INDIANAPOLIS — Mehmet Okur scored 24 points and the Jazz beat the Pacers 112-100 on Tuesday night for its 12th consecutive victory.
For a few minutes in the fourth quarter, it looked as if the Pacers could snap Utah’s winning streak.
T.J. Ford’s jumper with seven minutes left tied the score at 90, but the Jazz answered with a 16-4 run over the next three minutes to pull away. The victory moved the Jazz into sole possession of first place in the Northwest Division, a half-game ahead of the Trail Blazers and 1 1/2 games ahead of the slumping Nuggets.
“They’re the hottest team in the league and we just couldn’t get the stops coming down the stretch,” said Pacers forward Troy Murphy, who finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds. “We had a good shot tonight, but we weren’t able to take advantage of it.”
Paul Millsap had 22 points and nine rebounds, Ronnie Brewer scored 18 and Deron Williams added 12 assists for the Jazz (41-23), which hasn’t lost since falling 116-96 at Golden State on Feb. 8.
“We have confidence that we’re going to win every game we play, no matter what the scenario might be,” said Boozer, who finished with 11 points and seven rebounds. “At the end of the day, we have the pieces, the confidence and the belief in each other that we’re going to win the game.”
Jarrett Jack and Ford each had 21 points for Indiana (28-38), which continues to battle for the final playoff spot in the East.
