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Deron Williams, Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson were supposed to carry the Jazz into the playoffs last season.

They shared the weight well for a while. But Utah never felt right, Williams was shipped to New Jersey, and the Jazz were never the same.

Utah is still finding its way during the lockout-compressed 2011-12 season. Millsap and Jefferson are standing taller than ever, though. As for Williams? The former face of the franchise is now on the outside, looking in.

Led by a combined 38 points from the Jazz's Big Two, Utah easily pounded the Nets 107-94 Saturday at EnergySolutions Arena before a crowd of 19,557.

The game marked Williams' official NBA return to Salt Lake City. He was loudly booed during pregame introductions, jeered every time he touched ball and never looked at ease.

"I pretty much expected the mixed reaction," said Williams, who made two All-Star appearances, was selected to the U.S. Olympic team and took Utah (7-4) to the Western Conference Finals while playing for the Jazz from 2005-11.

Williams scored a team-high 16 points for New Jersey (3-10). But he shot just 3-of-15 from the floor, failed to convert several makeable layups, and committed five turnovers for a direction-less Nets team that trailed by as many as 23 points early in the fourth quarter.

"It was just a bad game all around. For me, for our team," said Williams, who acknowledged he's trying to maintain a positive outlook despite playing for a struggling franchise.

Ex-Jazz center Mehmet Okur recorded nine points and seven rebounds, but he looked even less comfortable than Williams.

Meanwhile, Utah played with more rhythm and finesse than it's showed all season, threading a Nets team that features five former Jazzmen.

Five Utah players hit double-digits in scoring, fueled by a Jazz offense that showed fluidity seldom seen since Williams was traded last February. Utah recorded a season-high 64 points in the paint, 23 on the fast break and used two runs — 15-2 and 10-0 — to silence the Nets.

"It felt great," Utah forward C.J. Miles said. "Guys making extra passes and looking for each other. Trusting guys and knowing that the guy is going to make the extra pass for the score. And knowing it's going to come back to you the other way around if you are in the right position. We got out and just competed."

Lifted by confidence from a strong performance Wednesday during an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Utah did exactly what it was supposed to Saturday. The Jazz punished the shaky Nets early, held the lead, then put the game away as soon as they saw an opening.

By the final minutes, Millsap and Jefferson were sitting on the bench, while Williams had also been removed. Utah was able to watch, cheer and rest, enjoying the moment in a manner that's been rare during an uncompromising season-opening stretch — one that's seen the Jazz play 11 games in 19 days, including six back-to-backs.

Now, Utah heads to Denver. D-Will's much-hyped return is over, and the Jazz have a chance to prove an embarrassing 117-100 road blowout loss to the Nuggets on Dec. 28 is truly in the past.

Utah is much-changed without Williams. And the evolving Jazz say they're already a different team from the dead-eyed squad that started the season 1-3.

Win Sunday in Denver — creating a buffer heading into tough games next week against Dallas and the Los Angeles Clippers — and Utah will prove it has changed. Again.

"We know we've got each other's back," said Jefferson, who led the Jazz with a game-high 20 points. "We know if a guy go, he trust us to know that we've got his back on the defensive end. And that's what's been getting us where we at right now." Storylines Jazz bury Nets

In short • The Jazz record a season-high 64 points in the paint to blow out D-Will's Nets.

Key stat • Five Utah players hit double digits in scoring, led by Al Jefferson's game-high 20 points. Key moment • The Jazz end the second quarter on a 9-0 run and take a 57-40 lead into halftime. —

Jazz at Nuggets

P At Pepsi Center, Denver

Tipoff • 6 p.m.

TV • ROOT Sports

Radio • 1320 AM, 1600 AM, 98.7 FM

Records • Jazz 7-4, Nuggets 8-4

Last meeting • Nuggets, 117-100 (Dec. 28)

About the Jazz • Utah entered Saturday ranked No. 2 out of 30 teams in average blocks (7.1), fourth in points in the paint (44) and turnovers (13.6), and eighth in fast-break points (15.6). … Four of the Jazz's next six games come against teams with winning records, and Utah will play Dallas twice in the next 12 days.

About the Nuggets • Denver entered Saturday ranked No. 1 in assists (24.3) and second in scoring (104.8). … Third-year guard Ty Lawson leads the Nuggets in points (17.1) and assists (6.3). … Seven Denver players are averaging at least 9.2 points. … The Nuggets have won six of eight.