word Corbin used was “speed.”

“He’s done a great job of pushing the ball down the floor,” he said. “He uses his speed to get on top of the basket and break defenses down. But he can finish in the lane and we can put the ball in his hands in the pick and roll more and he attacks the basket or makes the proper passes to his teammates.”

Besides his speed, Harris has been most noticeable in his ability to knock down long jumpers. In the last three games, Harris has sunk 11-of-22 3-pointers, bringing his 3-point percentage up to 35.1 on the season.

“His confidence in his jump shot has gotten a lot better, because he’s making shots,” Corbin said. “We’ve struggled all year but he’s been making timely 3-pointers for us of late. He’s worked his butt off all year to get to this point and now the work that he put in earlier is starting to pay off for him.”

Since the All-Star break, Harris is averaging 13.2 points per game, above his career average of 13.0. Before the All-Star game, he averaged just 9.1 points per game. In fact, there was a stretch where he didn’t even reach double figures in 11 of 17 games and went scoreless in one game and scored less than three points in three others.

The Jazz got a gift from San Antonio on Monday night, but they almost forgot to open it.

Despite the fact Spurs’ stars Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili were resting, Utah needed a fierce rally in the final nine minutes to score a 91-84 victory at EnergySolutions Arena.

Devin Harris finished with 25 points, including 11 straight during the fourth-quarter comeback, to help the Jazz stay close in the Western Conference playoff race.

“We were a little flat,” coach Tyrone Corbin said. “But we toughed it out when we needed to.”

Paul Millsap scored 18 points for Utah, including two on a thunderous rebound dunk with 43.6 seconds left that gave the Jazz an 88-82 lead.

Millsap, still recovering from a bout with the stomach flu, saw Al Jefferson’s 17-footer bounce off the rim and soared for the critical putback despite a diminishing energy level.

“I jumped higher than I expected to,” he said. “I felt like I wasn’t going to make it at first. But I got there.”

According to Millsap, the Jazz were motivated by San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich’s decision to play them without Duncan, Parker and Ginobili.

None of Spurs’ Big Three even made the trip after their 114-104 win over Utah on Monday night in the first game of this home-and-home series.

“It’s kind of a slap in our face that they aren’t playing three of their top guys,” Millsap said. “We recognized it and I think that was the motivation that got us over the hump. That got us through, just thinking about that.”

story continues below

The game was like a trip to the dentist for the Jazz, who struggled and squirmed and found themselves trailing, 75-67, with 8:48 remaining.

Jamaal Tinsley’s critical jumper ignited Utah, which used a 21-7 run to overtake San Antonio.

The Spurs converted only three of 15 possessions during the stretch that kept the Jazz’s playoff hopes alive.

“Aggressive defense,” Corbin said. “I mean, we took our defense up to another level. We got aggressive with our hands. The guys on the ball were aggressive and closed out. They got some 3-point shots, but they were contested shots.”

Gordon Hayward re-entered the game with 7:02 left and seemed to trigger the defensive intensity.

“We were more active,” he said. “We made passes difficult. They are a good team. They run their offense pretty well. They make sharp cuts and sharp passes. So they are hard to defend. But I think we were a little more active toward the end.”

Offensively, Harris provided the boost that Jefferson was unable to do against the Spurs, who fronted him throughout the game and limited him to only 12 shots.

Next Page >

Copyright 2012 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

SALT LAKE CITY The MRI results for injured Utah Jazz players Earl Watson and C.J. Miles did not reveal encouraging news.

Watson will undergo surgery to repair a torn medial meniscus in his injured left knee, which he hurt in the first half of the Jazz’s 114-104 loss at San Antonio on Sunday night.

The backup point guard and inspirational leader is out indefinitely and likely for the remainder of the 2011-12 season. A timeframe for his return will not be provided until after his yet-to-be-scheduled surgery.

Miles was shown to have a moderate strain of his left calf muscle. He will not play tonight and won’t travel with the Jazz on their three-game road trip, which begins Wednesday in Houston.

“They’ve been great for us all year,” Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said. “We’re really going to miss them. It’s just unfortuante they got hurt last night. … We’ll support them fully. Hopefully, they’ll recover quickly and will miss them while they’re out.”

