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Williams helps Jazz down Bucks

Dec 19, 2010 - 7:00 AM Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Deron Williams scored 22 points and dished out 11 assists, as the Utah Jazz used a late surge to take down the Milwaukee Bucks, 95-86.

Al Jefferson added 18 points and nine rebounds for the Jazz, who bounced back from a 100-71 loss to the Hornets on Friday. Paul Millsap tallied 15 points, nine boards and four steals for Utah, which got 12 points and nine rebounds from Andrei Kirilenko.

"It was a good win for us," Utah head coach Jerry Sloan said. "We had some moments where we played pretty good defense and kept battling."

Andrew Bogut donated 19 points and nine boards for the Bucks, who have lost two in a row since a three-game winning streak. John Salmons chipped in 18 points.

Trailing by one, 80-79, with under 6 1/2 minutes to play, Utah put together a 16-4 run to claim victory. Williams got the burst started with a three- pointer. After Salmons turned the ball over, Kirilenko made it 84-80 with a slam.

Following Bogut's dunk, Kirilenko made a jumper to give Utah an 86-82 margin. Bogut's turnover led to Millsap's layup for a six-point contest with under 4 1/2 minutes to go. The Jazz cruised to victory from there.

"They took a little bit of momentum into the half and we came out in the second half and didn't have much," stated Bucks head coach Scott Skiles. "We got it close and we got some stops, we just couldn't finish it off with clean rebounds."

Salmons made a pair of free throws to give the Bucks a 16-4 lead midway through the first quarter. Utah ripped off six straight points moments later to prevent Milwaukee from pulling away early.

Mehmet Okur, playing in just his second game since rupturing his left Achilles' tendon in last season's playoffs, made a three-pointer at the end of the first to cut the gap to 25-19.

Salmons' trey with under eight minutes left in the second frame gave the Bucks a 35-23 lead. It was 41-30 moments later when the Jazz went on a 7-0 run to get within four. Utah cut its deficit to 46-43 at the half.

The Jazz started the second half on a 15-3 surge to go in front. Jefferson tallied six points during the flurry, which Kirilenko capped with a tip-in for a 58-49 margin.

Utah took a 71-68 edge into the fourth.

Game Notes

Utah has won 11 of its last 13 versus the Bucks, including a 109-88 triumph in Salt Lake City back on November 29...The Jazz outrebounded the Bucks, 46-31.