University of Georgia Athletics
Gaines' 3-pointer At Buzzer Lifts Jazz Over Cavs
January 15, 2010 | Men's Basketball
| Sundiata Gaines #15 of the Utah Jazz hits the game winning shot against Anthony Parker #18 of the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 14, 2010 at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) |
By DOUG ALDEN
SALT LAKE CITY(AP) Rookie Sundiata Gaines hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to end a frenzied series of comebacks and give the Utah Jazz a 97-96 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night.
LeBron James had led the Cavaliers on a 22-4 run earlier in the fourth quarter and put the Cavs up by six points with 32.5 seconds left, but Cleveland couldn't clinch it from the free throw line.
Zildrunas Ilgauskas went 1-of-2 from the line with 5.6 seconds left and the Jazz needed only a field goal to tie it or 3-pointer to win it.
Utah's Ronnie Price got tied up behind the arc and flipped the ball to Gaines, who launched the game-winner.
Gaines, signed to a 10-day contract when starter Deron Williams sprained his right wrist, finished with nine points. It was Gaines' first 3-pointer in his five-game NBA career.
James led Cleveland with 36 points, scoring 20 in the fourth quarter.
The Jazz and Cavs combined for just 28 points in the third quarter, then both went on a scoring barrage in the fourth. Utah ended up winning the fourth-quarter battle 42-36 as Carlos Boozer scored 11 in the final period. Boozer finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds and six assists against his former team.
The Cavs helped the Jazz by committing a season-high 23 turnovers and missing critical foul shots in the final minute after James had regained the lead for Cleveland.
Anthony Parker went 1-of-2 from the line on consecutive trips in the final 22 seconds, leaving the door open for Utah's comeback.
Kyle Korver hit a baseline jumper to cut the lead to 94-92 with 6 seconds left, then after a quick foul, Ilgauskas was 1-of-2 and Utah got the rebound.
After a timeout, the Cavs had the Jazz scrambling on the final inbounds play before Price got the ball to Gaines on the right wing and Gaines came through. He was mobbed by his teammates on the spot, then ran across to the scorer's table where he leaped on top and lifted his arms.
Gaines was in the game because Williams re-injured his right wrist, which he sprained in a fall last Monday.
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Jazz Signs Sundiata Gaines to Second 10-Day Contract
SALT LAKE CITY (January 15, 2010) – Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor announced today that the Jazz has signed rookie guard Sundiata Gaines to a second 10-day contract.
Gaines (6-1, 185, Georgia) signed his first 10-day contract with the Jazz on Jan. 5 and has appeared in all five Jazz games since, averaging 4.2 points and 1.4 assists in 9.3 minutes per game. The Jazz is 4-1 since signing Gaines, who hit a game-winning three-pointer as time expired to beat Cleveland, 97-96, on Thursday night. The former University of Georgia Bulldog also recorded a career-high nine points vs. the Cavaliers. Gaines reached career-highs in minutes (21) and assists (five) in his NBA debut vs. Memphis on Jan. 6.
Gaines was the fourth D-League Call-Up to the NBA this season, as well as the fourth D-League Call-Up in Jazz history, joining Rusty LaRue (2000-01), Mikki Moore (2003-04) and Louis Amundson (2006-07).
The Jamaica, N.Y., native had averages of 23.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.9 assists in 14 games with the D-League's Idaho Stampede prior to being signed by the Jazz. Gaines was selected by the Stampede in the first round (15th overall pick) of the 2009 NBA D-League Draft after spending the 2008-09 campaign in Italy with NGC Cantu. The former Southeastern Conference Tournament MVP was not selected in the 2008 NBA Draft.