Corbin will start small forward DeMarre Carroll in Miles’ spot. Carroll scored a career-high 16 points in the second half alone of the Spurs’ game Sunday.

Speaking of the Spurs, the Western Conference’s leading team will not have any of its top three players for tonight’s quick rematch.

Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili did not travel with the Spurs for this game.

The Jazz also announced the signing of D-League leading scorer Blake Ahearn to a 10-day contract.

Email: jody@desnews.com

San Antonio • The Jazz will return home hobbled. More beaten up than they’ve been at any point this season. Possibly down to 10 active players, two of which are rookies, four of which are 22 or younger. Needing every ounce of strength and willpower that’s kept them fighting thus far.

Utah lost two key athletes Sunday during a 114-104 defeat to the Spurs, and the Jazz’s playoff hopes took another hit.

Starting shooting guard C.J. Miles (strained left calf) and backup point guard Earl Watson (sore right knee) left the game during the second quarter and didn’t return. Miles wore a protective boot afterward, Watson was on crutches, and both will undergo magnetic-resonance imaging exams Monday.

“I can’t even walk,” said Watson, who initially was placed in a wheelchair.

Meanwhile, a Jazz (29-28) team that’s dropped six of nine fell back into 10th place in the Western Conference. Utah’s a half-game behind ninth-place Phoenix – who holds a tiebreaker – and 1.5 games behind eighth-place Denver with just nine contests left in the 2011-12 season.

With starters Josh Howard and Raja Bell already out of action, the Jazz exited the AT&T Center knowing their options are increasingly becoming limited.

Utah’s proved multiple times this season it shouldn’t be counted out, and the Jazz’s depth has been one of its biggest strengths. But due to the oddity of the lockout-compressed schedule, Utah will host a deeper, more rested San Antonio (40-14) squad Monday at EnergySolutions Arena.

The Spurs have won 11 consecutive contests, they destroyed the Jazz during the first half Sunday – shooting 60.6 percent from the field and holding a 57-38 lead with 28.9 seconds to go – and San Antonio didn’t play starting center DeJuan Blair or reserve guard Stephen Jackson during round one.

Drawing even against the Spurs on back-to-back nights was a challenge before Utah tipped off Monday. Doing it with possibly just 10 active players only increases the stakes.

“We just have to pick it up. … We’re just going to have to go with what we have,” Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said. “Our guys have been tremendous responding all year and we expect that to continue.”

story continues below

Sunday, Utah had to dig to the bottom of its well just to claw back from a 19-point deficit.

Little-used reserve small forward DeMarre Carroll showed why Utah General Manager Kevin O’Connor signed him in early February. After not playing during the first half, an energized Carroll leapt off the bench to pour in a career-high 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting – including 3 of 4 behind the 3-point line – helping the Jazz pull within 108-100 with 2 minutes and 14 seconds to go.

But speedy Spurs point guard Tony Parker was simply too much. He continually destroyed Utah in the pick-and-roll, burned Utah starting point guard Devin Harris with body fakes during crucial moments, and finished with a game-high 28 points – including 10 of 10 from the foul line – as San Antonio closed the contest like the best team record-wise in the West should.

“Tony kind of decided he wasn’t going to let them come back and he did what he did,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “That’s pretty awesome there.”

Add in 14-of-15 shooting from the line by Manu Ginobili, San Antonio’s 50.7 percent shooting from the field and 45-39 edge on the boards, and everyone from Tim Duncan (game-high 16 rebounds) to Danny Green and Tiago Splitter leaving a mark, and Utah’s ego and bodies were bruised after the battle.

“It’s hard. Playing against a team like that, a veteran team, you’ve got to give yourself a chance to win once the tip start,” Jazz reserve point guard Jamaal Tinsley said. “You can’t play in spurts with a good team like that. … We’ve just got to give ourselves a chance by playing the whole 48 minutes and down the stretch.”

