Bulls 108, Jazz 96
They're still the same team that delivered the 41-point fourth quarter Friday night in Phoenix and the 77-point first half back at home against Denver. They're still the same team that has to make up just 1 1-2 games on New Orleans in the Western Conference standings.
If the Jazz wind up being unable to claim home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, though, and are flying somewhere for a road Game 7, I think fans will remember games like Tuesday's in Chicago and cringe.
The Jazz got off to a good start and actually led 18-10 after Ronnie Brewer sank two free throws after being fouled on a three-pointer (and rolling his ankle after landing on Larry Hughes' foot). But the Jazz suffered a complete and total breakdown.
They were outscored 32-9 in the equivalent of a quarter (12:19 of game action), including 17-4 to open the second quarter, when they missed seven shots and committed five turnovers before recording their first field goal.
Thabo Sefolosha (looks like a legit NBA player) turned a steal into a breakaway dunk to open the quarter and it was all downhill for the Jazz. Paul Millsap threw a pass out of bounds looking for Kyle Korver. Jazz coach Jerry Sloan brought back Deron Williams after just 1:49.
Sloan called timeout with the Jazz down 37-24 and brought Andrei Kirilenko and Carlos Boozer in the game. But the damage had been done. Chicago's biggest lead was 42-27 after Tyrus Thomas' dunk and Mehmet Okur's technical foul.
Sloan talked after Tuesday's game about the Bulls getting ready to play the Jazz, something that's happened time after time on the road this season to the defending Western Conference finalists.
"Sometimes we've responded, sometimes we haven't," Sloan said. "Tonight, I didn't think we responded. They kept us out on the perimeter. It looked like were not really ready to play them inside.
"And when you take outside shots - - we turned the ball over [17 times] for 25 points - - that's almost a no-win situation. And we shot our free throws poorly on top of that."
* * *
Now the Jazz face what amounts to a must-win game Wednesday night at Milwaukee. It would only be appropriate if the Jazz lost, though, considering they dropped road games to Eastern Conference weaklings Miami, New York, Charlotte, Indiana, Chicago and Atlanta.
"It makes [Wednesday] even more important," Boozer said. "We've got to get to Milwaukee, get some rest, come out with a lot more energy. Every team plays good at home, so we have to match their intensity."
* * *
Boozer shot down the first question I asked after Tuesday's game about not getting anything going, so I had to rephrase it and try again. The box score tells the whole story: Boozer went 5 of 14 and had 10 points; Drew Gooden was 11 of 18 for 24 points.
Gooden was spinning past Boozer in the post and running the floor for three-point plays. Not sure if there was any motivation on Gooden's part, but he did succeed Boozer in Cleveland after Boozer left for Utah.
"They did a good job defensively," Boozer said. "They did a good job of packing the lane. I guess they did a good job of doing it without fouling and made us take jump shots and we just didn't make our jump shots."
* * *
I still have no idea how Matt Harpring was called for an offensive foul at the end of the third quarter on a play in which - - at least from my angle on the baseline - - Andres Nocioni made contact. Harpring noted the foul went against him and he was the guy on the floor.
(It wound up being an especially critical call when the Jazz had a chance to go into the fourth quarter down by single digits. Instead, Ben Gordon drained two three-pointers and Chicago went into the fourth up by 15.)
There was a 24-second violation that robbed the Jazz of a breakaway dunk by Andrei Kirilenko. Deron Williams also said he was fouled every time he got into the lane and was hit on the elbow on every shot. That was his explanation for the six turnovers.
* * *
Williams said at shootaround that he sent a text message to Houston's Luther Head (another Illinois teammate) after the Rockets extended their winning streak Monday to 19 games, matching the third-longest streak in NBA history.
The last team Houston lost to was the Jazz on Jan. 27, which Williams noted was before the Super Bowl. Given the streak, Williams was asked if Houston had to be considered a contender even with Yao Ming finished for the season with a foot injury.
"I think you've got to look at them," Williams said. "I mean, it's not like they've just been playing cupcake teams. . . . They beat good teams in there."
* * *
The good news for the Jazz? They only have seven road games left the rest of the season after Tuesday. The bad news? They have to spend an extra night in Milwaukee on Wednesday instead of flying to Boston after the game.
