Tag: Utah Jazz (Page 4 of 12)

      Lakers hold off Jazz to win Game 1, 104-99

      May 2, 2010 /

      The Lakers led by eight heading into the fourth quarter, but with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer out of the game, the Utah reserves took advantage of the Lakers’ bench, going on an 8-1 run to start the period. After Kobe and Gasol returned, the Jazz managed to build a four-point lead with four minutes to play, but the Lakers went on a 15-6 run (featuring 11 of Kobe’s 31 points) to put the game away.

      These two teams actually remind me of the Bucks/Hawks first round matchup. Like the Hawks, the Lakers are more talented, yet they tend to lose focus during (sometimes long) stretches of the game. The Jazz are a more talented version of the Bucks — a team that is going to play its heart out from start to finish. What this means is that the Jazz are probably going to have a chance to steal a game or two in L.A. They almost stole Game 1, but five straight missed shots with under four minutes to play did the Jazz in.

      Like Jeff Van Gundy said, when it gets into crunch time, the Jazz need to double off of Ron Artest and force Kobe to give the ball up. If Utah can put the ball in Artest’s hands, they’ll have a better chance to win. This may go against Jerry Sloan’s straight man-to-man philosophy, but I’d rather see an uncomfortable Artest launching long jumpers than let Kobe go one-on-one with Wes Matthews.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      Deron Williams said nothing wrong

      April 30, 2010 /

      The Utah point guard doesn’t understand all the fuss about his assertion that he’s the best point guard in the league.

      On Wednesday, when asked, Deron Williams declared himself to be the best point guard in the NBA.

      On Thursday, after local and national media members in search of fresh and deadline-friendly story angles from the Jazz’s first-round playoff series with the Denver Nuggets jumped on the claim and ran with it, Williams expressed dismay over the hullabaloo.

      “It’s stupid,” he said. “I’ve said it before. I mean, I don’t know how many times I’ve been asked that, and now it gets blown out of proportion.”

      “If you are a competitor, you are going to think you are the best at something,” Williams said. “It’s as simple as that. That’s how you keep your edge. That’s how you stay focused, stay sharp.

      “It is what it is. Chris Paul thinks he’s the best point guard. Steve Nash thinks he’s the best point guard. Kobe (Bryant) thinks he’s the best shooting guard, best player in the world.

      “That’s how it is” he added. “That’s how you are supposed to think.”

      It’s not like he scheduled a press conference to make this announcement. He was asked by FanHouse who he thought was the best point guard in the NBA, and he responded with his honest opinion.

      A humble player might have responded with a name like Chris Paul or Steve Nash, but you don’t get to the top of the mountain in the NBA by being humble. Williams is right in that players of his caliber think they are the best in the league, that’s part of why they are so good.

      Confidence is half the battle. If you are playing against a guy and are thinking, “Wow, this guy is better than me,” then you’re probably not going to play very well. Part of being great is believing that you’re great, that you’re up to the challenge of beating the best players in the world.

      Moreover, he has a point. Who is playing better at the point than Williams right now? Chris Paul struggled with injuries this season and is sitting at home watching the playoffs on television. What Steve Nash is doing at the age of 36 is incredible, but he’s always been something of a defensive liability.

      Williams just might be the best point guard in the league.

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Nuggets win Game 5, lose Nene

      April 29, 2010 /

      The Nuggets beat the Jazz, 116-102, in Game 5, but they may have lost Nene for the rest of the season. They’re calling it a sprained knee, but they’re fearful that he may have torn his ACL.

      The Nuggets are down 3-2 against a shorthanded Jazz team that is missing Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko. If the Nuggets lose Nene, they’ll have to lean on Chris Andersen and Johan Petro at center. (Man, wouldn’t Marcus Camby look good in the middle right now?)

      External Sports, NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Okur to have MRI on injured Achilles

      April 18, 2010 /

      To add insult to injury, or possibly injury to insult, the Jazz lost more than Game 1 on Saturday night. They may have lost Mehmet Okur as well.

      Utah Jazz center Mehmet Okur was helped off the court after reinjuring his left Achilles tendon in the second quarter of Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night.

      Okur left the arena on crutches, ESPN’s Holly Rowe reported.

      “I felt something pop,” said Okur, who will undergo an MRI on Sunday.

      This is a blow to an already thin frontcourt that is without Andrei Kirilenko for the next couple of weeks. Without Okur, the Jazz are left with two big men that get regular minutes — Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap. Kosta Koufos or Kyrylo Fesenko will have to step in and play. Otherwise, the Jazz will have to ride Boozer and Millsap and go very small when they give one or the other a rest.

      I thought Utah would squeak out a series victory, but with Okur and Kirilenko out, they face an uphill battle.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News

      Your quick and dirty NBA Playoffs preview

      April 15, 2010 /

      The matchups are set and the first round starts this weekend. In the East, the top four teams — Cleveland, Orlando, Boston and Atlanta — seem like good bets to advance, while in the West, I wouldn’t be shocked if the bottom four seeds — Utah, Portland, San Antonio and Oklahoma City — were to make the second round. Here’s a quick look at each series:

      EASTERN CONFERENCE

      Cavaliers vs. Bulls
      It’s not often that a team that had a 10-game losing streak end in mid-February recovers and makes the postseason, but that’s exactly what the Bulls have done, winning 10 of their last 14 to capture the final playoff spot in the East. Chicago has the tools to make this a series, and with Shaquille O’Neal coming back from a long break, there’s a chance this could go to six or seven games. But in the end, Cleveland should have plenty of firepower to put the Bulls away.

      Celtics vs. Heat
      If there’s going to be an upset in the East, this will probably be it. The C’s have limped into the playoffs, losing eight of their last 13 games. Meanwhile, the Heat went 18-4 in February and March, but were just 4-3 against teams with winning records. Boston swept the season series despite Dwyane Wade’s terrific numbers (34-5-9, 50% shooting), so if anyone else steps up, the streaking Heat have a good shot at stealing the first or second game and gaining control of the series.

      Hawks vs. Bucks
      If Andrew Bogut were healthy, I’d pick Milwaukee, but the Bucks are going to have a tough time winning a seven-game series against a pretty good Atlanta team that has won 13 of its last 19 games. The Bucks’ defense could keep the games (and the series) close, but the Hawks should have enough to move on.

      Magic vs. Bobcats
      Orlando is peaking at the right time, going 19-3 in February and March. However, one of those losses was at home against Charlotte. The Bobcats are playing well too — they’re 16-7 over their last 23 games. Both teams are excellent defesively; they’re tied for first in defensive efficiency (points per 100 possessions), so expect a few tight games. But Orlando just has too much talent.

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      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, NBA Finals

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