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They glided and they soared. They passed and they picked. And through it all, a Jazz team that just a week ago was questioning its self-direction smiled, laughed and indulged in the joyous experience of playing professional basketball without restraint.
Utah initially destroyed and ultimately downed the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-99 Friday night at EnergySolutions Arena before a sellout crowd of 19,911.
Deron Williams scored a co-game high 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting and distributed a team-high nine assists to lead the Jazz (27-13), while all five starters recorded double figures in scoring for the second consecutive game.
The Jazz shot 52.8 percent from the field, 52.6 percent behind the 3-point line, and dished out 32 assists on 47 made field goals.
To Utah guard Ronnie Price, the best parts of the outing made him feel like a kid all over again.
"You get lost in the game," Price said. "You get lost in some of the things that happen on the floor. That's part of basketball. That's why we love to play the game so much."
Antawn Jamison's 26 points and 11 rebounds topped the struggling Cavaliers (8-31), who have lost 12 consecutive contests and 22 of their last 23.
Leading 70-50 at halftime, Utah held off a rally that saw Cleveland pull within six points with 2 minutes, 15 seconds to go in the third quarter. But the Jazz began the final period with a 15-4 run to close out the Cavs.
"Game of two halves," Cleveland coach Byron Scott said.
After enduring an inconsistent 17-game run from Dec. 3 to Jan. 3 that saw Utah go 9-8 and only defeat one team with a winning record, the Jazz have won three consecutive contests and five of their last seven. In addition, Utah moved back into a tie with Oklahoma City for first place in the Northwest Division with the victory against the Cavs.
The Jazz's tendency to sleepwalk through the start of games has also been addressed — at least temporarily. Utah poured in 70 first-half points versus Cleveland, setting a season high, while the Jazz have scored a combined 135 first-half points during their last two games.
"We've been coming out with a lot more energy," Williams said.
Ten first-quarter points by Raja Bell kick-started Utah on Friday.
Then the Jazz unleashed one of their most thrilling performances of the season during the second period, producing a series of highlight-reel worthy plays that resulted in a standing ovation from the home crowd.
The barrage technically began at the end of the first quarter, when C.J. Miles issued a hard block of a layup attempt by Cleveland's Ramon Sessions. A length-of-the-court heave from Bell followed, and the ball landed in the hands of a gliding Williams for a Jazz basket.
But that was just the setup.
Miles proceeded to score 11 of Utah's first 13 points during the second quarter, and the last of his buckets during the spree was the most memorable. After leaping through the air to slam down a powerful dunk, the normally mild-mannered Miles flexed his arms, tightened his body and unleashed a shocking shout, looking more like a wrestler than a basketball player. A hard, appreciative body bump from Earl Watson followed, while players on the Jazz's bench such as Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap and Kyrylo Fesenko alternated dancing with unbridled laughter.
"I just tried to attack the basket," Miles said.
The sweetest play, though, was a pure team effort.
Price swiped a steal, then passed the ball to an open Watson. Watson threw a no-look, behind-the-back pass to Andrei Kirilenko, who immediately offered the same to Price. The Utah reserve guard then finished what he started, sending up a soft layup that instantly rocked the arena.
"Coach [Jerry] Sloan designed that play," Watson joked.
Storylines
R In short • The Jazz cruise past the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-99 Friday at EnergySolutions Arena.
Key stat • Utah distributes 32 assists on 47 made field goals.
Key moment • The Jazz unleash a 14-0 run midway through the second quarter.