Al Jefferson helps Jazz keep road win streak going

LOS ANGELES -- The Utah Jazz have had a tough time handling rookie sensation Blake Griffin. That makes them no different than any other team the Los Angeles Clippers have faced.

Even so, Utah has managed to win all three meetings because the Jazz have averaged 107 points against them.

Al Jefferson had 31 points and 10 rebounds Wednesday night, helping Utah beat the Clippers 103-95 and extend its road winning streak to four games.

"He's a force in this league and he will be for years to come," Utah point guard Deron Williams said. "His game speaks for itself. He's a walking double-double. He's so athletic and strong, and there's not many weaknesses in his game."

Griffin, the only player to start all 30 games for the Clippers, led them with 30 points and 12 rebounds. He is averaging 27 points and 14.3 boards against the Jazz.

Griffin's double-double was his 26th this season and 20th in a row, breaking the Clippers' rookie record set by Michael Cage during the 1986-87 season and giving Griffin the longest such streak by any NBA rookie in the last 40 years. Only two players in the league have had longer double-double streaks during the last 10 years -- Kevin Garnett (37) and David Lee (24).

"That's what happens when you play well as a team and everyone contributes," Griffin said of his streak. "But it doesn't mean a win, so we've just got to get better. We turned the ball over too much and we were standing around on offense."

The Clippers set a season high with 10 blocked shots -- seven by DeAndre Jordan, who is starting in place of the injured Chris Kaman. The total was one more than they had against the Jazz on Nov. 6 at Utah in a double-overtime loss.

"Those guys, Jordan and Blake, they're very athletic and they attack the defensive board and block shots," Jefferson said. "But we just kept attacking. We're just sticking with our offense and trusting it."

Andre Kirilenko missed his first game of the season because of a lower back strain and reserve C.J. Miles sat because of flulike symptoms, leaving the Jazz vulnerable at small forward.

Mehmet Okur, playing his second game of the season after missing the first 30 while rehabbing from a torn left Achilles' tendon, scored 13 points in 17 minutes. Rookie Gordon Hayward made his fifth start of the season in Kirilenko's spot, and had 17 points and six rebounds.

"The first half I knew I was aiming it. I could just tell by the way it was going because the ball had no rotation," said Hayward, who was 6 for 12 from the field and made 3 of 5 from 3-point range. "I guess I was kind of nervous. But in the second half, after seeing that first one go in, it was a really good feeling -- and it seemed to open up a little bit more."

Utah trailed by 12 points late in the first quarter and didn't take its first lead until Hayward hit a 3-pointer for a 60-58 advantage with 9:14 left in the third.

"It was fun out there, but I wish we would have come out a lot stronger in the first half," Hayward said. "We always have to fight our way back. I hate doing that, but I was proud of the way our guys fought back."

The Jazz took an 81-70 lead into the fourth before the Clippers closed to 81-77 on a 3-pointer by rookie Eric Bledsoe with 10:34 to play. But Utah responded with a 12-2 run, capped by a three-point play by Jefferson that extended its margin to 93-79 with 6:37 remaining.

Griffin received a delay-of-game warning from referee Monty McCutchen when he grabbed the ball after his tip-in basket and then bounced it to a Utah player who was waiting to inbound it. Less than a minute later, Griffin again got his hands on the ball after it went through on a short hook shot, but quickly dropped it and put up his hands on his way up court.

Game notes
Griffin is donating $100 for every dunk he makes to Dunking For Dollars, to help fight childhood obesity. The Nestle Foundation will match his donation. Griffin leads the league with 78 dunks. ... Kirilenko hasn't played a full 82-game schedule since 2001-02, when he was a rookie. ... The Jazz had to call a timeout with 7:13 left in the first quarter after Raja Bell lost a shoe. ... The Clippers began a five-game homestand after winning five of their previous six games.