Price brings Jazz back in time of need

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LOS ANGELES -- Things looked a little uncertain for the Jazz throughout the first half of their matchup with the Clippers Tuesday night, but as Ronnie Price filled in for Deron Williams late in the third and early in the fourth quarters, the Jazz were able to close the gap on Los Angeles' once-11-point lead and get their ninth-straight win as they claimed a 109-99 victory on the road.

After putting up 34 points and 14 rebounds in a performance that said he deserved to be in the All-Star game lineup, Carlos Boozer handed Price the credit for Utah's win.

"When guys come in, they're ready to play. They're confident, we're confident in them, and tonight, Ronnie Price was the one who got us the lead all by himself," Boozer said.

"Ronnie Price got us that lead all by himself. He came out here and played great. He had two big threes, got a couple of layups, got some other guys involved on the fast break," said Boozer in a post-game interview on FSN. "When guys come in, they're ready to play. They're confident, we're confident in them, and tonight, Ronnie Price was the one who got us the lead all by himself."

After ending the half down four to the Clippers, the Jazz found themselves facing an 11-point deficit halfway through the third quarter as Los Angeles got fired up. The Jazz managed to cut the lead to four by the end of the quarter, but Price made sure that Utah's comeback wouldn't stop there.

Early in the fourth quarter, Price stepped back behind the arc and nailed two back-to-back three pointers to reclaim the lead for the Jazz.

"I didn't think I was gonna go back in the fourth quarter ‘cause they were playing so well," Williams said. "Those guys (off the bench) just ignited us. Ronnie Price was able to get out and get some steals, push the tempo, get some layups (and) hit those threes."

Price ended the night with a perfect 3/3 shooting from the three-point line and led Utah's bench with 11 points, two rebounds, two steals, and countless hustles plays in 15 minutes of game time, ensuring that the Jazz would claim their first win of the season when trailing at the end of the third quarter away from home. Prior to Tuesday's game, the Jazz had lost all of the 10 road games in which they were facing a deficit after three quarters.

"One thing that you can control is defense, so keep playing hard, keep playing defense, and eventually your shot's just gonna follow," Price said.

"Even when we're down, we still believe. One of the biggest things you have to have to be a successful team in this league is you gotta be able to believe in what you're doing," Boozer said. "We believe in what we're doing, and we're going to give ourselves a fighting chance."

Price had been struggling with his field goal percentage recently, but as someone who prides himself on believing what he, as well as his team, is capable of doing, Price said he planned on continuing to play the way he'd been playing all season long until his shots started finding the bottom of the net.

"One thing that I've always been taught is that you can't get down on yourself when things aren't going your way shooting-wise," Price said. "But one thing that you can control is defense, so keep playing hard, keep playing defense, and eventually your shot's just gonna follow."