Deron Williams had 24 points to lead the Utah
Jazz to a 97-84 victory over the Indiana Pacers in a pre-season game
Saturday night.
Despite the win, Utah (1-1) may have suffered a big blow as
starting guard Derek Fisher left the game early in the first quarter
after falling hard to the ground on a drive to the basket. Fisher
came down on his back and head and was taken to the hospital for
X-rays on his pelvis.
Al Harrington had 22 points and Jermaine O'Neal scored 17 to lead
the Pacers (1-1), who were missing a number of players due to
injuries.
Pacers guard Stephen Jackson didn't start Saturday's game but
played off the bench. The 28-year-old had missed the team's opening
pre-season game after he was arraigned Thursday on a felony charge
of criminal recklessness and misdemeanour counts of battery and
disorderly conduct as a result of an incident at an Indianapolis
strip club last week.
Jackson was booed several times by the crowd.
He made his first appearance of the pre-season with 3:13 left in
the first quarter and finished the game with six points in 23
minutes.
O'Neal was also making his pre-season debut against the Jazz. He
missed Wednesday's 103-89 victory over New Jersey after attending a
court date in Michigan in a lawsuit stemming from the brawl with
Detroit Pistons fans two years ago.
Utah, which took a 21-19 lead into the second quarter, used a 9-0
run to go ahead 30-21 in the first quarter. Indiana cut the deficit
to four late in the quarter following a pair of Jackson free throws,
but a Dee Brown three-pointer at the buzzer gave the Jazz a 43-37
halftime lead.
Utah took its biggest advantage, 70-56, after Williams' layup
with more than three minutes left in the third quarter.
Indiana was playing without Maceo Baston (sore foot), Marquis
Daniels (sore hamstring), John Edwards (sore groin) and Orien Green
(broken finger).
Utah was without forward Andrei Kirilenko (sore lower back).
© The Canadian Press, 2007