SLIDESHOW: Utah Jazz vs San Antonio Spurs
SALT LAKE CITY - It used to be the Utah Jazz had all sorts of trouble with the San Antonio Spurs.
Or so Jazz rookie Wesley Matthews as heard. But he has never seen it first hand.
Matthews started and played 34 minutes on Monday, as Utah beat San Antonio for the third time this season.
He scored 11 points, three assists and made several key defensive plays on San Antonio stars Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.
The last time the Jazz beat the Spurs three times in a season? Go back 12 years, to the 1997-98 campaign.
"I love it," Matthews said. "You can't get a much better feeling."
That win kicked off a challenging week for the Jazz (12-8), who will face the Lakers tonight at Staples Center and the Orlando Magic on Thursday at EnergySolutions Arena.
Utah will finish up by playing host to the Lakers on Saturday.
The Jazz trailed by 15 on Monday, but battled back in the second half and survived the Spurs' late charge.
"We're young, but we're still a team of veterans. Well, they're still a team of veterans," Matthews said, nodding toward his teammates, "I'm still a rookie."
When told -- tongue-in-cheek -- of how the Jazz used to struggle against San Antonio before he arrived, Matthews offered nothing more than an uncomfortable laugh.
Not so with coach Jerry Sloan, however. He said Matthews' aggressive style of play was a key for the Jazz.
"Wes Matthews gives us (toughness) right off the bat," coach Jerry Sloan said. "There's no reason why the other guys can't do it as well."
* JAZZ NOTES: The Jazz practiced with just eight players on Tuesday. Forward Andrei Kirilenko was out having an MRI on his sore lower back. Kyle Korver (left knee) and Ronnie Price (left toe) also missed practice, as did Kyrylo Fesenko (stomach virus) and Deron Williams, who was excused for personal reasons. ... Jazz officials were unsure if Kirilenko would be making the trip to L.A., but Korver, Price, Fesenko and Williams were expected to travel.
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