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By JEFF LATZKE AP Sports Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Deron Williams scored eight of his 17 points in the fourth quarter and Andrei Kirilenko had 15 points, 11 rebounds and eight blocks to help the Utah Jazz rally for an 82-76 win against the injury-depleted New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night.
The Hornets made only one of their first 16 shots in the fourth quarter as the Jazz reeled off a 22-6 run to claim the lead.
Carlos Boozer and Devin Brown added 14 points apiece for the Jazz, who broke a three-game losing streak in the opening game of a home-and-home series with New Orleans.
Already playing without leading scorer David West (personal reasons) and top reserve Speedy Claxton (ankle), the Hornets lost two more players to injuries in the third quarter. Starting forward Desmond Mason bruised his tailbone and Jackson Vroman, who started in place of West, broke his right wrist as he fell to the floor following a two-handed dunk.
Neither returned, and the Hornets' lead soon evaporated.
Utah cut a 12-point deficit to 65-57 by the end of the third quarter.
Brown and Williams scored Utah's first 12 points of the fourth quarter before Matt Harpring put the Jazz ahead for the first time on a three-point play that made it 72-71 with 6:38 left.
The Jazz hit three free throws and extended the lead to eight following baskets by Boozer and Brown before the Hornets finally broke a scoring drought of more than 6 minutes.
Bostjan Nachbar hit a 3-pointer from the left wing to get New Orleans within 81-76 in the final minute, but the Hornets couldn't draw any closer.
Chris Paul finished with 18 points and set a Hornets rookie record with seven steals. Mason added 14 points before leaving with the injury, and Nachbar scored 11.
West, who leads New Orleans with 16.8 points and 7.8 rebounds, missed his second straight game to be with his wife and newborn child. He was on the active list, but did not arrive at the Ford Center.
Utah missed 13 of 16 shots in the first quarter and fell behind 23-12. The Jazz then whittled away at the lead to get within six at halftime. Kirilenko's fast-break layup early in the third quarter made it 47-42, but the Hornets responded with a 13-6 run capped by a three-point play by Kirk Snyder and two free throws from Paul with 3:23 left in the third quarter.
Notes: Utah guard Andre Owens will miss the rest of the season after having surgery to replace a rod in his leg. ... New Orleans resident Charles J. Southall III and his wife, Lila, watched the game from courtside as part of an arrangement through ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" television show. The show is rebuilding the First Emanuel Baptist Church, where Southall is pastor. The church sustained more than $500,000 in damage in Hurricane Katrina. "My wife and I used to do date night at the Hornets games since they'd been in New Orleans," said Southall, who had season tickets in New Orleans. "That was the way we'd spend time together."
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APTV-02-22-06 2114MST
