Sloan wins 1,000th game with Jazz


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By DOUG ALDEN AP Sports Writer

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Jerry Sloan became the first NBA coach to win 1,000 games with one team, getting 16 points and 12 rebounds from Andrei Kirilenko in the Utah Jazz's 104-97 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night.

Utah fans chanted "Jerry Sloan!" and "Jer-ry! Jer-ry!" at the end in honor of the coach, who is 1,000-596 with the Jazz.

Brevin Knight had 11 assists, Carlos Boozer finished with 21 points and nine rebounds, and the Jazz held on despite letting a 31-point lead slip to eight in the fourth quarter.

The Jazz are 5-0 for just the third time in team history and won all five without point guard Deron Williams, who has been out since the preseason with a sprained left ankle.

Kevin Durant scored 24 and Jeff Green had 22 points for the Thunder, who were swept by Utah last season when they were the Seattle SuperSonics.

Sloan has been coaching the Jazz since 1988 and walked off the court like it was any of the other games he has coached in the last 20 years, briefly congratulating his players and heading to the locker room with no hint of a smile or any recognition of the accomplishment.

Sloan, never one for milestones, couldn't have been pleased with the way the Jazz let the Thunder get back in the game with a poor second half. Utah had 19 turnovers, but made up for it by outrebounding Oklahoma City 45-36 and having 31 assists to the Thunder's 15.

The Thunder came back in the third, going 12-for-17 and pulling within 78-63 on six straight points by Desmond Mason at the end of the period.

The Jazz had seven turnovers in the period and continued to be sloppy in the fourth as the Thunder trimmed the margin to single digits. Joe Smith cut the lead to 86-78 midway through the period before the Jazz regrouped with a 13-2 run.

Boozer set up Kirilenko for a dunk, then Kirilenko made a pass to Boozer in almost the same spot for another dunk to put the Jazz up 92-80. Knight made a steal to set up a 3-pointer by Kyle Korver that put Utah ahead by 15 with 4:26 left in the game.

The Thunder never got closer than 12 again and Jazz fans began the chants for Sloan in the final minute.

The Thunder scored the first eight points of the game, then went almost 10 minutes without a field goal. After falling behind 10-3, the Jazz went on a 21-0 run and led 29-15 at the end of the first quarter. Utah was 11-for-17 from the floor in the period and had nine assists to Oklahoma City's zero.

Utah scored 21 straight in the first quarter while taking a 24-14 lead. The Jazz added a 14-2 run in the second quarter and led 58-29 at halftime.

NOTES:@ Sloan's overall coaching record is 1,094-717 with the Jazz and Chicago Bulls. ... Oklahoma City missed its last 13 shots in the first quarter. ... Utah's only other 5-0 starts were in 2000-01 and 1998-99. ... Mason scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half. ... Kirilenko had a nasty black eye after taking a shot to the left side of his face Wednesday night in a win over Portland.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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