Thursday report
In case you couldn't tell from the Jazz's schedule, this week has been the best of times and the worst of times from a beat writer's perspective. It's been great to be at home, but the Jazz haven't exactly been playing the most compelling of opponents.
They also took Wednesday off in the hope of getting some rest before closing the regular season with a killer stretch of games and then heading straight into the playoffs.
Carlos Boozer admitted Thursday that he's a lot like the rest of us, checking scores and watching games and trying to figure out just where the Jazz are going to be heading for the first round of the playoffs.
"Yeah, we do," Boozer said. "How can we not? This is our job. This is what we love to do. We want to see who we're going to play in the first round. One day it's one team, the next day it's the next team, and I'm sure three weeks from now it'll be somebody else."
Boozer said he's pretty much rooting for every Eastern Conference team against every Western Conference team right now. He was rewarded as Boston beat Phoenix and Charlotte beat the Lakers on Wednesday, though New Orleans did down Cleveland.
"I want us to have a good chance to get to the top, see where we end up," Boozer said. "It's going to be a fun race. It's going to be a fun playoffs this year."
The Jazz still have to gain two games in the standings to be in position to claim home-court advantage in the first round.
* * *
Once the Jazz wrapped up practice, the Utah Flash were expected to follow them on the floor before flying to Boise for two games against the Idaho Stampede this weekend. Kyrylo Fesenko couldn't practice with the Jazz, but he was there early to watch.
Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said Fesenko would finish out the Flash's season (which runs through April 12) barring an injury to one of the Jazz's big men. The Jazz are expected to prepare Fesenko in case he's needed as a No. 3 center in the playoffs.
* * *
Andrei Kirilenko didn't hesitate in answering which game he thought was the toughest left for the Jazz. "In San Antonio," Kirilenko said. Asked why the Jazz have so much trouble with the Spurs, Kirilenko said, "I don't know. Tradition?"
What's interesting is that the Jazz could wind up in a situation where they play the Spurs on April 16 with one or both teams locked into their playoff seeding. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich then could opt to rest Duncan/Parker/Ginobili in advance of the playoffs.
If the Jazz won in San Antonio, they wouldn't have to hear any longer (or at least not as much) about having failed to do so since 1999. I think that would be a psychological boost no matter what their first-round matchup, but especially if they draw the Spurs.
--Ross Siler
They also took Wednesday off in the hope of getting some rest before closing the regular season with a killer stretch of games and then heading straight into the playoffs.
Carlos Boozer admitted Thursday that he's a lot like the rest of us, checking scores and watching games and trying to figure out just where the Jazz are going to be heading for the first round of the playoffs.
"Yeah, we do," Boozer said. "How can we not? This is our job. This is what we love to do. We want to see who we're going to play in the first round. One day it's one team, the next day it's the next team, and I'm sure three weeks from now it'll be somebody else."
Boozer said he's pretty much rooting for every Eastern Conference team against every Western Conference team right now. He was rewarded as Boston beat Phoenix and Charlotte beat the Lakers on Wednesday, though New Orleans did down Cleveland.
"I want us to have a good chance to get to the top, see where we end up," Boozer said. "It's going to be a fun race. It's going to be a fun playoffs this year."
The Jazz still have to gain two games in the standings to be in position to claim home-court advantage in the first round.
* * *
Once the Jazz wrapped up practice, the Utah Flash were expected to follow them on the floor before flying to Boise for two games against the Idaho Stampede this weekend. Kyrylo Fesenko couldn't practice with the Jazz, but he was there early to watch.
Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said Fesenko would finish out the Flash's season (which runs through April 12) barring an injury to one of the Jazz's big men. The Jazz are expected to prepare Fesenko in case he's needed as a No. 3 center in the playoffs.
* * *
Andrei Kirilenko didn't hesitate in answering which game he thought was the toughest left for the Jazz. "In San Antonio," Kirilenko said. Asked why the Jazz have so much trouble with the Spurs, Kirilenko said, "I don't know. Tradition?"
What's interesting is that the Jazz could wind up in a situation where they play the Spurs on April 16 with one or both teams locked into their playoff seeding. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich then could opt to rest Duncan/Parker/Ginobili in advance of the playoffs.
If the Jazz won in San Antonio, they wouldn't have to hear any longer (or at least not as much) about having failed to do so since 1999. I think that would be a psychological boost no matter what their first-round matchup, but especially if they draw the Spurs.
--Ross Siler
5:21 PM
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