Jazz (pick and) roll past Cavs

By Tom Reed

Cleveland Plain Dealer

SALT LAKE CITY

Byron Scott told his players and anyone else who would listen how the Utah Jazz planned to attack the Cavaliers Tuesday night in Energy Solutions Arena.

The Jazz intended to pound the ball inside to Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap and his club would have to deal with that substantial low-post presence. Of course, every Utah opponent in the 1990s understood they had to defend the Karl Malone-John Stockton pick-n-roll, too.

Knowing it’s coming is one thing, stopping it quite another.

The Jazz shot 59 percent from the floor on the way to a 113-105 win. It marked the Cavaliers’ first back-to-back losses this season.

The broad-shouldered Jefferson finished with 30 points and 12 rebounds and had his way with almost anyone trying to defend him. Millsap scored 12 first-quarter points on the way to a 19-point night. The duo combined for 22-of-27 shooting from the field.

Power forward Antawn Jamison led the Cavaliers with 22 points, but needed 18 field-goal attempts to convert seven shots. Rookie point guard Kyrie Irving contributed 20 points and five assists. The Cavs (4-5) got to the line 43 times where they compiled 31 points.

For this game anyway, offense wasn’t the issue. They were shredded by one of the league’s lowest-scoring teams, which entered the contest averaging 90.4 points.

The Jazz didn’t require Cavaliers’ turnovers to ignite its offense the way Portland did on Sunday night in a 98-78 win. Cleveland had 13 turnovers after committing 24 against the Blazers.

No, the Jazz ran its half-court sets to perfection and Jefferson and Millsap happily finished at the rim. Jefferson, listed at 6-10, 289 pounds, wore down Anderson Varejao.