Monta Ellis went for 35 points and Dorell Wright added 22 as the Golden State Warriors fended off the Utah Jazz 107-100 at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City. With the win the Warriors go into the All-Star break riding a 3 game win streak while the Jazz make it 5 straight losses at home for the first time since 1982. The Warriors have won 6 of their last 8, 5 of which were against teams with winning records, while the Jazz continue to struggle, losing 13 of their last 17 games.
In a game that saw 19 lead changes, neither team ever seemed to have control for longer then a few minutes. Golden State got out rebounded by the Jazz 40-34 and were +3 in turnovers, but in the end kept the Jazz’s offense at bay with some clutch shooting of their own. The game remained tight until the 4th quarter when Monta took over. Ellis continually broke down Utah’s defense, cutting to the basket and hitting contested jump shots, basically scoring at will down the stretch. Stephen Curry meanwhile had a night to forget, scoring only one basket and finishing with 4 points. The Jazz fought hard the whole game even as Deron Williams struggled from the field. He shot 5-13 and finished with 18 points and 11 assists, but had 5 turnovers (unusually high by his standards). Al Jefferson added 23 and 11 rebounds but it still wasn’t enough for the Jazz (31-26), who go into the break scratching their heads and looking for answers.
The Warriors head into the All-Star break with a 26-29 record overall looking to make a post season push in their final 27 games of the regular season.