(Sports Network) – Utah managed to halt its longest losing streak of the season without Deron Williams. Now, the Jazz will hope to start their latest winning streak in Oakland against the reeling Golden State Warriors with or without their star guard. Williams, who is struggling with a hyperextended right wrist, will be a game- time decision tonight as Utah attempts to halt a five-game road slide.
With Williams on the sidelines Friday Paul Millsap notched 30 points, Andrei Kirilenko scored a season-high 27 and the Jazz snapped a six-game skid with a 108-100 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves at EnergySolutions Arena. Millsap, despite a bruised thumb, added eight rebounds and a season-high six steals for Utah, which got 22 points from C.J. Miles in a reserve role. Earl Watson had 10 points and a season-high 13 assists in place of Williams.
“When you’ve lost six straight, the most important thing is we won the game. I thought our guys really played hard,” said Utah head coach Jerry Sloan.
The Warriors, meanwhile, fell to 0-3 on a season-long eight-game homestand on Friday when Charlotte’s Stephen Jackson scored 31 points, including a three-pointer with 1.9 seconds remaining to force overtime, as the Bobcats rallied to beat Golden State, 121-113. Stephen Curry had 27 points to pace the Warriors, who have dropped four in a row overall. Monta Ellis scored 21 points on 6-of-24 shooting, while Dorell Wright also finished with 21 points in the loss.
“We had a chance to win the game and we didn’t,” Curry said. “It’s really frustrating when we play hard. It’s not like our effort was the reason we lost. We just had lapses where we couldn’t rebound, gave up too many baskets down low and we let them back in the game.”
Utah has won four of its past five meetings with Golden State.