Jazz reaches 10-1 in team’s best start

Carlos Boozer’s big game and a breakout performance by rookie Paul Millsap helped the Utah Jazz to a club-record win.

Boozer had a season-high 35 points on his 25th birthday, rallying Utah past the visiting Toronto Raptors, 101-96, on Monday night for its 10th victory in 11 games and the best start in franchise history.

“Sometimes you are going to have nights like that and some nights are going to be tough in the NBA. But it’s nice to have things go right on your birthday,” said Boozer, who made 14 of 16 shots and had nine rebounds in falling one point shy of his career high. “All I wanted is a win.”

He might not have gotten his wish without Millsap, who sparked a comeback with eight points in a 16-1 run that put the Jazz ahead to stay, 93-86.

“I just wanted to come in and make some impact. If it’s just getting one rebound, one steal a game, it’s all right with me,” said Millsap, who finished with 20 points and seven rebounds. “I’m going in there and doing what I’ve got to do.”

It was the second consecutive game Utah rallied from a 16-point deficit. The Jazz beat Phoenix, 120-117, in overtime Saturday after trailing by 16.

Utah Coach Jerry Sloan earned his 900th win as coach of the Jazz, which opened the 1998-99 season with a 9-1 record but lost its 11th game en route to a 37-13 finish in the lockout-shortened season. Sloan is 900-538 with Utah and 994-659 overall.

Chris Bosh scored 17 points for Toronto, which finished 0-5 on its trip.

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San Antonio 107, Portland 98 -- Manu Ginobili scored 18 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter as the Spurs overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to improve to 6-0 on the road.

Zach Randolph had 23 points for Portland.

Dallas 93, Charlotte 85 -- The Mavericks won their sixth in a row after an 0-4 start, with Jason Terry scoring five points in their game-ending 7-1 run at Charlotte, N.C.

Dirk Nowitzki had 24 points and 14 rebounds for Dallas. Emeka Okafor had 22 points, 13 rebounds and eclipsed his own team record with eight blocked shots for the Bobcats.

Houston 97, New York 90 -- Tracy McGrady scored 24 points, including six during a decisive 10-1 run in the fourth quarter, to help the visiting Rockets beat the Knicks for the fifth straight time.

Yao Ming added 26 points and nine rebounds for Houston. Jamal Crawford had 25 points for New York, which fell to 1-5 at home.

Phoenix 113, Golden State 110 -- Steve Nash made a tiebreaking three-point basket with 4.1 seconds left to cap the Suns’ rally from a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit in their first road win in five tries.

Raja Bell scored all of his 22 points after halftime for Phoenix, which rallied with a 15-3 run. Monta Ellis had 31 points to match his career high for the Warriors, playing without Baron Davis (rib cage).

Memphis 95, Orlando 86 -- The Grizzlies ended a seven-game losing streak by using a 21-2 fourth-quarter run to rally from a seven-point deficit.

Hakim Warrick scored 15 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter for Memphis. Dwight Howard had 24 points and 23 rebounds for Orlando, whose four-game winning streak ended.

Seattle 97, New Jersey 87 -- Trailing for all but two possessions of the first three quarters, the SuperSonics outscored the visiting Nets, 33-17, in the fourth to end a three-game losing streak.

Ray Allen scored 29 points for Seattle. Vince Carter had 27 for New Jersey.

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Golden State released guard Dajuan Wagner, who signed with the team in September after missing most of the previous two seasons because of an inflamed colon, which was removed. Wagner was the sixth pick in the 2002 draft by Cleveland.... Utah’s home will now be known as EnergySolutions Arena after a Salt Lake City nuclear waste services company bought the naming rights to the downtown facility that had been known as the Delta Center since it opened in 1991.