Auburn Hills, MI (Sports Network) - Deron Williams paced a balanced attack with 18 points and 12 assists, and the Utah Jazz trounced the Detroit Pistons, 115-104, at the Palace at Auburn Hills.
Williams’ Double-Double Lifts Jazz Over Pistons, 115-104
Mehmet Okur and Paul Millsap each added 18 points for Utah, which secured its fifth consecutive winning season with its 42nd win and its 21st winning campaign in 22 seasons under head coach Jerry Sloan. Kyle Korver and Wesley Matthews each had 14 points, while Andrei Kirilenko and Carlos Boozer both finished with 11.
Boozer also had 12 rebounds, while Millsap had nine, as the Jazz beat the Pistons for the 10th consecutive time dating back to the 2004-05 season.
Charlie Villanueva paced the Detroit attack with 19 points, and Richard Hamilton put up 16 in the defeat, the Pistons' seventh in eight games. Will Bynum had 14, Jonas Jerebko 13 and Tayshaun Prince and Ben Gordon each had 11.
Jason Maxiell provided 10 points and 11 boards for the Pistons.
Detroit held a 29-28 lead after one quarter, but Utah dominated the Pistons, 35-14, in the second.
The Jazz began the frame on a 14-0 run, as Korver, Ronnie Price and Millsap each hit a pair of shots. Millsap's basket with eight minutes until halftime made it 42-29, and the margin escalated to 20, 61-41, on a pair of Okur free throws with 1 1/2 minutes left.
The halftime score was 63-43.
Detroit made a late run in the third to cut its deficit to as small as 11, but Utah still went to the fourth with an 87-74 advantage.
Okur and Korver hit back-to-back three-pointers early in the fourth to make it a 93-76 contest, and the outcome was never in doubt down the stretch.
Utah improved to 2-0 on a four-game trip that will take it to Milwaukee and Oklahoma City...Detroit guard Rodney Stuckey was cleared to exercise Wednesday after a scary collapse in last week's loss to Cleveland...The Jazz improved to 17-14 on the road, while Detroit fell to 15-18 at home...The Pistons' last win in this series came on March 13, 2005...Utah has won four straight overall...The Pistons clinched their second straight losing campaign after going to the Eastern Conference finals in six of the previous seven seasons.
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