Young and dangerous

OKLAHOMA CITY – Some lingering leftovers from Oklahoma City, where the Jazz – idle until playing host to Houston on Tuesday night – held on Friday night to beat the Thunder …

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Along with Portland, Dallas and San Antonio, the Jazz are on the long list of NBA Western Conference playoff contenders that have lost to the 19-win Thunder in Oklahoma City this season.
No wonder they were so happy to get out of here with a win this time.
“It would be real sad if we lost this one,” power forward Paul Millsap said. “But give them credit. They’re a tough team at home.”
“I think their coach (Scott Brooks, who took over on an interim basis in November in place of the fired P.J. Carlesimo) is doing a great job over there,” point guard Deron Williams added. “This time of year … they’re playing great. They’re playing like playoff teams, and they’re dangerous. This team is well-coached. They have great players, and some young stars. And they will be a threat in a couple years.”

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Jazz coach Jerry Sloan – who was particularly pleased with the play of Millsap, Williams and starting shooting guard Ronnie Brewer on Friday – liked his team’s intensity at the start against the Thunder, but thought they got lulled at times.
“When we got into a stretch there when they got back into the ballgame, we started taking shots on our own,” he said. “And that doesn’t give you much of a chance to make them play any defense at all.”

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Sloan really was less than thrilled with shooting guard Kyle Korver’s decision to chunk the ball downcourt from the opposite baseline – it resulted in a final-minute turnover – rather than simply call a timeout while trying to protect the lead Friday night.
“That’s why we have it,” he said of the timeout option. “Try to save ‘em for those dramatic passes. But that’s part of basketball. We all make mistakes.”

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