Jazz destroy yet another team, Kirilenko with another 8 bl..

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap?gid=2004110607

With Carlos Boozer providing the offense and Kirilenko adding the grit, the
surprising Jazz stayed unbeaten with a 106-82 victory over the slumping
Nuggets on Saturday night.

``I think tonight we played hard,'' Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. ``Anytime
you play hard, you have a chance to win.''

After opening the season with easy wins over the Los Angeles Lakers and
Golden State, Utah outshot, outrebounded and outhustled Denver to put away
the game early. Boozer had 30 points and 17 rebounds, Kirilenko had 16
points and tied a career-high with eight blocked shots, and the Jazz shot 50
percent to open with three straight wins for the first time since going 5-0
in 2000-01.

Utah has shot 50 percent, scored 100 points and won by an average of 24
points in its three games this season.

``We are playing hard and are playing good team defense, and sharing the
ball offensively,'' Boozer said.

The same couldn't be said for Denver.

Carmelo Anthony had the worst of it, finishing 3-for-20 for seven points and
starting the second half on the bench. Earl Boykins had 17 points, and
Kenyon Martin added 14 for Denver, which is 1-2 with games against Utah,
Seattle and defending champion Detroit coming up next week.

``I was disappointed in a lot of things with a lot of people,'' Nuggets
coach Jeff Bzdelik said.

``I don't know if Denver was tired or what, but they didn't look like they
wanted to play,'' Kirilenko said.

``Not much went right out there,'' Martin said.

Part of the problem was Anthony.

Standing on the wing and settling for jumpers -- much like he did in
Denver's first two games -- Anthony was off target from the start. He missed
11 of 13 shots in the first half, including a second-quarter airball in
front Utah's bench as the Jazz yelled ``shoot, shoot!''

``It is off, there is no question about it,'' Bzdelik said of Anthony's
shooting. ``But staying within the offense, moving without the basketball,
working to get good shots is everybody's responsibility. I don't want to put
it on any one particular player.''

Utah has a fantastic front court now. With Boozer, Collins, Kirilenko,
and Okur they have got some big guys with skills. Borchardt and Radojevic
are also worth six fouls when playing a Shaq or Duncan. I really like
the team they are putting together. They are weak in the backcourt, but
they have been winning even without Arroyo.


Dimitri