Game day -- L.A. Lakers
If you look at the standings, it's easy to see why tonight's game is so important for the Jazz. They trail New Orleans and the L.A. Lakers by two games for the Western Conference lead and will play their next four games against teams a combined 114 games under .500.
Put simply, if the Jazz win tonight and avoid any slip-ups against Seattle, Charlotte, the L.A. Clippers and Minnesota, they could be looking at the top spot in the West in the near future. It's almost amazing given their 16-21 road record.
We've got a Web update at sltrib.com/sports on Mehmet Okur's and Carlos Boozer's status for tonight's game.
From the game notes: With Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol both injured, the Lakers are starting forward Vladimir Radmanovic and center Ronny Turiaf. Radmanovic matched his season-high with 21 points against Dallas while Turiaf had 11 points, five rebounds and four blocks. . . .The Lakers lost 120-96 to the Jazz back on Nov. 30, a game in which Utah played without either Mehmet Okur or Carlos Boozer . . . .The Lakers can win the season series against the Jazz 3-1 with a victory tonight. . . .The Lakers' four-game trip to New Orleans, Houston, Dallas and Utah is their toughest - - the four opponents have a combined winning percentage of .670 - - since February 1973. The last NBA team to go on the road for four games against .600 teams this late in the season was Memphis in April 2005.
From the papers: Phil Jackson reversed course after declaring that Andrew Bynum wouldn't return from his dislocated kneecap until the playoffs. . . .Derek Fisher says he's comfortable with who he is and the decision he made to ask out of his contract in Utah. . . .Phil Jackson described Jazz fans as "partisans" and said "Good sportsmanship goes out the door" in Utah . . . .Kobe Bryant is determined to take the crowd out of tonight's game early.
From the Web: Avery Johnson and Mark Cuban had a "heated exchange" after Tuesday's loss to the Lakers . . . . The Heat might have hit rock bottom in scoring just 54 points and losing by 42 to the Raptors on Wednesday. Miami had just seven available players and started . . . . Watched the Cavaliers beat the Pistons on the plane yesterday and thought anyone who underestimates the Cavs does so at their own peril. . . . Really disappointed to read that Mark Cuban continues to enforce his ban on bloggers, turning aside TrueHoop's Henry Abbott, the LA Times' Andrew Kamenetzky and the Dallas Morning News' Tim MacMahon from the Dallas locker room Tuesday. Obviously, not all blogs are created equal. TrueHoop and the LA Times' Lakers blog are two of the best around and it's obvious to anyone. Both reach next-generation, Web-savvy audiences. Both represent major media outlets. Both deserve to be allowed into the locker room. When we met before the season at the Tribune to talk about the direction to take our site, I had them pull up the Times' Lakers blog in a conference room. It sets the standard.
Next up: The Jazz will play host to the Sonics on Saturday night, and it's worth noting the franchise record for points scored in a game is 153, set against San Antonio in an April 1978 game. Seattle has lost 13 of 14 and failed to hold a team under 100 since beating Portland 99-87 on Feb. 22. They gave up an embarrassing 168 in a loss to Denver on Sunday and are allowing 117 points in their last 14 games. It's also the second game of a back-to-back set for Seattle, which will take its whipping Friday night against the Lakers.
Key games: Pretty good NBA night even as the NCAA Tournament gets underway. San Antonio is at Chicago and Boston is at Dallas.
--Ross Siler
Put simply, if the Jazz win tonight and avoid any slip-ups against Seattle, Charlotte, the L.A. Clippers and Minnesota, they could be looking at the top spot in the West in the near future. It's almost amazing given their 16-21 road record.
We've got a Web update at sltrib.com/sports on Mehmet Okur's and Carlos Boozer's status for tonight's game.
From the game notes: With Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol both injured, the Lakers are starting forward Vladimir Radmanovic and center Ronny Turiaf. Radmanovic matched his season-high with 21 points against Dallas while Turiaf had 11 points, five rebounds and four blocks. . . .The Lakers lost 120-96 to the Jazz back on Nov. 30, a game in which Utah played without either Mehmet Okur or Carlos Boozer . . . .The Lakers can win the season series against the Jazz 3-1 with a victory tonight. . . .The Lakers' four-game trip to New Orleans, Houston, Dallas and Utah is their toughest - - the four opponents have a combined winning percentage of .670 - - since February 1973. The last NBA team to go on the road for four games against .600 teams this late in the season was Memphis in April 2005.
From the papers: Phil Jackson reversed course after declaring that Andrew Bynum wouldn't return from his dislocated kneecap until the playoffs. . . .Derek Fisher says he's comfortable with who he is and the decision he made to ask out of his contract in Utah. . . .Phil Jackson described Jazz fans as "partisans" and said "Good sportsmanship goes out the door" in Utah . . . .Kobe Bryant is determined to take the crowd out of tonight's game early.
From the Web: Avery Johnson and Mark Cuban had a "heated exchange" after Tuesday's loss to the Lakers . . . . The Heat might have hit rock bottom in scoring just 54 points and losing by 42 to the Raptors on Wednesday. Miami had just seven available players and started . . . . Watched the Cavaliers beat the Pistons on the plane yesterday and thought anyone who underestimates the Cavs does so at their own peril. . . . Really disappointed to read that Mark Cuban continues to enforce his ban on bloggers, turning aside TrueHoop's Henry Abbott, the LA Times' Andrew Kamenetzky and the Dallas Morning News' Tim MacMahon from the Dallas locker room Tuesday. Obviously, not all blogs are created equal. TrueHoop and the LA Times' Lakers blog are two of the best around and it's obvious to anyone. Both reach next-generation, Web-savvy audiences. Both represent major media outlets. Both deserve to be allowed into the locker room. When we met before the season at the Tribune to talk about the direction to take our site, I had them pull up the Times' Lakers blog in a conference room. It sets the standard.
Next up: The Jazz will play host to the Sonics on Saturday night, and it's worth noting the franchise record for points scored in a game is 153, set against San Antonio in an April 1978 game. Seattle has lost 13 of 14 and failed to hold a team under 100 since beating Portland 99-87 on Feb. 22. They gave up an embarrassing 168 in a loss to Denver on Sunday and are allowing 117 points in their last 14 games. It's also the second game of a back-to-back set for Seattle, which will take its whipping Friday night against the Lakers.
Key games: Pretty good NBA night even as the NCAA Tournament gets underway. San Antonio is at Chicago and Boston is at Dallas.
--Ross Siler
1:40 PM
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1 Comments:
Go Celtics, go Bulls, and, of course, go Jazz. I spent about an hour (yes an hour) looking at the remaining schedules and the last game of the season (@ Spurs) could be the difference between the 2nd seed or the 4th. In the words of Boler: "buckle up!"
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