Jefferson’s late hoop leads Utah’s rally, paces Thursday’s S&Ds

Al Jefferson wasn’t sure Devin Harris’ shot would be close to the basket.

Harris joked after the game that it actually was a pass.

Fortunately for Utah, Jefferson was in the right place at the right time Thursday night. Jefferson rammed home a rebound basket for the game-winning shot with 0.9 seconds left to lead the Jazz to a 103-102 victory at Sacramento.

“It was just great to get the win, man,” Jefferson told the Salt Lake City Deseret News. “We’ll get it any way we have to.”

The final hoop capped a big night for Jefferson that included 26 points, seven rebounds and four blocks.

“I honestly thought it was a short shot,” Jefferson told the Associated Press. “I was at the basket by myself and that was the only way he could get it to me. It was a perfect pass.”

Utah rallied after squandering a 14-point second-half  lead, scoring on four of its last five shots after going almost 9 minutes without a basket.

“The greatest thing about it is that we hung in there. We didn’t hang our heads. We continued to fight,” Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin told the Deseret News. “What a big finish.”

STUDS

Utah C Al Jefferson: Hit the game-winning basket with 0.9 seconds left, part of a strong effort that included 26 points, seven rebounds and four blocks in the Jazz’s triumph at Sacramento.

New Orleans’ defense: The Hornets limited the Los Angeles Clippers  to 11 points and 17.4 percent shooting in the fourth quarter and forced them to miss their last 19 3-point attempts in their victory over  the Clippers.

Boston F Paul Pierce: Went for 25 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two blocks and was plus-10 in the Celtics’ victory at Milwaukee.

Sacramento C DeMarcus Cousins: Notched 22 points, 18 rebounds, three assists, two steals and was plus-6 in the Kings’ loss to Utah.

Houston G Goran Dragic: Produced 17 points, nine assists, three rebounds and three steals and was a game-best plus-27 in the Rockets’ victory over Golden State.

DUDS

Los Angeles Clippers G Randy Foye: Clanked through a miserable 1-for-14 shooting night and was a team-worst minus-7 in the Clippers’ loss at New Orleans.

Houston F Chase Budinger: Missed  all seven shots in the Rockets’ victory at  Golden State.

Sacramento G Isaiah Thomas: Went 4 for 10 from the field with four turnovers and was a team-worst minus-18 in the Kings’ loss to Utah.

Milwaukee C Drew Gooden: Struggled in a 2-for-12 shooting performance with two turnovers and was minus-4 in the Bucks’ loss to Boston.

Washington G Roger Mason: Missed all five shots with a turnover and was minus-6 in the Wizards’ loss to Indiana.

New Big 3 propels Spurs to 11th in a row

By Mike Monroe

SALT LAKE CITY — About to send his team out against the Utah Jazz on Monday night at EnergySolutions Arena without a key starter and a valued reserve, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was asked how his team would cope.

“We just have to play with whoever is left,” he said.

Those players who remained, even without guard Manu Ginobili and center Tiago Splitter, were enough to score a 106-102 victory that extended the NBA’s longest winning streak of the lockout-shortened season to 11 games. It included All-Star point guard Tony Parker, forward Tim Duncan and reserve big man Matt Bonner, who combined for 63 points, each scoring at least 20.

“Yes,” Duncan said, chuckling, poking a bit of fun at Bonner. “We’re a new Big Three.”

Duncan found easy humor after Monday’s game because the Spurs continue to win regardless of circumstance, but he made certain to acknowledge what Bonner was able to do for a team that could ill-afford to play from the inside out without Splitter, who has been so good in the post this season.

“Matty was key for us tonight,” Duncan said. “He was great for us. They have some talented bigs down there, and to be able to spread the floor and continue to score points for us when we really needed it (was big).

“When he plays like that, our team is that much better.”

The biggest shot Monday came from Richard Jefferson. Scoreless through the first three quarters, Jefferson nailed a 3-pointer from the right corner to give the Spurs a 105-100 lead with 6.5 seconds remaining.

