Mo Williams Shines Late – Jazz vs Spurs

December 13, 2012 - General, Utah Jazz - Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , - 2 comments

Ben Brewer, Deseret News

The Jazz didn’t keep Williams past his rookie season after drafting him nine years ago, but they have spoken highly of the 29-year-old since then.

Asked about the trade for Williams, O’Connor declined to comment.

But bringing Williams back would, in a way, help Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor rectify one of his biggest regrets. He admitted to kicking himself for years over not working out a deal to match Milwaukee’s offer sheet for Williams eight years ago.

“I’ve always said he’s my worst mistake,” O’Connor said. “I’ve made a few, but I always say he’s my worst mistake, but I can’t comment outside of that.”

-Jody Genessy, Deseret News

Those were the words of Kevin O’Connor when asked recently about Mo Williams exit to Milwaukee following his rookie season in ‘03-’04.

The one that got away…

Keep that in mind…

Fast forward to Wednesday night and a battle of epic proportions. A game with all the feel of a playoff atmosphere, and we’re just 23 games into the season. The San Antonio Spurs come into Energy Solutions Arena having won 11 of the last 12 vs the Utah Jazz. And most games have not even been close.

The Spurs, boasting the best overall record (18-4) in the NBA, and the best road record (11-2), came into Salt Lake City looking to extend their five game winning streak. And it seemed, early on, that it might be another runaway game for the Spurs. They started the game on fire, clicking on all cylinders and at one point in time had a 10 point lead.

But then, it happened. Ty Corbin made adjustments, and the Jazz defense arrived sparked by the ravaging play of the bench.

What seemed like a run of the mill, dominant performance by the Spurs suddenly turned into a battle that would come down to the last shot.

The Utah Jazz defense was the story in the game. San Antonio well known for it’s fluid, patient, perfectly executed offense, suddenly found much of what it was used to doing disrupted by a Jazz team that insisted on being that annoying fly at the family barbeque that just won’t go away. And even when the Spurs finally settled down and started hitting shots late, the Jazz matched on almost every possession forcing the Spurs hand at every turn.

The fourth quarter started with the teams trading baskets, and then the Spurs took control, and it seemed as though the Jazz would notch only their second loss at home in 10 games. The Spurs began to pull away with a lead of 93-85 with 4:09 remaining in the game. And then lady luck smiled down on Energy Solutions Arena and the Jazz made a ferocious comeback, ending the game on an 14-3 run. And the unlikeliest of heroes stepped in and basked in the Salt Lake City lights in thrilling fashion.

 

With no time left on the clock, Mo Williams drained a 30 foot three point shot to win the game the NBA’s Play of the Day honors.

See the pandemonium from a fan on the front row

The Jazz extend their win streak to 4 and start a brutal stretch of games off with a win. They also improve their home record to 9-1, second only to the New York Knicks for best in the NBA.

Notes:

-Paul Millsap continues his comeback in… well… Paul Millsap fashion. At one point in the game he had virtually matched Tim Duncan in points and rebounds. Paul finished the night with a game high 24 points on 10-15 shooting and had 12 rebounds as well, including 10 on the defensive glass.

-The Jazz completed the night with 27 assists, beating the Spurs at their own game, the NBA leader in assists coming into the night with 25.8 per game. The Spurs finished the night with only 18 assists.

-The Jazz won despite a 20-20 from Tim Duncan and held Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili to a combined 10-24 shooting.

 

About the author

Alan “Jedi” Zaugg has been a sports nut most of his life, specifically BYU football, Utah Jazz Basketball and the San Francisco 49ers. He’s an avid NBA fan and basketball junkie. He has been a regular writer and contributor at The Utah Jazz blog (a fan blog site), and now writes for Utah Sports Net. He’s an expressionist, who enjoys writing and illustrating. He is currently working on a fantasy/sci-fi novel series in his spare time. You can follow him on Twitter: @jedizaugg