Jazz 104, Thunder 97
Here's the amazing thing: The Jazz have opened 5-0 without Deron Williams, are one of three unbeaten teams left in the NBA (along with the L.A. Lakers and Atlanta) and have picked up three wins over Northwest Division rivals to start the season.
Yet it feels as if the Jazz have yet to be tested. In one respect, they really haven't. If you count the 0-6 Clippers twice - - and the Jazz did beat them twice - - the combined record of their opponents so far is 5-22.
From the day the schedule was released, I've thought the upcoming five-game trip would be an early indication whether the Jazz were a contender. Just start with the opener against New York at Madison Square Garden, where the Jazz haven't won the last four seasons.
They have to play four games in five nights after that, capped by a Saturday night game at Cleveland. If the Jazz could come home with a winning record on the trip, especially if Williams is unable to return, I think that would be a real accomplishment.
"This test right here is going to be the big one," Carlos Boozer said. "We've got five games in like seven or eight days or something like that, against some other teams who play very good at home that we've lost to before."
* * *
Congratulations to Jerry Sloan on his 1,000th victory as Jazz coach. He undoubtedly would have preferred a less seesaw game, but all's well that end's well.
Since taking over the beat, I've spent some time thinking about how a 66-year-old coach like Sloan is able to relate to his 20-something players. The best answer I can offer is that Sloan is so principled, it doesn't matter how old he is.
A lot of what he says is just plain common sense, such as encouraging a player to score off a layup before testing his jumpshot. Sloan stands for respect - - respecting the game, respecting that it's a job, respecting that you have to work hard.
I thought it was somehow fitting that P.J. Carlesimo was coaching for Oklahoma City tonight. Nobody will forget the infamous incident in 1997 in which Latrell Sprewell attacked Carlesimo, who was coaching Golden State at the time.
While Sloan's situation in Utah has been a dream, Carlesimo's career was almost wrecked. Even more than Sloan, Carlesimo was able to put into perspective what 1,000 victories means. A lot of it's in my story for Saturday's paper.
"The thing I love - - and I know how much Jerry appreciates this - - is Frank Layden, Larry Miller and Kevin O'Connor, and I'm probably forgetting people, who recognized how good a coach he was," Carlesimo said.
"When there were a few stumbles along the line, there was no question who their man was and who their man should be."
Carlesimo was all class at the final horn, walking all the way to the Jazz bench to shake Sloan's hand.
* * *
Sloan talked at the pregame shootaround about not making a big deal out of 1,000 in part because he didn't want to give Oklahoma City any added incentive for the game.
"Don't give the other guy an edge by having something wrong with you," Sloan said, "or trying to say, "This is going to happen, that's going to happen.' Guys get ready to play you."
Sloan added that John Stockton was a master at covering up injuries, so much so that he once played a quarter of a season without being able to straighten his right arm.
"It wasn't a big thing about I'm hurt and how many days will I be back," Sloan said. "He just went and played and played with his left hand and was very effective helping us try to win games."
* * *
Kyle Korver said his injured right wrist is feeling better but causing him problems on free throws. Korver shoots free throws while keeping his lower body as still as possible, putting extra strain on his wrists.
"Those still hurt a little bit," Korver said, "but other than that, I feel a lot better than I did two days ago."
Emboldened by his impressive foul shooting to start the season, Paul Millsap joked with C.J. Miles about elbowing Korver out of the way if there was a technical free throw to shoot in the fourth quarter.
Millsap, of course, was only kidding, but he did come into Friday's game shooting a team-best 15 of 17 (88.2 percent) at the line. He was a 67.5 percent foul shooter his first two seasons.
He might have jinxed himself, though, as Millsap went 1-for-4 at the line against the Thunder.
* * *
The only active coach with a realistic chance of reaching 1,000 other than Sloan is San Antonio's Gregg Popovich. The question is if Popovich will continuing coaching after Tim Duncan's contract expires following the 2011-12 season.
If the Spurs continue posting 50-win seasons, Popovich would need to coach through the 2014-15 season to have a chance at 1,000. Carlesimo was a Popovich assistant in San Antonio and offered his perspective on the situation.
"Pop has a lot of other interests and does love basketball," Carlesimo said. "In one sense it wouldn't surprise me if Pop would coach it beyond 1,000. In the other sense, he's got so many interests that you never know, particularly if he puts another championship or so up."
