"The Utah Jazz should consider scheduling more preseason games against the Portland Trail Blazers. Not only have they beaten the Blazers twice in exhibition play, but the Jazz showed significant improvement throughout Monday night's 109-100 win at Memorial Coliseum against their Northwest Division rivals, too. The Jazz's opponent and results were about the only things that remained the same from the opener. For starters, well, the starters were different. Rookie Ryan Thompson made his NBA debut and scored two points with the starting five, which also included C.J. Miles for the first time this fall. The biggest change, though, was how well things clicked for multiple players on the team. "I think," forward Andrei Kirilenko said, "we played more organized and kind of more concentrated." Deron Williams was strong as usual with 15 points and four assists (though with five turnovers), and the All-Star point guard got solid support from a cast of characters that included the likes of Al Jefferson, C.J. Miles and Kyrylo Fesenko. Two days after missing practice with "gastric distress," Jefferson gave Portland some reasons to be distressed while giving the Jazz many reasons to be impressed. Utah's biggest offseason acquisition scored from inside and out while looking much more comfortable in Utah's offense from his six-point opening outing. Jefferson finished with 14 points, six rebounds and three steals while showing exciting glimpses of the All-Star that Williams promised he'd help him become. "My teammates did a great job of getting me the ball. I got up 12 shots and made half of them. It's just getting a feel of the offense," Jefferson said. "And that's what I do — I'm a scorer. But I want to work on my weakness and other things." The 6-foot-10 big man also took a turn as point guard. After poking the ball away for a steal, the 280-pounder nimbly dribbled down court and then dished off to Miles for a fast-break layup during a run in which Utah took control and a double-digit lead." http://www.deseretnews.com/article/...eam-notches-yet-another-win-over-Blazers.html
