  Utah Jazz guard Deron Williams, left, puts up a shot as Charlotte Bobcats center Nazr Mohammed, lower right, and guard Dontell Jefferson defend during the first half of their preseason NBA basketball game, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009, in Los Angeles. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/Mark J. Terrill |
LOS ANGELES - Carlos Boozer made seven of his first eight shots and scored 22 points, leading the Utah Jazz to a 110-103 pre-season victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Sunday.
All five Utah starters scored in double figures. Deron Williams had 17 points and eight assists. Andrei Kirilenko returned to the Jazz lineup after missing three games and finished with 18 points and six rebounds in 27 minutes. He was in his native Russia with his wife to complete the adoption of a two-month-old girl.
D.J. Augustin played 33 minutes off the bench and led the Bobcats with 29 points after starting point guard Raymond Felton got into early foul trouble. Point guard Eric Maynor, Utah's first-round draft pick from Virginia Commonwealth, had seven points in 22 minutes and was 3-for-11 from the field with five assists.
Bobcats forward Boris Diaw, who sprained his ankle while playing for the French national team, played his second game of the pre-season and had seven points in 20 minutes. No.1 draft pick Gerald Henderson sat out with a bruised left shoulder. Tyson Chandler, who underwent off-season ankle surgery, remained sidelined until either Tuesday or next Friday.
With centre Mehmet Okur out of action because of a sore lower back, the Jazz used a starting frontcourt trio of Boozer at in the pivot, Kirilenko at small forward, and Paul Millsap at power forward in his first start of the pre-season. Millsap had 12 points and seven rebounds.
Trailing by five at halftime, the Jazz pulled ahead 77-71 with a 13-3 run capped by Millsap's layup with 2:28 left in the third quarter. Charlotte took its only lead of the fourth quarter, 84-83, on a three-pointer by Augustin with 9:50 to play.
The Bobcats have two exhibition games left with Milwaukee and Memphis at home before they open the season Oct. 28 at Boston. The Jazz, whose exhibition schedule included games in London and Madrid, finish their pre-season itinerary with road games against Portland and Sacramento before their opening-night tilt at Denver.
NOTES: Replacement referees Jeff Wooten, Michael Borgelt and J.T. Orr called 56 fouls. ... Utah swingman Kyle Korver remained sidelined because of a sore left knee, G Ronnie Price sat out sat out again due to a left hamstring strain and Paul Harris was out with a sprained right ankle.
