CHICAGO -- As the Jazz handed Chicago their fifth straight loss in a 132-108 win Tuesday night at the United Center, Deron Williams took control on offense and posted 28 points and 17 assists, keeping the normally solid and aggressive Jazz afloat in spite of playing surprisingly passive defense throughout the first two quarters.
"It was definitely a fast-tempo game, I'm just happy we got the win. Our defense really wasn't where we wanted all night, but it was definitely better in that second half. The first half we couldn't stop them at all," Williams said in a post-game interview on FSN.
Although Utah heightened their defensive pressure in the second half, Tuesday's matchup was an offensive one from the beginning as the Jazz shot 80 percent from the three-point line in a 35-point first quarter performance. Both teams saw two men reach eight points in the first 12 minutes, including Williams who tallied eight points and seven assists.
Williams' game only got hotter as more time ticked off the clock, leading the Jazz to their 41st win of the season and their 16th victory on the road. At the end of the first half, Williams had racked up 16 points and 11 assists in front of a crowd spotted with fans of the Illinois alum.
Facing off with Chicago's Derrick Rose as the highlighted matchup of the night, Williams claimed the contest by three points and four assists. Rose had a solid night for the Bulls, accumulating 25 points and 13 assists, but couldn't overcome Utah's accurate and balanced offensive attack alone.
"I always enjoy playing against the best, and D. Rose is definitely one of the best point guards in the game, with myself included," Williams said. "It's always fun to play in these types of games (and) accept the challenge. I think he does as well, and it's just a fun game to be a part of."
Adding to Utah's offensive strength, C.J. Miles surprised the Bulls' defense off the bench as he put up 26 points that included relentless 6-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc - accounting for half of Utah's 12-of-20 overall tally. Together, the Jazz have shot a combined 31-of-58 from the three-point line in their last three games.
"We're basically just taking what they're giving us. Deron's doing the penetrating; guys are just moving trying to stay in his vision…we're just doing a good job of being ready for them when they come. That way, at the end of the game, they can't double (Carlos) Boozer," Miles said. "We got a lot of guys who can score points, and we take advantage of that."
In spite of their recent success from three-point range, Miles said that the Jazz will have to get back to playing 48 minutes of tough defense to win consistently on the road and close out the regular season on a successful note.
"We know that (defense is) a big key to our success because it allows us to get out and run, and allows us to get easy baskets on top of the way we run our offense," Miles said. "We just want to keep doing that, and hopefully we can do that until the end of the season and keep gaining progress in the standings."
Utah's win boosted their overall mark to 41-22 and allowed the Jazz to gain some ground on the No. 3 Nuggets who currently sit just one game ahead of them in the Western Conference standings.
Jazz