Minutes after Miles and Watson hobbled away, Jazz center Al Jefferson quietly sat in front of his locker. After spending nearly two minutes discussing everything from his team’s slow start – Utah allowed 30-plus points in the first quarter for the fifth time in six games – to his belief the resilient Jazz will rally Monday in front of their home crowd, Jefferson gave a cool two-word answer when asked if San Antonio’s one of the best and deepest teams Utah’s played this season.

“Um, yeah,” he said.

Copyright 2012 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Portland, Ore. • How many times has Paul Millsap delivered? Owned quarters. Destroyed opponents. Stepped up and put the Jazz on his back, carrying Utah to a resilient, thrilling victory.

Add another one to the list.

The Warrior was at his peak Monday, at times single-handedly fighting off the Portland Trail Blazers. Millsap’s final tally: a team-high 31 points on 14-of-20 shooting, a co-game-high 11 rebounds, and a gritty 102-97 victory that moved Utah back in the right direction.

The Jazz (28-26) rallied from a 14-point second-quarter deficit to collect the win, overcoming Wesley Matthews’ season- and game-high 33 points on 10-of-12 shooting.

The ex-Utah guard drilled 5 of 6 3-pointers and gave Portland (25-29) a 97-94 lead with 2 minutes and 35 seconds remaining, after sinking a 25-foot 3 from the right wing.

But the Jazz outscored the Blazers 8-0 down the stretch, with everyone from Al Jefferson and Gordon Hayward to Jamaal Tinsley and Millsap rising up.

“We needed this win bad, and it showed how we played out there,” Millsap said. “We got down big early. But the will not to want to lose — the will to make it to that next level to get into the playoffs — it came out.”

Utah also stayed in contention. Before the Jazz’s comeback began, eighth-place Houston had already downed Chicago. A loss would have put Utah two games behind the Rockets with just 12 games left in the season. But Millsap’s explosion kept the Jazz above .500, only a game away from Houston and just 2.5 behind fifth-place Memphis.

“We talked about it so much and it sound like a broken record, but these guys have a lot of character and a lot of pride,” Utah coach Tyrone Corbin said. “They’re disappointed in that first quarter, which is exactly what we didn’t want to happen — them getting 35 points in it. But you know what? They buckled down and made some changes, and the guys responded very well and they laid it all out there.”

Part of the change was moving Millsap to small forward. At the end of the 2010-11 season, the six-year veteran teamed with Derrick Favors and Jefferson on the court at the same time. During a game Monday that saw Utah lose starting point guard Devin Harris to a left ankle sprain, the Jazz suddenly turned to a lineup they hadn’t experimented with in nearly a year.

story continues below

Millsap responded by carrying Utah home. He scored 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting during the second half, while the Jazz outscored the Blazers 80-62 during the final three quarters.

“It was [Millsap], man. Because I did a terrible job on the offensive end [Monday], and Paul just stepped up,” said Jefferson, who scored 13 points but was 6 of 17 from the field. “He took advantage at the 3, having a smaller guy on him. He took advantage of it at the 4 — he quicker than most 4s. He just played smart basketball. … That’s who he is. That’s what he represent.”

While Portland shot 54.5 percent (12 of 22) behind the 3-point line, the Blazers were hollow inside. Favors recorded 11 points and a co-game-high 11 boards, Hayward added 20 points — with key baskets coming via dunks and tip-ins — and the Jazz outscored Portland 56-34 in the paint.

After falling behind 35-22 and looking nothing like a team that’s eyeing the best possible seed it can grab in the playoffs, Utah responded with the perfect answer: Jazz basketball.

“You can’t think. You’ve got to just get out there and just play,” Millsap said. “You’ve got to let your skillwork speak for itself. You can’t worry about losing a game or, really, winning a game. It’s just getting out there and playing to the best of your ability. And at the end of the day, it’ll work out for you.”

Briefly

Next Page >

Copyright 2012 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Raja Bell mystery has been solved — for now, at least.

The veteran shooting guard is out indefinitely after receiving an injection of hyalgan in his left knee Monday by a doctor in Miami. The lubricating medicine is used to treat pain caused by osteoarthritis, according to WebMD.com.

The 35-year-old left the team during its road trip last week, staying behind in Atlanta and then traveling to Florida to receive additional opinions on his ailing left knee.