--Ross Siler
If the Jazz wind up being unable to claim home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, though, and are flying somewhere for a road Game 7, I think fans will remember games like Tuesday's in Chicago and cringe.
The Jazz got off to a good start and actually led 18-10 after Ronnie Brewer sank two free throws after being fouled on a three-pointer (and rolling his ankle after landing on Larry Hughes' foot). But the Jazz suffered a complete and total breakdown.
They were outscored 32-9 in the equivalent of a quarter (12:19 of game action), including 17-4 to open the second quarter, when they missed seven shots and committed five turnovers before recording their first field goal.
Thabo Sefolosha (looks like a legit NBA player) turned a steal into a breakaway dunk to open the quarter and it was all downhill for the Jazz. Paul Millsap threw a pass out of bounds looking for Kyle Korver. Jazz coach Jerry Sloan brought back Deron Williams after just 1:49.
Sloan called timeout with the Jazz down 37-24 and brought Andrei Kirilenko and Carlos Boozer in the game. But the damage had been done. Chicago's biggest lead was 42-27 after Tyrus Thomas' dunk and Mehmet Okur's technical foul.
Sloan talked after Tuesday's game about the Bulls getting ready to play the Jazz, something that's happened time after time on the road this season to the defending Western Conference finalists.
"Sometimes we've responded, sometimes we haven't," Sloan said. "Tonight, I didn't think we responded. They kept us out on the perimeter. It looked like were not really ready to play them inside.
"And when you take outside shots - - we turned the ball over [17 times] for 25 points - - that's almost a no-win situation. And we shot our free throws poorly on top of that."
* * *
Now the Jazz face what amounts to a must-win game Wednesday night at Milwaukee. It would only be appropriate if the Jazz lost, though, considering they dropped road games to Eastern Conference weaklings Miami, New York, Charlotte, Indiana, Chicago and Atlanta.
"It makes [Wednesday] even more important," Boozer said. "We've got to get to Milwaukee, get some rest, come out with a lot more energy. Every team plays good at home, so we have to match their intensity."
* * *
Boozer shot down the first question I asked after Tuesday's game about not getting anything going, so I had to rephrase it and try again. The box score tells the whole story: Boozer went 5 of 14 and had 10 points; Drew Gooden was 11 of 18 for 24 points.
Gooden was spinning past Boozer in the post and running the floor for three-point plays. Not sure if there was any motivation on Gooden's part, but he did succeed Boozer in Cleveland after Boozer left for Utah.
"They did a good job defensively," Boozer said. "They did a good job of packing the lane. I guess they did a good job of doing it without fouling and made us take jump shots and we just didn't make our jump shots."
* * *
I still have no idea how Matt Harpring was called for an offensive foul at the end of the third quarter on a play in which - - at least from my angle on the baseline - - Andres Nocioni made contact. Harpring noted the foul went against him and he was the guy on the floor.
(It wound up being an especially critical call when the Jazz had a chance to go into the fourth quarter down by single digits. Instead, Ben Gordon drained two three-pointers and Chicago went into the fourth up by 15.)
There was a 24-second violation that robbed the Jazz of a breakaway dunk by Andrei Kirilenko. Deron Williams also said he was fouled every time he got into the lane and was hit on the elbow on every shot. That was his explanation for the six turnovers.
* * *
Williams said at shootaround that he sent a text message to Houston's Luther Head (another Illinois teammate) after the Rockets extended their winning streak Monday to 19 games, matching the third-longest streak in NBA history.
The last team Houston lost to was the Jazz on Jan. 27, which Williams noted was before the Super Bowl. Given the streak, Williams was asked if Houston had to be considered a contender even with Yao Ming finished for the season with a foot injury.
"I think you've got to look at them," Williams said. "I mean, it's not like they've just been playing cupcake teams. . . . They beat good teams in there."
* * *
The good news for the Jazz? They only have seven road games left the rest of the season after Tuesday. The bad news? They have to spend an extra night in Milwaukee on Wednesday instead of flying to Boston after the game.
--Ross Siler
2:00 AM
| 
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home