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 The Jazz took a 21-point lead shortly after forward Andrei Kirilenko was knocked out of the game with a hip injury on a flagrant foul by Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki in the first quarter. But they allowed the Mavericks to creep back and take a late lead before Utah's rally at the end.
Utah made all 18 free throws in the fourth quarter and improved to 26-3 at home, the best home record in the league.
Mehmet Okur had 20 points and 12 rebounds and Carlos Boozer scored 28 points and three steals, stripping the ball two times in a row from Nowitzki as Utah pulled away in the final minutes.
Josh Howard scored 25 points and Nowitzki finished with 23 for Dallas, which fell to 4-4 since acquiring Jason Kidd.
Kidd finished with 19 points and nine assists, and Jason Terry scored 21 for the Mavericks.
Dallas held Utah scoreless for almost five minutes early in the fourth quarter and opened the period on an 11-2 run to take its first lead of the game. Then the Mavericks went on their own scoring drought.
After Kidd's 23-footer with 6:29 put Dallas up 92-89, Dallas didn't score again until Nowitzki's three-point play with 2:42 left. Utah scored 16 straight points, mostly from the foul line, and pulled far enough ahead that late 3-pointers by Nowitzki and Kidd weren't enough to lead the Mavericks back.
Boozer started Utah's run on a layup, breaking a 4:59 scoring drought, and followed with two free throws. Okur made two from the line and Williams pulled back on a break opportunity and passed to Kyle Korver for a 3-pointer that put Utah up 98-92 with 4:43 left. That had the fans back on their feet.
Boozer stripped the ball from Nowitzki on Dallas' next two possessions and the Jazz drew fouls at the other end both times. Williams made two from the line with 4:12 left, then Matt Harpring added two more to put the Jazz up 102-92
Harpring went to the line again with 3:13 left and after he made the first shot, Nowitzki was called for a technical. Korver made that free throw, then Harpring finished his foul shots by making another to put Utah up 105-93.
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Korver finished with 17 points, three more than all of Dallas' reserves combined.
Kirilenko was injured with 7:04 left in the first quarter when he went up for a layup and Nowitzki came down hard with his right arm. Nowitzki caught Kirilenko on the shoulder and neck and sent him crashing to the floor, where he remained for several minutes.
Kirilenko finally got up and walked gingerly to the free throw line, where Nowitzki appeared to apologize before Kirilenko made both free throws for the flagrant foul. Kirilenko was taken to a hospital, then returned to the arena in the second half in a wheelchair. There was no immediate word on his right hip injury.
Notes: Williams' 14 assists in the first half were one short of John Stockton's team record for a half. ... Dallas was tied for Utah with the best home record entering the game. ... Devean George scored 12 for Dallas, the only Mavericks reserve to score more than two.
[Associated Press; By DOUG ALDEN]
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
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