Jazz Vs. Thunder 2/5/11

Utah

Deron Williams and the Jazz welcome Kevin Durant and the Thunder to town

Oklahoma City Thunder (32-17) at Utah Jazz (30-21)

NBA Basketball: Saturday February 5, 2011 9:00PM ET

The Line: Utah Jazz -1.5 Over/Under 204.5

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Deron Williams looks to build on last night’s breakout return to the Jazz lineup as Kevin Durant and the Thunder pay a visit.

The Jazz looked resurgent in last night’s effort as Williams scored 26 and added 12 assists to secure the road win in Denver. The Jazz are dealing with a host of injuries, but having their star PG back in the lineup maximized the value of the role players. Al Jefferson went 12-20 and 4-4 from the line for an overshowed double double with 28 points and 10 rebounds on the night.

The Thunder had a bit of a scare against the Suns last night, but engineered a comeback late in the fourth quarter to secure the victory behind a complete team effort. I first read the recap saying Durant didn’t have a huge night and thought he went ice cold, but then realized that meant he only scored 24 points on 50% shooting – not too shabby. Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green, and Serge Ibaka all had solid nights as the Thunder shot 51% on the night.

The Jazz and Thunder have met twice this year with each team winning on the other’s home court. While Williams had a great game last night, I’m not sure we see a carbon copy of it again as there could be some lingering soreness in his wrist. The Jazz are no easy out in Salt Lake City, but I’ll take the healthier team that played solid all up and down the roster last night and who has Kevin Durant to fall back on for scoring on every possession.

Brian Fitz’s Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder +1.5

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