Tuesday, March 18, 2008

    Two thoughts about the Jazz's 96-79 win over Toronto on Monday night which, by the way, reduced their magic number for clinching the Northwest Division to 12.

   

    Any combination of Utah wins and Denver losses totaling 12 will give the Jazz the division title and the No. 4 seed -- although not necessarily homecourt advantage -- in the Western Conference playoffs.

   

    Thought No. 1: Fans attending any game between one team finishing up an extended road trip with its fourth game in five nights and another team playing its fifth game in seven nights should get 20 percent off on the price of admission. The first quarter of the Raptors-Jazz game was incredibly sloppy as players from both teams tried to get their weary legs underneath them. In one 2 1/2-minute stretch, neither team scored. The Jazz owned a 6-5 lead -- more than six minutes into the game. No wonder Memo Okur was nauseated and did not return. Jerry Sloan probably was a little sick of what he was watching, too.

    Thought No. 2: Ronnie Price helped shake the Jazz out of their stupor with one of his best outings of the season. Price finished with 13 points and five assists in 13 1/2 minutes. While he was on the floor, Utah outscored Toronto, 41-16. Of course, I saw Price's effort coming. When he entered the game for the first time, I turned to colleague Lya Wodraska and told her I had almost suggested in my Monday morning blog that Sloan go back to Jason Hart as Deron Williams' primary backup.

   

    Price has been struggling since the All-Star break, and I thought it was obviously hurting the Jazz's chance to win games. Price was not shooting well or getting the Jazz's second group into much of an offensive rhythm. His defense was suffering, too. As the importance of Utah's games increased, Williams' minutes went up and Price's minutes went down. I thought Price knew his time to impact the game was more limited than earlier in the season so he was trying to do too much, including shoot the ball every time the Jazz were a last-shot situation at the end of a quarter. After his play against Toronto, however, I'm guessing Price's job as the Utah's No. 2 point guard is safe.

    Boy, I'm sure glad I didn't suggest Sloan go back to Hart. I would have looked really stupid, no?

   

    -- Steve Luhm