Deron Williams may have scored 11 points in the first half, but they were not the result of quality play. At times the Utah point guard was openly exasperated with not only his effort but that of the Jazz team.
Williams made four of seven shots, but committed three turnovers, while Carlos Boozer was just two of seven as the Nuggets built their 19-point lead in the second half. A late 9-0 spurt, capped with scores by Andrei Kirilenko and Ronnie Brewer, pulled Utah with 10 points, 47-37, at the half.
The Jazz went on a 17-0 run spanning halftime to push themselves back into the contest.
"I was disappointed in the turnovers," he said. "It got under my skin."
Williams play the second half mirrored that of his teammates as they overcame a 19-point first half Denver lead to beat the Nuggets 97-91 for their 10th consecutive victory. The Jazz came alive in the third.
Williams scored 12 of his 25 points and dished off for three assists of his 11 assists as the Jazz outscored the Nuggets 36-22. Williams had as many assists as the entire Nuggets team.
"We came out [in the second half] like we wanted to play," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. "We did a much better job of having everyone involved.
"D-Will just kept playing."
While Williams was spreading the ball and C.J. Miles and Brewer were converting key baskets, Denver's Carmelo Anthony spent much of the second half on the bench with foul trouble. In the fourth quarter, Anthony picked up his fifth foul and went to the bench with Utah in front 74-71 with 10:59 to play.
When Anthony returned with a little more than six minutes to play, the Jazz had pushed out to an 87-76 lead.
Foul shooting was also big for Utah in the third as the Jazz made 16 of 17 attempts.
"We didn't have any energy or intensity," said Williams of the Jazz first half. "The second half we came out a lot more physical. Nothing was going right in the first half. In the second half we played Utah Jazz Basketball."
martyr@sltrib.com
