Utah Jazz Team Report - November 21

(Basketball News) - Carlos Boozer scored 20 points and hauled in 11 boards to lead Utah to a 92-79 win over Atlanta at Philips Arena.

Mehmet Okur added 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Jazz, who put an end to a two-game losing streak. Andrei Kirilenko and Gordan Giricek each contributed 11 points in the win. Kirilenko also had a game-high 14 boards while handing out seven assists and blocking seven shots.

The Jazz led by three at halftime, but opened up a 60-52 lead on Giricek’s jumper with around eight minutes left in the third quarter. Utah increased the gap to as many as nine points late in the period, however, the Hawks cut into the deficit and trailed 69-63 after three frames.

In the fourth quarter, Utah scored eight of the first nine points, capped by Boozer’s basket, to make it 77-64 with 7:46 left. Atlanta then used an 8-0 spurt and closed within five with just over five minutes left in the game, but the Jazz scored five consecutive points to claim an 82-72 lead with around four minutes left in the game.

However, the Hawks would not go away quietly as they scored the next five points to again pull within five. Atlanta, though, would not get any closer in the waning minutes as the Jazz closed the game on a 10-2 run.

Matt Harpring missed his second straight game with a bruised left knee.

Utah will return to action on Monday when they will retire John Stockton’s number against the New Orleans Hornets.