Had they won only four more road games last season, the Jazz would have finished atop the Western Conference standings and owned home-court advantage in the playoffs. And with a 37-4 record at EnergySolutions Arena, there's no telling how far they might have advanced.
But the Jazz's season was littered with bad road losses -- to every Eastern Conference team that finished out of the playoffs except Milwaukee, to the Timberwolves (twice) and Clippers (once) in the Western Conference. The Jazz finished with a 17-24 road record, promising to make amends this season. Their first chance will come with Monday's game against the Clippers in Los Angeles. It will be the second game of a home-and-home series, with the Jazz having pulled away in the second half for a 101-79 victory Saturday in Utah. The Clippers were without Baron Davis and Marcus Camby for the game.
Talking about last season's road woes, Jazz assistant coach Phil Johnson said: "I've always thought it's inexperience with our team.
"We really have a young team. We don't have a bunch of experienced guys, and I think that's really important on the road."
Monday could be the last game the Jazz will play without Deron Williams, who suffered a sprained left ankle in an Oct. 18 preseason game. Williams is targeting Wednesday's game against Portland for his return; the Jazz have gone 2-0 without him, although they have taken advantage of suspensions and injuries to their opponents.
JAZZ 101, CLIPPERS 79: Playing the second game of a back-to-back set without Baron Davis or Marcus Camby, the Clippers faded in the second half Saturday, and the Jazz pulled away with an 18-0 run that spanned the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth.
Carlos Boozer led the Jazz with 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Ronnie Brewer scored 16.
The Jazz improved to 33-1 all-time against the Clippers at EnergySolutions Arena.
