Jazz 121, Clippers 101
You could cast a pretty interesting reality show out of some of the people who have stopped by EnergySolutions Arena this season.
There was Microsoft co-founder (and Portland owner) Paul Allen, who detoured his jet to Salt Lake City for a Jazz/Trail Blazers game after attending the Led Zeppelin reunion concert in London. According to the most recent Forbes estimate, Allen is worth $16.8 billion.
He sat in the stands just like actor John Malkovich, who attended a Jazz game while in Utah for the Sundance Film Festival. Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona was at a game a couple of weeks before the start of spring training.
Who could forget the rapper Lil' Jon, who sat courtside for Saturday's game against Seattle before serving as the featured act for the Deron Williams-hosted birthday party for Ronnie Brewer and C.J. Miles?
Which brings us to LDS Church president Thomas S. Monson, who sat with his wife in the third row at center court and got more up-close-and-personal with the Jazz than any of the aforementioned celebrities combined.
During a timeout in the third quarter, Monson walked onto the court as he headed back to his seat. The Jazz were just gathering for their huddle when it appeared Monson said hello to a couple of players seated near the perimeter.
Monson then startled Jazz coach Jerry Sloan by patting him on the shoulder and offering a couple of words of encouragement. Keep in mind Sloan doesn't like anybody standing behind him and often tells crowds of reporters just that.
There were conflicting reports about Sloan's reaction. Deron Williams said it was "priceless," though. Williams also had what might have been - - completely unintentionally - - the quote of the season.
Williams said Monson "came up and introduced himself. He was like Joe Smith or something like that. Joe Wilson." Joe Smith? That name sort of rings a bell in the history of the LDS Church.
* * *
Before the Jazz played Charlotte on Tuesday, Jarron Collins mentioned how strange it was to watch film from the teams' game in December and see himself playing. It hasn't been easy for Collins, who has fallen out of the Jazz rotation the second half of the season.
With Mehmet Okur sick, Collins got his chance to play against the Clippers and made the most of it. He grabbed four offensive rebounds in the first quarter and used his skill at drawing offensive fouls to send Chris Kaman to the bench in early foul trouble.
Collins finished with seven points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes. The seven points were two shy of his season high and the 24 minutes were four shy of his season high. His dad also was in attendance, wearing a Stanford basketball sweatshirt.
Collins also was the victim of a lighthearted moment in the locker room afterward. While he was being interviewed for KJZZ, Deron Williams came out of the back screaming for Collins to put a shirt on for television.
Williams pretty much derailed the interview with that. Kyle Korver sang a line about Collins bringing sexy back while Collins was left asking if his teammates if they could handle all that muscle.
* * *
Williams got a standing ovation when he exited with his third foul in the second quarter and also heard a small pocket of MVP cheers in the second half. Yet he was far from satisfied.
"I didn't get a Deron Williams chant like Kyle Korver, though," Williams said, "so I'm waiting for that."
Korver had 18 points on 5 of 12 shooting and the Jazz opened the fourth quarter with a 12-4 run that included a three-point play by Williams, a third-chance layup for Jason Hart after two missed three-pointers and a three-pointer by Korver.
* * *
Williams' dunk over Chris Kaman in the second quarter might have been the second-best dunk I've seen with my own eyes. The first would have to be Baron Davis over Andrei Kirilenko (an offensive foul, I know, to Jazz fans) in last year's playoffs. But Williams' dunk was the perfect combination of force and moment, coming in a 22-point half.
* * *
The Jazz finally got some help in the standings as the Lakers lost to Memphis (despite Kobe Bryant's 53) and New Orleans fell in Boston. The Jazz are now a half-game behind fifth-place Houston for home-court in a potential first-round playoff series.
They're a game behind the third-place Lakers and two back of New Orleans and San Antonio, who are tied for first. The Jazz's magic number to clinch the Northwest Division is still 7 (victories of their own/Denver losses).
--Ross Siler
There was Microsoft co-founder (and Portland owner) Paul Allen, who detoured his jet to Salt Lake City for a Jazz/Trail Blazers game after attending the Led Zeppelin reunion concert in London. According to the most recent Forbes estimate, Allen is worth $16.8 billion.