* * *
Quote of the season (so far) from Carlos Boozer. He was asked about the average salary during Jerry Sloan's tenure as Jazz coach increasing from $575,000 to $4.5 million: "That's awesome. I love basketball."
--Ross Siler
Yet it feels as if the Jazz have yet to be tested. In one respect, they really haven't. If you count the 0-6 Clippers twice - - and the Jazz did beat them twice - - the combined record of their opponents so far is 5-22.
From the day the schedule was released, I've thought the upcoming five-game trip would be an early indication whether the Jazz were a contender. Just start with the opener against New York at Madison Square Garden, where the Jazz haven't won the last four seasons.
They have to play four games in five nights after that, capped by a Saturday night game at Cleveland. If the Jazz could come home with a winning record on the trip, especially if Williams is unable to return, I think that would be a real accomplishment.
"This test right here is going to be the big one," Carlos Boozer said. "We've got five games in like seven or eight days or something like that, against some other teams who play very good at home that we've lost to before."
* * *
Congratulations to Jerry Sloan on his 1,000th victory as Jazz coach. He undoubtedly would have preferred a less seesaw game, but all's well that end's well.
Since taking over the beat, I've spent some time thinking about how a 66-year-old coach like Sloan is able to relate to his 20-something players. The best answer I can offer is that Sloan is so principled, it doesn't matter how old he is.
A lot of what he says is just plain common sense, such as encouraging a player to score off a layup before testing his jumpshot. Sloan stands for respect - - respecting the game, respecting that it's a job, respecting that you have to work hard.
I thought it was somehow fitting that P.J. Carlesimo was coaching for Oklahoma City tonight. Nobody will forget the infamous incident in 1997 in which Latrell Sprewell attacked Carlesimo, who was coaching Golden State at the time.
While Sloan's situation in Utah has been a dream, Carlesimo's career was almost wrecked. Even more than Sloan, Carlesimo was able to put into perspective what 1,000 victories means. A lot of it's in my story for Saturday's paper.
"The thing I love - - and I know how much Jerry appreciates this - - is Frank Layden, Larry Miller and Kevin O'Connor, and I'm probably forgetting people, who recognized how good a coach he was," Carlesimo said.
"When there were a few stumbles along the line, there was no question who their man was and who their man should be."
Carlesimo was all class at the final horn, walking all the way to the Jazz bench to shake Sloan's hand.
* * *
Sloan talked at the pregame shootaround about not making a big deal out of 1,000 in part because he didn't want to give Oklahoma City any added incentive for the game.
"Don't give the other guy an edge by having something wrong with you," Sloan said, "or trying to say, "This is going to happen, that's going to happen.' Guys get ready to play you."
Sloan added that John Stockton was a master at covering up injuries, so much so that he once played a quarter of a season without being able to straighten his right arm.
"It wasn't a big thing about I'm hurt and how many days will I be back," Sloan said. "He just went and played and played with his left hand and was very effective helping us try to win games."
* * *
Kyle Korver said his injured right wrist is feeling better but causing him problems on free throws. Korver shoots free throws while keeping his lower body as still as possible, putting extra strain on his wrists.
"Those still hurt a little bit," Korver said, "but other than that, I feel a lot better than I did two days ago."
Emboldened by his impressive foul shooting to start the season, Paul Millsap joked with C.J. Miles about elbowing Korver out of the way if there was a technical free throw to shoot in the fourth quarter.
Millsap, of course, was only kidding, but he did come into Friday's game shooting a team-best 15 of 17 (88.2 percent) at the line. He was a 67.5 percent foul shooter his first two seasons.
He might have jinxed himself, though, as Millsap went 1-for-4 at the line against the Thunder.
* * *
The only active coach with a realistic chance of reaching 1,000 other than Sloan is San Antonio's Gregg Popovich. The question is if Popovich will continuing coaching after Tim Duncan's contract expires following the 2011-12 season.
If the Spurs continue posting 50-win seasons, Popovich would need to coach through the 2014-15 season to have a chance at 1,000. Carlesimo was a Popovich assistant in San Antonio and offered his perspective on the situation.
"Pop has a lot of other interests and does love basketball," Carlesimo said. "In one sense it wouldn't surprise me if Pop would coach it beyond 1,000. In the other sense, he's got so many interests that you never know, particularly if he puts another championship or so up."
* * *
Quote of the season (so far) from Carlos Boozer. He was asked about the average salary during Jerry Sloan's tenure as Jazz coach increasing from $575,000 to $4.5 million: "That's awesome. I love basketball."
--Ross Siler
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