Bell will return to Utah to be re-evaluated by team orthopedist Dr. Lyle Mason on Wednesday morning. The Jazz host Phoenix that night.

Bell, who hasn’t played since March 15, is hoping to avoid season-ending microfracture surgery.

“We want to make sure we do the right thing for the player and he have to be comfortable with it,” Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said before Monday’s game. “Raja is a veteran guy and we support him in whatever his decision is there.”

Bell’s left knee gave him occasional soreness at times this season, so he underwent an MRI on March 12. Dr. Mason diagnosed his knee as showing signs of mild damage to the structure of his knee consistent of somebody who’d been in the league for 12 years.

That came while Bell was out with a strained adductor, a situation that caused some confusion and mystery.

Bell’s groin recovered and he felt good enough to play, but the Jazz held him out because the veteran and his agent wanted to get a second opinion to see if alternatives to surgery were out there.

Bell’s MRI results were sent to a doctor in Charlotte, N.C. Bell then received permission to leave the team to be evaluated again and receive a third opinion in Miami.

That was a week ago, and neither the Jazz nor Bell’s camp provided any updates until Monday.

The 2011-12 season has been somewhat of a rollercoaster ride for Bell. He reported to camp in excellent shape and was lauded for his hard work and leadership from Day 1 by Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin.

In return, Bell was rewarded the starting shooting guard spot that he relinquished to Gordon Hayward at the end of last season. Bell started in all 33 games he played, averaging 6.6 points on a career-best 47.9 percent shooting.

Part of Bell’s season was hampered by groin injuries. He missed a total of 17 games due to strained adductors.

PORTLAND — Paul Millsap led the Jazz (28-25) to a an inconsistent but comeback-themed 102-97 win over Portland (25-29) Monday night in Oregon. Former Jazz swingman Wesley Matthews scored 33 points to lead the Blazers.

Guards: Devin Harris provided nine points and four assists in nearly 14 minutes, but Earl Watson’s 0-of-5 effort in less than 17 mintes wasn’t much worse than Jamaal Tinsley’s 1-of-4 shooting in 18. However, Tinsley provided six dimes. Hayward’s 20 points (on 6-of-12 shooting) in 40 minutes didn’t quite match the 33 that Wesley Matthews scored in the same amount of time. At least Portland’s Raymond Felton shot 2-of-10, though he offset that with nine rebounds and eight assists. GRADE: C+

Forwards: C.J. Miles may have started, but he played just seven minutes, his lowest total since a four-minute contest at Golden State on Jan. 7. It was Derrick Favors who played starter’s minutes, logging 35 while notching a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Millsap gave one of his finest performances of the season with 31 points on 14-of-20 shooting and 11 rebounds, though his Portland counterpart LaMarcus Aldridge scored 27 points on 11-of-22 shooting. Millsap tied his high point total for the season. GRADE: B+

Centers: With Millsap doing so much of the offensive damage inside, Al Jefferson took a back seat with 13 points, shooting just 6-of-17. However, with 10 rebounds, he far out-played Joel Przybilla, who went scoreless with three rebounds in 22 minutes. Jefferson’s point total was his lowest since a March 15 win over Minnesota, 10 games ago. GRADE: C

Bench: The Utah bench outscored the Portland reserves 25-17 on poor overall play from both sides, led by Favors’ 11. No one else scored more than six (Alec Burks, on 2-of-8 shooting). The Blazers’ leading bench man for the game, J.J. Hickson, shot just 2-of-8 and had problems with Millsap and Favors, who shot 5-of-7. It was a refreshing bounce back offensively for Favors, who shot just 6-of-32 in the previous four games. Overall, Utah’s bench shot just 10-of-26 from the field, though the Blazers were worse at 6-of-19. GRADE: C-

Overall: Millsap, Hayward and Favors gave the Jazz enough firepower to carry the rest of the club. Outside of those three, Utah shot just 16-of-45 (35.6 percent). Outside shooting remained a problem, as the team shot just 4-of-15 from 3-point land. They remained poor from the perimeter defensively, allowing Portland to shoot 12-of-22. Give the Jazz credit, however, for a road win after rallying from a double-digit deficit after the first quarter. The second and third periods couldn’t have been much better. GRADE: C+

Rhett Wilkinson majoring in communications and political science at Utah State University. He has previously been an intern for the Deseret News. He can be reached at rhett.wilkinson@yahoo.com or at Twitter: wilklogan

Many things can transpire over the course of a 48-minute game. After getting down by double-digits minutes into the game, the Utah Jazz took their time and capitalized on stellar second and third quarters to steal a huge road victory over division rivals Portland Trailblazers, 102-97.

