Tuesday, Jan. 06, 2009

Warriors drop 9th in row at Salt Lake; lose Jackson

SALT LAKE CITY -- Paul Millsap is helping the Utah Jazz get by without Carlos Boozer.

Millsap scored 19 points and had 14 rebounds to lead the Jazz to a 119-114 victory over the Warriors on Monday night. It was his 18th consecutive double-double in place of Boozer, who has missed 23 games in a row since injuring his left knee Nov. 19. Boozer will have arthroscopic knee surgery Friday.

"Paul made a couple blocks, got a couple steals and knocked the ball out of people's hands. I thought he was terrific tonight," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. "He stays around the baskets and he stays after it."

Deron Williams had 25 points and 15 assists, Ronnie Brewer scored seven crucial points down the stretch to help the Jazz hold off the Warriors.

The Jazz won their ninth consecutive home game against the Warriors, including three victories in the 2007 Western Conference semifinal series. Golden State's last win at Utah was Nov. 25, 2005, a 94-90 triumph.

Utah led most of the way but could never break the game open from the Warriors, despite the loss of Stephen Jackson to a hamstring injury at the end of the first half. Neither team led by more than nine in the run-and-gun contest.

Mehmet Okur had 20 points and 11 rebounds and Andrei Kirilenko added 15 for the Jazz.

Corey Maggette, in his first action back from his own hamstring injury that cost him 15 games, brought the Warriors within 108-105 with two free throws.

Millsap scored and then blocked a shot that led to Brewer's dunk at the other end. Brewer added two free throws and then a three-point play with 1:14 remaining to give the Jazz a 117-110 lead and seal the win.

Jamal Crawford scored 28 and Maggette had 23 points in his return but the Warriors have now lost four of five games and were winless on their three-game road trip.

"I think our team really played extremely hard tonight. I think our team did a lot of good things," Maggette said.

Andris Biedrins had 14 points and 17 rebounds, but no other Warrior grabbed more than five boards.

Jackson strained his right hamstring on the final play of the first half against the Utah Jazz and did not return. The Warriors' leading scorer had 15 points in the opening half and was chasing Williams near midcourt when he suddenly stopped and grabbed his right thigh.

"I'm looking at the bigger picture," Crawford said, "and it's just weird for us because when somebody comes back, somebody else goes out. We got Corey back, and then Stephen went down. It's tough."

He had to be helped off the court after Williams scored in the lane and the Jazz took a 65-59 lead into the break.