He sat in the stands just like actor John Malkovich, who attended a Jazz game while in Utah for the Sundance Film Festival. Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona was at a game a couple of weeks before the start of spring training.
Who could forget the rapper Lil' Jon, who sat courtside for Saturday's game against Seattle before serving as the featured act for the Deron Williams-hosted birthday party for Ronnie Brewer and C.J. Miles?
Which brings us to LDS Church president Thomas S. Monson, who sat with his wife in the third row at center court and got more up-close-and-personal with the Jazz than any of the aforementioned celebrities combined.
During a timeout in the third quarter, Monson walked onto the court as he headed back to his seat. The Jazz were just gathering for their huddle when it appeared Monson said hello to a couple of players seated near the perimeter.
Monson then startled Jazz coach Jerry Sloan by patting him on the shoulder and offering a couple of words of encouragement. Keep in mind Sloan doesn't like anybody standing behind him and often tells crowds of reporters just that.
There were conflicting reports about Sloan's reaction. Deron Williams said it was "priceless," though. Williams also had what might have been - - completely unintentionally - - the quote of the season.
Williams said Monson "came up and introduced himself. He was like Joe Smith or something like that. Joe Wilson." Joe Smith? That name sort of rings a bell in the history of the LDS Church.
* * *
Before the Jazz played Charlotte on Tuesday, Jarron Collins mentioned how strange it was to watch film from the teams' game in December and see himself playing. It hasn't been easy for Collins, who has fallen out of the Jazz rotation the second half of the season.
With Mehmet Okur sick, Collins got his chance to play against the Clippers and made the most of it. He grabbed four offensive rebounds in the first quarter and used his skill at drawing offensive fouls to send Chris Kaman to the bench in early foul trouble.
Collins finished with seven points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes. The seven points were two shy of his season high and the 24 minutes were four shy of his season high. His dad also was in attendance, wearing a Stanford basketball sweatshirt.
Collins also was the victim of a lighthearted moment in the locker room afterward. While he was being interviewed for KJZZ, Deron Williams came out of the back screaming for Collins to put a shirt on for television.
Williams pretty much derailed the interview with that. Kyle Korver sang a line about Collins bringing sexy back while Collins was left asking if his teammates if they could handle all that muscle.
* * *
Williams got a standing ovation when he exited with his third foul in the second quarter and also heard a small pocket of MVP cheers in the second half. Yet he was far from satisfied.
"I didn't get a Deron Williams chant like Kyle Korver, though," Williams said, "so I'm waiting for that."
Korver had 18 points on 5 of 12 shooting and the Jazz opened the fourth quarter with a 12-4 run that included a three-point play by Williams, a third-chance layup for Jason Hart after two missed three-pointers and a three-pointer by Korver.
* * *
Williams' dunk over Chris Kaman in the second quarter might have been the second-best dunk I've seen with my own eyes. The first would have to be Baron Davis over Andrei Kirilenko (an offensive foul, I know, to Jazz fans) in last year's playoffs. But Williams' dunk was the perfect combination of force and moment, coming in a 22-point half.
* * *
The Jazz finally got some help in the standings as the Lakers lost to Memphis (despite Kobe Bryant's 53) and New Orleans fell in Boston. The Jazz are now a half-game behind fifth-place Houston for home-court in a potential first-round playoff series.
They're a game behind the third-place Lakers and two back of New Orleans and San Antonio, who are tied for first. The Jazz's magic number to clinch the Northwest Division is still 7 (victories of their own/Denver losses).
--Ross Siler
1:30 AM
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2 Comments:
Deron's dunk was unreal. He just keeps getting better as the season goes on. Hopefully he will take it to another level in the playoffs.
Any word on AK's calf?
My Jazz Blog
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This wasn't Monson's first game, nor will it be his last. He usually sits in Jon Huntsman Sr's box, which is where Gov Jon Jr was Friday night.
Elder Bednar of the LDS Church's Quarum of the 12 is sometimes sitting near the Jazz bench, as is President Uchdorf of the First Presidentcy.
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