“You just have to have a lot of confidence in yourself,” Jefferson said. “I haven’t shot the ball well or played particularly well lately, but you have to be ready when you get the opportunity.”

When the Spurs departed on their rodeo road trip Feb. 6, they were 16-7 but just 3-8 on the road. Monday’s win was their seventh on the nine-game swing that will continue tonight in Portland, and they already are assured the second-most wins since the annual trek began in the 2002-03 season.

That they were able to overcome a 13-point third-quarter deficit resulted from a resolve that Duncan finds gratifying and slightly amazing.

“Presistence,” Duncan said after putting in nearly 38 minutes after logging more than 41 in an overtime victory Saturday against the Clippers. “We stuck with it. We came out in the second half and didn’t play well, and (the Jazz) got themselves a nice lead, but that shows the character of the team that has shown up in the last 10 or 15 games.

“We’re really starting to turn a corner. We kept on playing, kept on making plays, got in the penalty early in the fourth quarter and kept using it.”

Duncan was on the court for all but 1:07 of the fourth quarter, and Parker worked the final 9:05, directing most of the offensive thrust.

“Tony’s an All-Star and did what he’s been doing for us all year: Scoring, finding people, playing tough defense, being a leader,” Popovich said. “We had a lot of people participate tonight. I thought Tim was his same solid self. What he does for us defensively doesn’t show up, but he rebounded, he scored, and we ran the ball through him for a lot of the game.

“Those two guys were magnificent, and the bench was good again.”

Popovich got a surprise spark off the bench from James Anderson, the second-year guard whose playing time has been limited this season. Though he played just 7??1/2 minutes, he made a 3-pointer in the third period during the rally from 13 down and hit a twisting, left-handed hook shot in the fourth period.

mikemonroe@express-news.net

– Associated Press photos

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Spurs 106, Jazz 102: Feb. 20, 2012


Spurs forward DeJuan Blair (45) takes a shot while defended by Jazz forward Paul Millsap (24) and guard Gordon Hayward (20) during the first half on an NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Jim Urquhart) (AP)


Spurs forward DeJuan Blair (45) goes for a rebound while defended by Jazz forwards C.J. Miles (34) and Paul Millsap (24) during the first half on an NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Jim Urquhart) (AP)


Spurs center Tim Duncan, right, is defended by Jazz forward Paul Millsap during the first half on a NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Jim Urquhart) (AP)


Spurs center Tim Duncan (21) attempts a shot while defended by Jazz center Al Jefferson, left, forwards Paul Millsap, second from right and C.J. Miles (34) during the first half on a NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Jim Urquhart) (AP)


Jazz center Al Jefferson, left, is defended by Spurs center Tim Duncan (21) during the first half on a NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Jim Urquhart) (AP)


Utah Jazz forward Paul Millsap (24) attempts a shot while defended by San Antonio Spurs forward Matt Bonner, right, during the second half on a NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, in Salt Lake City. The Spurs won 106-102. (AP Photo/Jim Urquhart) (AP)


San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich argues a call during the second half on a NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, in Salt Lake City. The Spurs won 106-102. (AP Photo/Jim Urquhart) (AP)


Utah Jazz head coach Tyrone Corbin argues a call during the first half on a NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, in Salt Lake City. The Spurs won 106-102. (AP Photo/Jim Urquhart) (AP)


Utah Jazz forward Paul Millsap (24) and San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan (21) jockey for position during the second half on a NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, in Salt Lake City. The Spurs won 106-102. (AP Photo/Jim Urquhart) (AP)


San Antonio Spurs guard Gary Neal, left, and San Antonio Spurs forward Matt Bonner (15) reacts after a play during the second half on a NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, in Salt Lake City. The Spurs won 106-102. (AP Photo/Jim Urquhart) (AP)


San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9) works to get around Utah Jazz forward Paul Millsap (24) during the second half on an NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, in Salt Lake City. The Spurs won 106-102. (AP Photo/Jim Urquhart) (AP)


