Fueled by the unstoppable Mehmet Okur, the Jazz beat the Celtics tonight 110-97.
Yes, Deron Williams (22 points, 11 assists) and C.J. Miles (23 points) both had solid games. But Okur was the main reason the Jazz outscored the Celtics 33-19 in the 3rd quarter. He drained three 3s, scored on a tip-in, blocked a shot and collected just about every rebound.
The Celtics tailspin started late in the 2nd quarter. They led the game 54-42 until Utah scored the final 7 points of the quarter. The Jazz then ripped off the first 9 points on the 3rd. By my math, that's a 16-0 run.
The Celtics couldn't make shots and they couldn't get stops - a fatal combination. The offense didn't regain its rhythm until midway through the fourth quarter. Paul Pierce had 2 points (0-6 FG) in the second half.
How bad was the offense? The Cs finished with more turnovers (18) than assists (15).
The Celtics held a 21-13 rebounding advantage at the half. In the second half, Utah out-rebounded Boston 27-16.
The Celtics bench played extremely well... in the first half. Glen Davis (13 points, 5 rebounds) drew a charge and scored 5 points in his first 60 seconds on the court.
Doc Rivers got tossed with 1:11 left. Ed Malloy teed up a second technical as Doc applauded the first.