Okur, Maynor lead Jazz over Trail Blazers
SALT LAKE CITY: Mehmet Okur scored 15 points and rookie guard Eric Maynor added 14 as the Utah Jazz beat the Portland Trail Blazers 99-96 in a preseason game Thursday night.
Okur was 5 of 7 from the field and made two 3-pointers, both in the game's first 4 minutes.
The Jazz held the Blazers scoreless until Joel Przybilla's three-point play made it 8-3 with 8:07 left in the first quarter.
Portland's only lead was 50-49 on Nicolas Batum's 3-pointer with 10:28 left in the third. Carlos Boozer scored on a tip-in 19 seconds later to start Utah's 8-0 run.
Another 8-0 run late in the third quarter, with Okur scoring five points, gave Utah a 73-59 lead. Portland got within 95-92 with 35 seconds remaining, but the Jazz closed it at the free-throw line.
Deron Williams played 26 minutes and had 10 points, seven assists and seven rebounds for the Jazz, while Ronnie Brewer added 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting and had three steals. Wesley Matthews also had 12 points for Utah.
Steve Blake led the Blazers with 19 points, including five 3-pointers, in 22 minutes, while Andre Miller and Jerryd Bayless both added 13 points.
NOTES: The Jazz were without regulars Andrei Kirilenko and Kyle Korver. Kirilenko is home in Russia because of personal reasons and Korver has an inflamed left knee. Blazers G Rudy Fernandez did not play after aggravating a back injury against Phoenix on Wednesday. The teams have played 17 times in the preseason and Utah leads the series 11-6. They have played in Salt Lake City four times and the Jazz are 4-0 in those games.