USA - No Booz cruise for Utah but Jazz down Warriors

SALT LAKE CITY (NBA) - Carlos Boozer's dominance led the Utah Jazz past the Golden State Warriors in Game One of their Western Conference semi-final series on Monday.

Boozer had 20 rebounds - 10 on the offensive glass - to go with his 17 points as the Jazz won 116-112.

Second-year point guard Deron Williams added 31 and dished out eight assists and Turkey international Mehmet Okur had 21 points and 11 rebounds for Utah, who outscored Golden State 32-23 in a frantic fourth quarter to secure the victory.

In a back-and-forth contest that included 20 ties and 16 lead changes, the squads traded baskets throughout the final period. But the Jazz eventually used their size advantage, out-rebounding the Warriors 54-36 to take a 1-0 lead.

Boozer bulled his way through traffic on the game's deciding sequence. After Okur missed a three-pointer from the left corner, the All-Star forward snatched the offensive rebound and dropped in a soft shot in the lane to make it 114-112 with 17 seconds left.

On the ensuing possession, Golden State's Stephen Jackson missed a contested shot from the arc with eight seconds left. Matt Harpring got the rebound in heavy traffic and drew the foul, burying two free throws to make it 116-112 and ice the game.

In an explosive first half, the Warriors took a 66-63 halftime lead, but Utah's defense held Golden State to just 46 second-half points.

Russian forward Andrei Kirilenko, who has overcome a season-long slump in recent games, sparked the Jazz, blocking seven shots to go along with 13 points, seven boards and four assists.

For much of the night, he was matched up against arguably the Warriors' most athletic player, Jackson, who was held to just five of 14 shooting and just one of five five from the arc, including the late miss that could have put his team on top.

The Warriors held a seven-point advantage early in the fourth quarter, but the Jazz answered with a 12-5 run to even things up.

Golden State fought to the end. The Warriors continued to push the pace against the plodding Jazz but shot just 46% (41 of 90) from the field, including 12 of 31 on three-pointers.

Looking spry despite a hamstring injury suffered in Game Six of the first round win against the Dallas Mavericks, Baron Davis scored 24 points on eight of 17 shooting and Al Harrington added 21 for Golden State, who are playing in the second round for the first time in 16 seasons.

At Auburn Hills in Michigan, the Detroit Pistons raced out to an early lead and never looked back in posting a 108-87 victory over the Chicago Bulls in Game Two of their Eastern Conference semi-finals.

In Game One on Saturday, the Pistons found offensive balance and their trademark defense while humiliating the Bulls in a 95-69 rout.

Detroit scored the game's first eight points and led 34-18 after the first quarter en route to taking a 2-0 lead in the series.

Chris Webber scored 10 points for the Pistons in the first quarter and finished with 20 to go along with seven rebounds and three assists. He finished 10 of 11 from the field.

The Bulls again struggled to guard Detroit's frontcourt as Webber was not the only Piston big man to have a huge game.

Tayshaun Prince scored 25 points and Rasheed Wallace added 10 and seven rebounds despite playing only 18 minutes due to foul trouble.

All-Star guards Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups also gave the Bulls fits.

Hamilton scored 24 points and Billups added 14 and 10 assists for Detroit, who shot 53% (41 of 78) from the field.

Rookie Tyrus Thomas scored 18 points for Chicago, who shot 34% (23 of 67) from the field and was never in the game.

Billups hit consecutive three-pointers in a 10-0 run that bridged the first and second quarters as Detroit built a 42-18 lead. Hamilton capped that spurt with a pair of free throws and his jumper in the lane just before the half put the Pistons up, 58-43.

Chicago never got the lead below 13 in the second half and will need to regroup for Game Three, which is on Thursday in Chicago.

Thomas scored on consecutive dunks to make it 83-70 with 9:20 to play, but the Pistons quickly extinguished any hopes the Bulls had at a comeback.

Wallace dunked on Thomas and Billups drained a three-pointer to make it 98-80 with 6:17 remaining, and the Pistons cruised home to improve to 6-0 in the play-offs.

If the Bulls are going to get back into the series, they will have to find a way to get their scorers more involved.

Great Britain international and recent winner of the NBA's sportsmanship award, Luol Deng had 16 points but was just 4 of 12 from the field. The backcourt duo of Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich also struggled.

Gordon was three of seven and had 13 points while Hinrich missed all seven of his shots and had two points.

Jamie Strickland
FIBA