 "Photo: Maegan Burr")
Life at home is good for the Utah Jazz. No luggage to haul around. No funky-tasting airplane food. As Jazz forward Carlos Boozer likes to say, "It's always nice to have some good home cooking."
Playing in their third game of a four-game home stand, the Jazz got things sizzling by nailing 53 percent of their shots and downing the Orlando Magic, 119-115, on Saturday night.
The win marks Utah's fifth home win in a row and improves their record to 15-3 at EnergySolutions Arena. Only three teams in the league have a better home-winning percentage.
Despite the win, however, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan felt his hosts were almost too gracious. Utah nearly allowed the Magic -- one of the NBA's best on the road at 16-8 -- to escape with a victory when the visitors tied things up at 93 with less than six minutes remaining.
"I was just disappointed in our defensive effort," Sloan said after he watched Orlando sink 57 percent of its shots in the final quarter. "We kind of let them do what they wanted to do most of the time."
Credit Mehmet Okur for saving the Jazz from going under in the final minutes as they have so often done this season. Utah's starting center had his second straight game with more than 20 points, scoring a season-high 29 after dropping 22 against Phoenix on Thursday.
Okur scored 11 points in the final quarter before fouling out with just more than a minute to go when the Jazz had a cushy, nine-point lead. The crowd gave Okur, who also pulled down eight rebounds, a standing ovation when he left the game.
"That was the Memo of last season and that's the Memo we are looking forward to the rest of this season," said Boozer, who also fouled out of the game with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
The "Memo" of last season, most fans remember, bailed the Jazz out numerous times with game-winning shots and aided the Jazz in a number of comeback victories.
The sixth-year veteran from Turkey has been hit with a bevy of injuries, forcing him out of eight games this season and preventing him from getting into a rhythm. Since his return on Dec. 26, however, Utah has taken six of nine and Sloan, for one, is glad to have him back.
"He's played awfully well here as of late," Sloan said. "I think he's shooting the ball as well as any time this year. He's worked really hard in practice."
Andrei Kirilenko also returned after sitting out the last three games because of back inflammation and put in 16 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
Deron Williams also contributed a double-double, recording 17 points and 11 assists, while Ronnie Brewer added 11 points.
Orlando was led by center Dwight Howard, a member of Team USA and mortal lock for his second All-Star appearance next month, who had 29 points and 15 rebounds. Teammate Rashard Lewis added another 27 points and six boards.
After starting the season as the league's best road team, Orlando is reeling with its fifth loss in six games.
"We gave (Utah) a lot of easy baskets and we took tough shots," Lewis said. "They played well tonight, but down the stretch, when we needed it, we missed a lot of key free throws."
The Jazz will wrap up their home stance with a game against Milwaukee tonight before heading off to Denver, Colo., on Thursday.
j.peterson@chronicle.utah.edu
