SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz wouldn’t mind facing the Detroit Pistons more than twice a season.
Detroit can’t seem to beat Utah, especially with former Piston Mehmet Okur leading the Jazz.
Okur had 22 points and six rebounds against his former team and the Jazz beat the Pistons for the eighth straight time, 99-82 on Saturday night.
“We play good against them here and also up there,” said Okur, who was 8-for-9 from the field. “Hopefully, we’re going to keep doing what we’re doing.”
Okur was 3-for-3 from 3-point range and also made all three of his free throws against the Pistons, who let him go to Utah as a free agent in 2004.
Andrei Kirilenko had 11 points and seven rebounds, and Matt Harpring also scored 11 points to help the Jazz sweep the Pistons for the fourth straight season.
Rodney Stuckey led the Pistons with 19 points. Allen Iverson added 11 points and five assists for Detroit, which last beat Utah in March 2005.
Paul Millsap finished with nine points and seven rebounds, ending his streak of 19 straight double-doubles as he rested once Utah put away Detroit with a 22-3 run over the end of the third period and beginning of the fourth.
Jason Maxiell was the only other Detroit player to score in double figures with 11 points — and five of those came in the fourth quarter as the reserves for both teams ran out the clock with the game already decided.
Ronnie Brewer finished with 16 points and three assists for Utah.
