Recap: Washington vs. Utah
Sports Network | November 12, 2008
Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Caron Butler had a game-high 27 points and grabbed nine rebounds as the Washington Wizards won for the first time this season with a 95-87 triumph over the Utah Jazz.
Antawn Jamison tallied 21 points and had eight rebounds for the Wizards, who were the only remaining winless team in the NBA prior to Wednesday and were coming off a 106-81 blowout loss to the Orlando Magic on Saturday that dropped the club to 0-5.
Javale McGee notched a double-double with 13 points and 11 boards.
Carlos Boozer had 20 points and seven rebounds while C.J. Miles sported 16 points, hitting on a trio of three-pointers for the Jazz, who had won six of seven to start the season coming in.
Star point guard Deron Williams, who missed the first six games of the season with a sprained left ankle suffered in preseason action, had eight points, six rebounds and a game-high seven assists.
Utah held the lead throughout the fourth until Butler finished off a three- point play with a free throw to tie the game at 77-77 with four minutes remaining. The teams traded field goals and Butler hit two more from the line before Paul Millsap contributed a three-point play with a layup and a foul shot for an 82-81 lead.
Jamison stroked home a three, though, with two minutes to play and the Wizards went on to score the next nine points for a suddenly commanding 11-point lead and were able to stave off the Jazz from there.
The Jazz finished with a three-point edge after one quarter and Jamison gave the Wizards their first lead, 40-38, since the opening three minutes with a jumper with under four minutes to play until the half. Consecutive layups from Butler pushed the lead to six before Williams drained a three. A McGee dunk gave Washington a five-point lead, 46-41, entering the second half.
A 12-4 run capped by a Miles three put the Jazz back on top by three halfway through the third and a layup by Kosta Koufos in the final minute allowed Utah a 66-65 lead entering the fourth.
Utah swept the home-and-home season series between the two clubs last season and had won three straight against the Wizards...Utah was without center Mehmet Okur, who was excused by the team to attend to a family illness in his native Turkey and also missed the game in Philadelphia...Washington guard Antonio Daniels, who was doubtful for the game with a sore right knee, collected two assists and hit a free throw in limited action...Utah, which is in the midst of a five-game road swing, will finish its trip by visiting Charlotte and Cleveland...Koufos finished with 12 points.
