Milwaukee 90, Jazz 81
What did we learn from the Jazz's 90-81 loss to Milwaukee in the preseason opener? Well, Jerry Sloan probably isn't going to turn to the Jason Hart/Damone Brown/Gordan Giricek/Morris Almond/Kevin Lyde lineup to finish games this season.
Sloan didn't fault that group for a terrible fourth quarter in which the Jazz were outscored 18-9 - - "I have guys out there who don't have any clue what they're doing. That's all right. I can live with that," he said - - but he wasn't happy watching the Jazz bring a casual attitude to the court much of the night.
"We didn't run the floor. Both ways," Sloan said. "I didn't think we ran the floor offensively. Consequently, we stayed on the perimeter in some cases and tried to go one pass out of our offense and it's a one-on-one game then. We took a lot of that, trying to create something for ourself.
"And then all of a sudden when you do that two or three times, now you're out of an offense altogether and guys forget where they're supposed to go because it's hard to remember when you got your head down."
My take: The Jazz mostly should be encouraged by their first quarter, which they won 19-13. You care in the preseason when your starters shine, when your backups lead you to victory in the fourth quarter or when you get blown out and can't do anything right.
Andrei Kirilenko played with that elusive spark and blocked three shots. Ronnie Brewer got his hands on a couple of balls. And Deron Williams probably isn't going to have three turnovers once he can run that pick-and-roll with Carlos Boozer.
The Jazz did give up too much to Michael Redd in the third quarter - - he had two three-point plays - - and watched as Mehmet Okur missed four straight shots before finally connecting on a three-pointer. Other than that, I think Wednesday was about what you'd expect out of a preseason game.
* * *
Some thoughts going through the Jazz lineup:
Paul Millsap looks like he's expanded his game. Millsap hit a 21-footer in the first quarter and made a strong move off the dribble in the third. He picked up four fouls in the game, though, and was called for his third personal on a charge against Andrew Bogut. Staying out of foul trouble would do wonders for his play.
Morris Almond missed an open three-pointer as the game was slipping away in the fourth quarter but otherwise was impressive. He finished with 10 points and hit 4 of 7 shots in his Jazz debut. Almond's got a great stroke but he also made a nice play posting up inside for a basket in the second quarter.
C.J. Miles had a rough night, picking up three fouls, missing both shots he took and committing two turnovers in just 4:27 of action. Miles sprained an ankle at practice Tuesday and recently suffered a death in the family, but he looked like he hadn't shot a ball all summer.
Kyrylo Fesenko's game will be remember for the untucked jersey episode in the fourth quarter. That will overshadow what he did in the second quarter, when he had seven points and drove for a really nice left-handed basket. Maybe it isn't such a sure thing that he's headed to the NBA Development League this season.
* * *
For what it's worth, Sloan said he'd wished he'd had to bench Fesenko for Jersey-gate on the road rather than at home, where it obviously receives more attention. If Fesenko had checked in with the jersey untucked, the Jazz could have received a delay of game warning from referees.
The second delay of game warning is a technical foul, and Sloan said he remembered a game the Jazz won on just that kind of call in the past.
"I think players should know that this is a business, get yourself ready to play, put your uniform on," Sloan said. "I try to be consistent with that. I know they have some bad days. You have to allow for that, but let's not try to create a bad day right off the bat."
* * *
After fouling out of his first preseason game, Milwaukee's Yi Jianlian got hot in the second quarter Wednesday and finished with 12 points on 4-for-11 shooting. It will be interesting to see what happens when opposing teams start jumping out on Yi and playing him to drive instead of giving up jumpers.
Milwaukee coach Larry Krystkowiak made a plea to the referees after Gordan Giricek drove for a basket as part of a three-point play in the second quarter. "We just saw the video," Krystkowiak said of the NBA's emphasis on traveling this season. "He split the defenders. It's a walk!"
* * *
Injury report: Fesenko rolled an ankle with about four minutes left but finished the game. Kirilenko was playing with a pad on his right elbow after he fell on it in the first half. Donnell Harvey missed the game with intestinal flu. Fesenko said he was feeling better after suffering food poisoning from a sushi dinner.
