• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Millsap leads Jazz over Clippers 111-98

Oct 31, 2009 - 3:59 AM By DOUG ALDEN AP Sports Writer

SALT LAKE CITY(AP) -- Paul Millsap scored 17 of his 23 of his points in the second half, and the Utah Jazz used a 15-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 111-98 on Friday night.

Carlos Boozer had 20 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, and Deron Williams finished with 21 points and nine assists for Utah, which held the Clippers to 38 points in the second half.

Ronnie Brewer added 17 points as the Jazz avoided their first 0-2 start since 2002.

The Jazz outrebounded the Clippers 48-35, with Millsap pulling down seven of his nine boards in the second half as Utah overcame a sluggish start in its home opener despite having only 10 available players because of injuries.

Eric Gordon scored 22, and Baron Davis and Chris Kaman added 21 points apiece for the Clippers, who fell to 0-3.

The Jazz were sloppy through the first half and much of the third quarter, before pulling together late in the period and running away from there.

Utah scored five straight points to pull within 84-83 at the end of the third, then opened the fourth on a 10-0 run. Millsap hit a jumper, then drew a foul on the next possession and made both free throws.

Brewer then took over with a layup, followed by a steal that he took all the way to the other end for a dunk to put the Jazz up 91-84 with 10:23 left in the game.

The Clippers went without a field goal in the fourth quarter until Al Thornton's layup on a three-point play with 6:26 left in the game cut it to 95-90.

The Jazz scored the next six after a timeout, then Millsap snuffed a layup attempt by Davis with 3:55 left. He added a jumper in the lane to put Utah up 106-92 with 3:30 to go.

The Jazz were handcuffed with fouls in the first half and played soft defense, allowing the Clippers to tie it at 60 on Gordon's three-point play with a second remaining in the second period.

Utah stayed out of foul trouble early in the third, but the defense wasn't any better for the first few minutes. Davis took a steal in for a layup, then got another layup off an inbounds play during a 10-4 run that put the Clippers up 80-74 with about three minutes left in the period. Boozer was several feet off with an airball during Utah's dry spell, which got many boos from the home fans.

The Jazz recovered in the final few minutes of the quarter, drawing within 84-83 on Millsap's three-point play with 1.2 seconds left.

Notes: C Mehmet Okur sat out the game with a sprained ankle. Kyrylo Fesenko substituted and scored 10 for the Jazz. ... The Mormon Tabernacle Choir sang a stirring rendition of the national anthem before the game. ... The Jazz exercised their third-year option on center Kosta Koufos, their 2008 first-round draft pick. ... The Clippers are 1-35 at EnergySolutionsArena, originally known as the Delta Center.