San Antonio Spurs forward Matt Bonner, left, shoots over Utah Jazz’s Paul Millsap during the second half on a NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, in Salt Lake City. The Spurs won 106-102. (AP Photo/Jim Urquhart) (AP)

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What the Spurs and Jazz said after Saturday’s game

Here, courtesy of the crack transcribers and notetakers of the Spurs media services office, is a sampling of the post-game comments after the Spurs’ 111-102 victory over Utah Saturday night.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich

“It was a good night. It’s always good night when you get a win, but we were able to get a good workout. Everybody played their minutes which we wanted to do tonight. Now we try to plan for next week.”

(On Richard Jefferson)

“I thought he and Tiago both were really aggressive. Richard caught it and shot it and caught it and drove it. He did a great job in that regard. That scoring really makes us different; it really takes a load off of everybody else.”

(On Tiago Splitter)

“Tiago is just that blue collar, steel worker sort of attitude. It’s like he’s right out of the steel mill; been working in there all his life and he knows what it’s like to work. He’s unbelievable.”

Tony Parker

“Great win for us. Everybody played well and I think we’ll see the same thing in the next two games, everybody getting a lot of minutes and at the same time, all the starters getting some rest. So I think it’s a great thing.”

(On if he was trying to get the ball to Richard Jefferson)

“Not really. He was open. Everybody was in the paint and that’s what they gave us tonight, the corner threes and Richard shot the ball well.”

(On Tiago Splitter’s play)

“He played great, very physical, a lot of energy. Pop gave him a lot of minutes and he played well, so hopefully he can keep it going the next two games and see what he can give us during the playoffs.”

(On if he got nervous when the lead got cut to six in the fourth quarter)

“Not really. I thought overall we controlled the game and I was not really worried.”

Tim Duncan

(On Tiago Splitter’s play)

“He played great. He got some very good minutes. I know he got tired, he was out there for a long time. He played great, played hard, great rebounding effort, and good to get those minutes and good experience right now.”

(On how the Spurs balance rest and staying in a rhythm for the playoffs)

“I think Pop is trying to do exactly what he’s doing right now. He’s trying to get us good minutes. We’re trying to win these games obviously, but we’re trying to play the right amount of minutes and make sure everyone’s healthy and fresh. We’re going to balance that time between winning games and being out there on the court.”

(On how his legs feel)

“I feel great. My ankle’s not 100 percent, but other than that, juice-wise I feel pretty good. I feel pretty energized.”

(On having the number one seed wrapped up with two games left)

“We should have had it wrapped up with a lot more games than that, but it’s good. It’s great for us to have that under our belts and we would have loved to do before that but honestly it was a good stretch for us to lose some games to be able to have to refocus and play a little harder coming down the stretch. It will serve us well come playoff time.”

(On if it’s important to finish ahead of Chicago)

“We’ve played this well all season long. We’d love to finish at the top of the NBA. We’re going to try to do the best of managing minutes, winning games, and all that stuff and try to do it all at the same time, so we’ll see what happens.”

(On Richard Jefferson’s play)

 “He’s played really well over the past couple games. He’s really starting to get into that playoff mode. That’s what we need from him. We need him to play hard, play well. He’s not only shooting the ball, but he’s driving the ball real well and getting people open. So we’re expecting a little more from him coming down the stretch.”

Richard Jefferson

(On what tonight did for his confidence)

“It was great. Coming into the season and especially down the stretch, teams haven’t been leaving me open or they’ve been trying to take away our 3-point shots and let our drivers beat them. Tonight, I was able to get a few up because of the way Utah played and thank God they went in.”

(On how much of an advantage it is to have homecourt advantage locked up)

“It’s an advantage but everyone in this organization has the big picture in mind. Dallas had home court and we were able to sneak one from them last year. You understand home court helps you a small percentage because the Lakers can win here, we’ve won in L.A., they’ve won here, and the playoffs are going to be no different.”