The win kept the Jazz right in the thick of things, just one game behind the Houston Rockets for the eighth playoff seed. Meanwhile, Portland continues their inconsistent play, dropping to 25-29 on the season.

Middle quarters: Portland came out on all cylinders, hitting jump shot after jump shot. At one point, they had drained seven of eight (87.5 percent) three-pointers. With 5:47 left in the second quarter, the Trailblazers increased their lead to 48-34. It was then that the Utah Jazz took control.

Over the span of the next 11 minutes, the Jazz went on a remarkable 37-12 run. Behind offensive forays by Paul Millsap and Gordon Hayward, the terrific defense of Derrick Favors, and the playmaking of Jamaal Tinsley, Utah took control of the game’s momentum. While it see-sawed down the stretch—including a 97-94 deficit with 2:34 left—Utah used this integral run to propel them to the win.

Big line-up: For the first time this season, Utah head coach Tyrone Corbin went with a new line-up that caused mismatches with its length, versatility, and tenacity. The non-traditional line-up of Al Jefferson, Favors, Millsap, Hayward, and Devin Harris opened up things in the second quarter. Tinsley came in when Harris suffered an ankle injury and the line-up did not skip a beat.

Fantastic frontcourt: It is difficult for teams to lose when three players finish the game with double-doubles. No one was bigger Monday evening than Paul Millsap. He hit crucial shots all night, especially in the fourth quarter as he countered Portland’s clutch shooting time after time. When the game finished, his hard work and smooth moves resulted in 31 points on 14 of 20 field goals, along with 11 rebounds.

While his numbers may not scream out, Favors’ presence made the Jazz extremely formidable defensively and on the boards. He finished with 11 rebounds and 11 points in 31 minutes. It was a rare opportunity for the second-year forward to play alongside the starting bigs.

Jefferson’s shot was off, as he struggled against a long defender in LaMarcus Aldridge. He still managed to contribute 13 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists for Utah.

Last but not least, Hayward played a good part of his minutes at the small forward slot. So when you add his 20 points (including three triples), the Jazz front court were the main drivers behind the win.

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Utah Jazz played with fire again.

But this time they did the burning.

For the fourth time in five road contests, the Jazz fell behind by double-digits. Just like in those previous games, Utah scraped and clawed its way back into it.

Unlike in Atlanta, Boston and Los Angeles, however, the Jazz not only overtook the Portland Trail Blazers, but they held on for an unlikely 102-97 victory at the Rose Garden.

Before the game, Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin talked about how important it was for his players to know what situations they were in, and they responded in a big way in this near must-win game.

“We needed this win bad, and it showed how we played out there,” Jazz forward Paul Millsap said. “We got down big early, but the will not to lose, the will to want to make it to that next level … it came out.”

Because of situations, some funky lineups, clutch performances, never-surrender rallies and, honestly, some old-fashioned good luck also came out.

The Jazz actually had to come back twice — once from a 14-point hole in the first half and then again from a 97-94 deficit in the final three minutes after the Blazers erased their 11-point lead.

“I thought our guys did a great job of just staying in there and fighting it out,” Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said.

Nobody fought harder than Millsap, who had a toxic game against the Trail Blazers with 31 points and 11 rebounds. Millsap’s dunk with 1:11 left after a Raymond Felton turnover gave the Jazz the lead for good.

Millsap added another bucket — off of a Jamaal Tinsley steal and assist — with 20 seconds remaining.

The Jazz then sealed the losing-streak-snapping victory when Nicolas Batum missed a tying 3-point attempt, and Gordon Hayward grabbed the rebound and then hit a pair of free throws.

