Chicago Bulls Jam Utah Jazz 103-98

Chicago Bulls Jam Utah Jazz 103-98


CHICAGO - Luol Deng scored 21 points and Kirk Hinrich added 19 points and 11 assists to lead the Chicago Bulls over the Utah Jazz 103-98 Saturday night



Mehmet Okur had a career-high 33 points and 17 rebounds for Utah, which played most of the game without Andrei Kirilenko after he injured his left ankle early in the second quarter.

Ben Gordon scored 17 points and Andres Nocioni added 15 for Chicago.

The Bulls led 32-21 after shooting 67 percent in the first quarter, making eight of their last nine shots. Hinrich had 11 points and was 3-of-4 on 3-pointers in the period.

Gordon's jumper with 9:41 left in the second capped Chicago's 25-6 run that gave it a 40-24 lead.

Bulls guard Chris Duhon, who missed Wednesday's game against Golden State due to a right knee contusion, started and scored 12 points for the Bulls.

Kirilenko left the game early in the second quarter after he sprained his left ankle. He landed on Chicago forward Othella Harrington's foot after attempting a 3-pointer. Kirilenko was helped to the locker room, and did not return to the Jazz bench.

Kirilenko missed 41 games last season — 26 after spraining his right knee on Nov. 30, and then 14 more due to a wrist injury.

Jazz rookie Deron Williams, who led Illinois to the highest win total in school history and championship game of the NCAA tournament earlier this year, received a nice applause when he checked in to start the second quarter. The rookie guard finished with 13 points.

Williams' jumper cut the Chicago lead to 72-69 late in third quarter and the Jazz got within 87-85 on a pair of free throws by Milt Palacio.

The Bulls came back with a basket by Deng, and Hinrich followed with a three-point play.

Okur tried to keep the Jazz in it with a long jumper with 1:56 left, cutting Chicago's lead to 96-93, but Hinrich followed with two free throws and Deng had a dunk to stretch the Bulls' lead to seven points.

Palacio scored all eight of his points in the fourth quarter and Gordon Giricek added 14 for the Jazz.

Notes:@ Williams' former coach at Illinois, Bruce Weber, presented the game ball before tipoff. ... Tyson Chandler had 11 rebounds for Chicago. ... Chicago's reserves have outscored their counterparts in every game this season.