Jazz Builds Big Lead, Blows It, Gets It Back, Great Success

Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks dropped their second in a row Monday in Utah in NBA action. (AI Wire photo)

The Utah Jazz built a 21-point lead over the visiting Dallas Mavericks on Monday in Salt Lake City. Then, they blew it. Then, they got it back. Then, they celebrated their 116-110 victory. And if you haven't partied in Utah...well....yeah, it sucks.

At any rate, the Jazz went on a 16-0 run late in the fourth quarter after blowing the huge lead and did it without forward Andrei Kirilenko, who left in the first quarter with a bruised hip. Fortunately for Utah, X-rays showed no break.

All in all, it was an extremely intense game, which, incidentally, the Jazz covered by a half-point. Yep, even the betting was intense.

“It was a playoff atmosphere,” Utah's Carlos Boozer said. “You had people diving for loose balls, scrapping for rebounds. That’s what the playoffs are about. That’s what the last 20 games are going to be like as we try to position ourselves for the playoffs.”

Boozer led all scorers with 28 points while the Mavs' Josh Howard dropped 25 to lead Dallas. Utah's Deron Williams had an eye-popping 20 assists.