06 April,2009 09:44 AM IST | | AFP
The Utah Jazz snapped a three-game losing streak with an emphatic 108-94 victory over the New Orleans Hornets, the rare road win securing Utah's place in the National Basketball Association playoffs.
All five Jazz starters finished in double figures, led by Ronnie Brewer's 23 points. Brewer's hot start helped the Jazz take a 41-19 lead after the first quarter.
Deron Williams added 21 points and 11 assists, Mehmet Okur scored 18, Carlos Boozer chipped in a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds, and Andrei Kirilenko filled in for the injured CJ Miles to score 16 points.
David West scored 23 points with 12 rebounds for the Hornets, who trailed by as many as 30 points in the first half.
The Hornets got the deficit down to single digits briefly in the third period, but the Jazz reasserted themselves in the fourth.
The Hornets could have clinched a playoff berth with a victory, but lost their second straight game.
In fact, the Hornets currently lie sixth in the Western Conference - half a game in front of the Jazz.
But because Phoenix lost on Sunday, the Jazz can finish no worse than tied for the eighth and last place, and they would win any tiebreaker so their spot is secure.
"We're happy to be in the playoffs, but we're not happy to be an eight seed," Williams said.