(On how much he pays attention to the eighth seed)

“That’s tough because it’s the same what happened last year going down to the last game. It could be one of three teams depending on who loses and tiebreakers so you try and focus at the top and to see what’s in front of you and then what’s behind you, you take whoever comes.”

Utah coach Tyrone Corbin

(On defense)

“This is a great ball club. They shot 58 percent for the game, and they shot sixty-something at the end of the third quarter. They made a lot of good shots. I thought our defensive effort was pretty good. The guys did a great job of rotating; we met the bigs early. They penetrated a little too much and struggled for a moment and then in the pick and rolls we pulled guys and made some shots. Our effort was good, but this is a good ball club; you make mistakes and they make shots against you. ”

(On the Spurs’ team effort in scoring)

“That’s who they are. They are a great ball club. They don’t care who leads them in scoring every night, as long as they win the game. They do a great job of sharing the ball. If one guy is struggling, they go to the next guy. They try to bring in the guy who is struggling, but they don’t wait for him. They play and get their teammates involved and do other things. They have Splitter come in and have five offensive rebounds at the end of the game. Jefferson is hitting big shots in the corner. Bonner also had shots falling. There is a lot to be learned from them.”

(On Utah’s comeback late in the game)

“Our effort was good. We did a pretty good job executing our offense on the offensive floor. We got some pretty good shots. We went inside and scored some points inside. We penetrated and shared the ball better than we have been in the past. We had 28-29 assists tonight, so I thought offensively we did a pretty good job executing ourselves. Defensively we had some break downs, but this is a pretty good ball club, and they shot well.”

(On Derrick Favors)

“His effort was good, especially on the offensive end. I think he did a good job of being poised. He shot one too many jump shots down there, but for the most part he put the ball on the floor and got to the basket. On the defensive end, he did a pretty decent job except for the end. The Spurs got a couple of rebounds on him on the offensive end that he should have been able to get, but he is learning and is getting better. I think the more time he gets on the floor and the more games he plays, he’ll get better.”

(On the message to the team)

“Continue to play. We played hard and made some mistakes at the end of the second quarter. They had a 9-0 run against us and we have to get better at finishing quarters. So, continue to play and learn your lessons now, so we can get better going forward.”

Al Jefferson

(On defending the Spurs’ “Big Three” tonight as well as other players off the bench)

“That’s simply how good their team is. You can maintain their “big three” but still have other guys on their team that beat you. That’s how good their offense is, that’s how good they move and share the ball as we made too many turnovers. I think at the end of the half we were down by two points as they [Spurs] went on a 9-0 run. At the end of this game, we had a chance as we were down eight but we gave up three offensive rebounds, so at the end we just made too many mistakes.”

(On if they take this game as a learning experience for next season)

“Yeah, you can say that. We just can’t make mistakes like that at the end of a game as you have to learn how to finish. For the most part, I felt we played well, we rotated well, I just think we should have rebounded better and not turned the ball over.”

(On the future lineup of Jefferson, Millsap and Favors) “

Yeah, I like that lineup. Paul [Millsap] at the three, Favors at the four, and me at the five as even the Spurs’ Tim Duncan and Richard Jefferson were even saying how good that big lineup was. Once Paul and Derrick get more comfortable playing with each other, we can be tough.”

Paul Millsap

(On how tough it was to contain the “Big Three,” along with the rest of the team)

“Yeah, they’re tough as I feel that is what makes their team so special. They have guys that can come off the bench and score the basketball. They truly play basketball out there as they move the ball well and that’s what makes them who they are.”

(On their poor performance in the second quarter)

“It’s tough, but it’s a learning process for us. Turning the ball over, taking bad shots, during crucial parts of the game, while they’re getting out and running. It’s a learning process for us as we are going to get better.”

(On being able to stay up with the Spurs through the fourth quarter)

“Yeah, that’s what we want to do. We want to be able to go out there, get better and be able to compete. We don’t want to go out in games and roll over as they [Spurs] are a good basketball team. I feel we played pretty good for most part but we still have a long way to go.”