Sports Commentator Patrick Blake is host of the Blake’s Take show, airing weekdays from 5-6 p.m. on KZNU Sports Radio Southern Utah Sports Network – 96.7 FM 1450 AM – with live stream online at http://www.KZNUsports.com.
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Utah Jazz ended a three game losing streak last night by beating the Portland Trail Blazers 102-97.
The Jazz trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half, but fought back with a 16-0 run and went into the break only trailing by three.
The Jazz continued their run in the third quarter opening the half on a 10-0 run and taking a double-digit lead midway thru the quarter.
In the back and forth battle the Blazers fought back from down 11 to take the lead with less then two minutes to play.
In a game of runs, the Jazz ended the game on an 8-0 run to win the game. The Jazz did not let the Blazers score in the final 2:30 of the game.
Paul Millsap led the way with a team-high 31 points and 11 rebounds for the Jazz. Gordon Hayward added 20 points while both Al Jefferson and Derrick Favors brought in double-doubles. Jefferson scored 13 points and corralled 10 rebounds, and Favors added 11 points with 11 rebounds.
Wesley Matthews scored a game-high 33 points for the Blazers on 10-12 shooting. LaMarcus Aldridge added 27 points and Nicolas Batum chipped in 16 points and 10 rebounds.
The Jazz went into the day one-game-out of the playoffs; and even with the win the Jazz are still one-game-back because the Rockets upset the Bulls and the Grizzlies upset the Thunder. Both teams (Rockets and Grizzlies) are ahead of the Jazz and were underdogs on the road against the two best teams in the NBA (Bulls and Thunder).
The Jazz are back in action tomorrow at home against the Phoenix Suns. The Suns are a game back of the Jazz in the standings and could pass the Jazz in the standings: with a win tonight over the Kings and a win over the Jazz tomorrow night.
The Jazz only have 12 games left in the regular season. The Jazz have a favorable schedule upcoming, Of the final 12 games, the Jazz play seven of them at home – and six of them are against teams that are not currently in the playoffs.
LOOK AHEAD: After the Jazz take on the Suns on Wednesday, they stay home for a game against the Warriors on Friday before taking on the second best team in the west, two games in a row. The Jazz play the Spurs on Sunday in San Antonio and again on Monday in Salt Lake City.
For more UTAH JAZZ talk, tune into Blake’s Take weekdays from 5-6 p.m. on KZNU Sports Radio – 93.1 FM 1450 AM – or online streaming live on the brand new KZNU Sports website: www.kznusports.com
Twitter: @BlakesTake
Copyright 2012 St. George News.