“P-Diddy, what can you say about him? The guy always getting his numbers any way he can get it,” Tinsley said about Millsap. “We rely on him, Al (Jefferson), down in the paint. Gordon had a good game. It was an overall win for us.”

The win improved Utah’s record to 28-26, keeping the Jazz a full game behind also-victorious Houston for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Hayward finished with 20 points for the Jazz, who also got double-doubles from Jefferson (13 points, 11 rebounds) and Derrick Favors (11 points, 11 boards).

Portland, Ore. • How many times has Paul Millsap delivered? Owned quarters. Destroyed opponents. Stepped up and put the Jazz on his back, carrying Utah to a resilient, thrilling victory.

Add another one to the list.

The Warrior was at his peak Monday, at times single-handedly fighting off the Portland Trail Blazers. Millsap’s final tally: a team-high 31 points on 14-of-20 shooting, a co-game-high 11 rebounds, and a gritty 102-97 victory that moved Utah back in the right direction.

The Jazz (28-26) rallied from a 14-point second-quarter deficit to collect the win, overcoming Wesley Matthews’ season- and game-high 33 points on 10-of-12 shooting.

The ex-Utah guard drilled 5 of 6 3-pointers and gave Portland (25-29) a 97-94 lead with 2 minutes and 35 seconds remaining, after sinking a 25-foot 3 from the right wing.

But the Jazz outscored the Blazers 8-0 down the stretch, with everyone from Al Jefferson and Gordon Hayward to Jamaal Tinsley and Millsap rising up.

“We needed this win bad, and it showed how we played out there,” Millsap said. “We got down big early. But the will not to want to lose — the will to make it to that next level to get into the playoffs — it came out.”

Utah also stayed in contention. Before the Jazz’s comeback began, eighth-place Houston had already downed Chicago. A loss would have put Utah two games behind the Rockets with just 12 games left in the season. But Millsap’s explosion kept the Jazz above .500, only a game away from Houston and just 2.5 behind fifth-place Memphis.

“We talked about it so much and it sound like a broken record, but these guys have a lot of character and a lot of pride,” Utah coach Tyrone Corbin said. “They’re disappointed in that first quarter, which is exactly what we didn’t want to happen — them getting 35 points in it. But you know what? They buckled down and made some changes, and the guys responded very well and they laid it all out there.”

Part of the change was moving Millsap to small forward. At the end of the 2010-11 season, the six-year veteran teamed with Derrick Favors and Jefferson on the court at the same time. During a game Monday that saw Utah lose starting point guard Devin Harris to a left ankle sprain, the Jazz suddenly turned to a lineup they hadn’t experimented with in nearly a year.

story continues below

Millsap responded by carrying Utah home. He scored 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting during the second half, while the Jazz outscored the Blazers 80-62 during the final three quarters.

“It was [Millsap], man. Because I did a terrible job on the offensive end [Monday], and Paul just stepped up,” said Jefferson, who scored 13 points but was 6 of 17 from the field. “He took advantage at the 3, having a smaller guy on him. He took advantage of it at the 4 — he quicker than most 4s. He just played smart basketball. … That’s who he is. That’s what he represent.”

While Portland shot 54.5 percent (12 of 22) behind the 3-point line, the Blazers were hollow inside. Favors recorded 11 points and a co-game-high 11 boards, Hayward added 20 points — with key baskets coming via dunks and tip-ins — and the Jazz outscored Portland 56-34 in the paint.

After falling behind 35-22 and looking nothing like a team that’s eyeing the best possible seed it can grab in the playoffs, Utah responded with the perfect answer: Jazz basketball.

“You can’t think. You’ve got to just get out there and just play,” Millsap said. “You’ve got to let your skillwork speak for itself. You can’t worry about losing a game or, really, winning a game. It’s just getting out there and playing to the best of your ability. And at the end of the day, it’ll work out for you.”

Briefly

Next Page >

Copyright 2012 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Utah Jazz fighting for playoffs against Blazers

By Jarrod Hiatt, ksl.com Contributor

April 2nd, 2012 @ 12:04pm

PORTLAND — They’re down, but they’re
not out.

