SALT LAKE CITY -- The offseason acquisition of George Hill was a clear upgrade at the point guard position for the Utah Jazz, but few expected this type of production from the nine-year veteran.Hill scored 25 points and the Jazz defeated the Dallas Mavericks 97-81 on Wednesday night.Hill continued to power the Jazz offensively after coming to the team in a three-way trade with the Pacers and Hawks last summer. He has scored 18-plus points in all five games, the only Jazz player to do so.Some of the things that hes doing, you were hopeful that he would do, Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. But youre equally pleased that hes doing them. Hes made big shots at crucial times. What Ive seen is his willingness to (say), `Where do you need me? Do you need me to score? Do you need me to get a stop? Do you want me to lead?The leadership component, to me, is probably the most unique. Thats something our team is responding to.The Mavericks trailed the entire game except for a 16-15 lead at the beginning of the second quarter. After shooting just 37.0 percent in the first quarter, the Jazz hit 49.2 percent the rest of the way. They were 12 for 25 from 3-point range.Im just happy were winning, I dont care about the numbers, Hill said. Just doing what it takes to try to win a game. Im glad my teammates have confidence in me to control the tempo out there and try to make plays.Rodney Hood scored 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Jazz as teammate Rudy Gobert had 12 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks.Harrison Barnes led the Mavericks with 14 points, but they shot just 26.9 percent behind the arc.Its been a tough start for us, Mavs center Andrew Bogut said. No one is going to give us anything easy, so we got to dig ourselves out of this hole.We werent in the game, really from the start. Whatever it was, we were kind of chasing our tails from the start. Our bench did a great job of getting us back in the game. Made a run. We just couldnt sustain it.TIP-INSMavericks: Dirk Nowitzki started after missing the last two games with an illness. He scored nine points on 4-for-14 shooting. ... Point guard Deron Williams, who was drafted by the Jazz No. 3 overall in 2005, was still booed five years after being traded away.Jazz: Derrick Favors matched a season-high with 23 minutes as he works his way back from a knee injury. ... Dante Exum matched a season-high 10 points off the bench.STICKING AROUNDGobert signed a lucrative multi-year extension Tuesday to keep from entering restricted free agency after the season. The 7-foot-1, 245-pound center averaged career-highs in points (9.1), rebounds (11.0) and blocks (2.2) last season and has developed into one of the top defenders in the league. Gobert said the extension puts both he and the team on the same page and reinforces their belief in him. He knows he has to produce, but said there isnt any extra pressure. As a human, it wasnt really impacting my game, but in my mind you think about it a little bit, Gobert said. Now that its done Im focused on basketball and the team.MORE OFFENSEThe Mavericks entered the game ranked No. 15 in the league averaging 103.7 points per game. Coach Rick Carlisle is looking for more on that end of the court, but didnt get it Wednesday. We want to move the ball, Carlisle said. We want to get it in the paint as much as possible. Weve had some tough luck with shot-making, but that will come.UP NEXTMavericks: Host the Portland Trail Blazers and star point guard Damian Lillard on Friday.Jazz: Host the Spurs on Friday after upsetting Kawhi Leonard and company in San Antonio on Tuesday. Cheap Vapormax China . On June 12, just as the sun sets on the magnificent historical city of Sao Paulo the inventors, innovators and purveyors of “joga bonitowill” open their campaign. 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MIAMI -- Turns out, DeAndre Jordan does more than catch lobs. Sometimes he grabs offensive rebounds and scores to clinch games for the Los Angeles Clippers.And that was a most fitting ending on Friday night.Blake Griffin scored 20 points, Chris Paul and J.J. Redick each added 17 and the Clippers held on to beat the Miami Heat 102-98 for their fourth consecutive win. Jordan had a putback of a missed free throw by Paul with 7.7 seconds left to seal the win for Los Angeles.Thats what he does, Paul said. Rebound, get buckets, make shots.Jordan had 12 points and 19 rebounds, his big night coming a day after Heat center Hassan Whiteside said Jordan just catches lobs -- a comment he would insist Friday was misconstrued.I just wanted to come out here and get a win, Jordan said.Goran Dragic had 21 points and 11 assists, Justise Winslow scored 15 and Wayne Ellington added 13 points before leaving injured for Miami.Whiteside had 11 points and 17 rebounds, and wasnt on the floor for Jordans final rebound. Miami was going with a small lineup, guessing that Paul wouldnt miss from the line and trying to set up what it figured would be a 3-point shot for a tie.DJ took advantage of the size and then made the shot, which was even better, Clippers coach Doc Rivers said.The Clippers led by 16 in the first half. Miami got within six before Los Angeles went up 16 again in the third quarter -- then had to hang on.We lost this game in the first half, Dragic said.A three-point play by Josh Richardson with 13.2 seconds left got Miami within three, and the Heat forced a turnover on the Clippers ensuing inbounds pass. The Clippers didnt want to give up a 3 and fouled Dragic, who made both to make it 99-98.A terrific second half against a team thats obviously a championship-caliber team, Heat coacch Erik Spoelstra said.ddddddddddddBut you have to play 48 minutes.TIP-INSClippers: Los Angeles had 60 points in the first half, 42 in the second. ... It was Pauls 800th regular-season game. No one in NBA history had as many points, assists and steals through 800 games, and only John Stockton, Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson had more assists at this point in their careers. ... Luc Mbah a Moute (shoulder) missed his second consecutive game.Heat: Tyler Johnson (illness) did not play. ... Ellington left in the third quarter with a right hamstring strain. ... Miami made 10 of its first 17 shots, then four of its next 17. ... Winslow met up with U.S. soccer star Jozy Altidore postgame, chatting and posing for photos.SAGER TRIBUTEThe Heat had a pregame tribute video and moment of silence to honor the life of broadcaster Craig Sager, who died this week after a long fight with leukemia.Rivers was a business partner of Sagers for about nine years in a sports bar called Jocks & Jills.I didnt get any profits -- I think Craig enjoyed himself quite a bit, Rivers said.Spoelstra called Sager a pillar of greatness and character.PIERCE IN MIAMIPaul Pierce didnt get in for the Clippers on Friday, meaning hes probably played for the last time in Miami. He has more regular-season points (1,205) against Miami than anyone in history, and no one has more than his 79 combined regular-season and playoff appearances against the Heat. Pierce has said he will retire after this season.UP NEXTClippers: Visit Washington on Sunday, their last road game against an East team until Jan. 23.Heat: Host Boston on Sunday, the second and final time the Celtics visit this season. ' ' '