Sloan didn't fault that group for a terrible fourth quarter in which the Jazz were outscored 18-9 - - "I have guys out there who don't have any clue what they're doing. That's all right. I can live with that," he said - - but he wasn't happy watching the Jazz bring a casual attitude to the court much of the night.
"We didn't run the floor. Both ways," Sloan said. "I didn't think we ran the floor offensively. Consequently, we stayed on the perimeter in some cases and tried to go one pass out of our offense and it's a one-on-one game then. We took a lot of that, trying to create something for ourself.
"And then all of a sudden when you do that two or three times, now you're out of an offense altogether and guys forget where they're supposed to go because it's hard to remember when you got your head down."
My take: The Jazz mostly should be encouraged by their first quarter, which they won 19-13. You care in the preseason when your starters shine, when your backups lead you to victory in the fourth quarter or when you get blown out and can't do anything right.
Andrei Kirilenko played with that elusive spark and blocked three shots. Ronnie Brewer got his hands on a couple of balls. And Deron Williams probably isn't going to have three turnovers once he can run that pick-and-roll with Carlos Boozer.
The Jazz did give up too much to Michael Redd in the third quarter - - he had two three-point plays - - and watched as Mehmet Okur missed four straight shots before finally connecting on a three-pointer. Other than that, I think Wednesday was about what you'd expect out of a preseason game.
* * *
Some thoughts going through the Jazz lineup:
Paul Millsap looks like he's expanded his game. Millsap hit a 21-footer in the first quarter and made a strong move off the dribble in the third. He picked up four fouls in the game, though, and was called for his third personal on a charge against Andrew Bogut. Staying out of foul trouble would do wonders for his play.
Morris Almond missed an open three-pointer as the game was slipping away in the fourth quarter but otherwise was impressive. He finished with 10 points and hit 4 of 7 shots in his Jazz debut. Almond's got a great stroke but he also made a nice play posting up inside for a basket in the second quarter.
C.J. Miles had a rough night, picking up three fouls, missing both shots he took and committing two turnovers in just 4:27 of action. Miles sprained an ankle at practice Tuesday and recently suffered a death in the family, but he looked like he hadn't shot a ball all summer.
Kyrylo Fesenko's game will be remember for the untucked jersey episode in the fourth quarter. That will overshadow what he did in the second quarter, when he had seven points and drove for a really nice left-handed basket. Maybe it isn't such a sure thing that he's headed to the NBA Development League this season.
* * *
For what it's worth, Sloan said he'd wished he'd had to bench Fesenko for Jersey-gate on the road rather than at home, where it obviously receives more attention. If Fesenko had checked in with the jersey untucked, the Jazz could have received a delay of game warning from referees.
The second delay of game warning is a technical foul, and Sloan said he remembered a game the Jazz won on just that kind of call in the past.
"I think players should know that this is a business, get yourself ready to play, put your uniform on," Sloan said. "I try to be consistent with that. I know they have some bad days. You have to allow for that, but let's not try to create a bad day right off the bat."
* * *
After fouling out of his first preseason game, Milwaukee's Yi Jianlian got hot in the second quarter Wednesday and finished with 12 points on 4-for-11 shooting. It will be interesting to see what happens when opposing teams start jumping out on Yi and playing him to drive instead of giving up jumpers.
Milwaukee coach Larry Krystkowiak made a plea to the referees after Gordan Giricek drove for a basket as part of a three-point play in the second quarter. "We just saw the video," Krystkowiak said of the NBA's emphasis on traveling this season. "He split the defenders. It's a walk!"
* * *
Injury report: Fesenko rolled an ankle with about four minutes left but finished the game. Kirilenko was playing with a pad on his right elbow after he fell on it in the first half. Donnell Harvey missed the game with intestinal flu. Fesenko said he was feeling better after suffering food poisoning from a sushi dinner.
12:24 AM
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