For the Jazz, a three-game losing streak has dropped them
from seventh to ninth place in the Western Conference
standings — 1 ½ games behind No. 8 seed
Denver.

Saturday’s 105-96 loss to the
Clippers marked the
seventh time the Jazz had played in 10 days. As a result,
a tired Jazz team enters the month of April looking to
regain its legs and fight its way back into the playoff
race.

“We’ve been on a tough run here,” Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin
said. “You go out east for three games. You come home for
a game. You have the four-overtime game. Guys are tired, I
understand that.

“But,” Corbin added, “we have to be more diligent about
our defensive assignments, especially on the road.”

With only 13 games remaining, the Jazz enter a critical
stretch of the season, where each game becomes a must-win
as several teams in the conference are either jockeying
for a spot in the playoffs or for postseason positioning.

Only four games separate the ninth-place Jazz from
tonight’s opponent, 12-place Portland. Tenth-place
Phoenix is one game behind the Jazz and 11th-place
Minnesota is just one game behind Phoenix. Only one team
in the Western Conference has been eliminated from playoff
contention, the 13-39 New Orleans Hornets.

Only two games separate No. 5 seed Dallas from No. 8 seed
Denver. Only 3 ½ games separate the Jazz and
Mavericks.

Of the 13 games remaining, seven are against teams that
are currently seeded ahead of the Jazz. Twelve of the 13
games are against Western Conference opponents — the
exception being the Orlando Magic, the current No. 3 seed
in the East.

The Jazz play seven times at home and six on the road
while 10 of the remaining games are against teams who are
currently seeded in the playoffs or have a legitimate shot
at making the postseason.

The Jazz face a Blazers team tonight in Portland that has
still has a shot at the postseason in spite of all of the
recent changes that have taken place within the franchise.

Prior to the season, all-star guard Brandon Roy announced
his retirement due to medical reasons. At the trade
deadline, the team sent away Chris Johnson, Marcus Camby
and Gerald Wallace. The Blazers also cut former No. 1
overall pick Greg Oden and fired long-time coach Nate
McMillan.

The Blazers leading scorer and rebounder LaMarcus Aldridge
returned Sunday from a one-game absence with a sore left
elbow. Aldridge scored 26 points in his return, a 119-106
over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

In that one-game absence, Aldridge’s replacement, recently
acquired J.J. Hickson scored 29 points and grabbed
13 rebounds in that game, a win over the New Orleans
Hornets.

Tonight’s matchup against the Blazers will be the
first of three games this month between the two teams.
After tonight’s game in Portland, the Jazz will play
the Blazers again in Portland on the 18th and then will
host the regular season finale on the 26th.

The Jazz and Blazers last played on Jan 30. The Jazz, who
were without starters Al Jefferson and Raja Bell, rallied
from an 11-point, third-quarter deficit to pull off the
93-89 victory.

The game takes place at 8 p.m. at the Rose Garden in
Portland and will be televised by Root Sports.

Jarrod is a freelance writer who writes Jazz
previews for KSL.com. You can follow Jarrod Hiatt on
Twitter at @jarrodhiatt.

About the Jazz: Since winning six consecutive games in the middle of March, the Jazz has dropped three in a row and four of its last five. On Saturday, the Jazz lost 105-96 at the Los Angeles Clippers. … In 10 games this season against some of the best power forwards in the NBA (Aldridge, Kevin Love, Blake Griffin and Dirk Nowitzki), Millsap is averaging 19.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals, while shooting 48.2 percent from the field. … Millsap had 42 steals in March, the second-most in the NBA during the month. …  Utah’s bench ranks fifth in the NBA in scoring, averaging 35.8 points per game. … After starting the season 3-13 on the road, the Jazz has won five of its last 11 away from EnergySolutions Arena. Utah is 8-19 on the road this season. … Last month, reserve forward Derrick Favors became the youngest player in Jazz history to score at least 20 points in a game. During an overtime win over Golden State on March 17 — when he was 20 years, 246 days old — Favors had 23 points and 17 rebounds. … Utah trails Houston by one game for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.