Jazz 117, Grizzlies 100
For everyone with Jazz tickets this weekend, Deron Williams said after Wednesday's game that he will play Friday against Sacramento but is undecided about going in the second game of the back-to-back set Saturday against New Jersey.
He is hesitant about playing in back-to-backs in the early stages of his return, the problem being that the Jazz have three such sets of games the next two weeks. He got through Wednesday's game just fine, but said his ankle was sore afterward.
What's interesting is that the Jazz are playing a rare set of back-to-back home games, something that hasn't happened since February 2001. When the schedule came out in August, I think we all looked at this weekend's games and thought it was a mistake.
The timing might just be perfect, however. Williams probably wouldn't play both ends of a traditional back-to-back, with a late-night flight and everything. Since the Jazz are at home, though, Williams could have a better treatment schedule and no travel.
If the Jazz are careful about his minutes, Williams could play both Friday and Saturday. The team is off Thursday for Thanksgiving, so we'll have more information as to his availability after Friday's morning shootaround.
As a sidenote, Williams told us Wednesday that the strength testing he did actually showed that his sprained left ankle is currently stronger than his uninjured right ankle, thanks to all the rehab work he has had to do. You can't ask for more than that returning.
* * *
Williams said he was still hesitant to attack the basket and a little "nervous" about getting the ball inside. That didn't stop him, however, from posting up Memphis' Mike Conley and Kyle Lowry to great success in Wednesday's game.
He spun on Conley - - the type of move that has most aggravated his ankle - - and scored while being fouled, although he didn't convert the three-point play, early in the third quarter. Williams also passed outside to Mehmet Okur for a three-pointer from the post.
Even when he didn't get the ball, Williams commanded attention in the post. Marc Gasol left Paul Millsap after he saw Williams get position on Conley, which left Millsap wide open in the lane for a dunk. Ronnie Brewer did the right thing in getting Millsap the ball.
Williams hit a couple of jumpers in the game, a 23-footer with the shot clock running out and a pull-up three-pointer over Lowry in the first quarter. He didn't drive as much as he normally would, but he also didn't get a couple of fouls calls when he did attack.
He did push the ball, hitting Ronnie Brewer for dunks and serving up an alley-oop to C.J. Miles. The breakdown of Williams' assists? Five to Okur, four to Brewer, two to Miles and one each to Andrei Kirilenko, Morris Almond, Matt Harpring and Paul Millsap.
* * *
Ronnie Brewer has now matched his career-high of 21 points five times, including again Wednesday. I'm very much looking forward to writing the story the night Brewer finally breaks through with 22.
If you pay attention to plus/minus numbers, you'll see that Brewer finished plus-33 in the 36 minutes he played Wednesday. That means the Jazz outscored Memphis by 33 points while Brewer was in the game. We'll be watching to see if anybody tops that number on the Jazz this season.
* * *
Jazz coach Jerry Sloan had been upset with a series of mental mistakes and breakdowns at the end of the first half in recent games. His players atoned a little with a highlight play just before halftime Wednesday.
Mehmet Okur scooped up Hakim Warrick's inbound pass to Darko Milcic, started the break the other way and lobbed a pass to Ronnie Brewer. While still in midair, Brewer lobbed a pass to Andrei Kirilenko for a dunk with 0.3 seconds left.
The Jazz went into halftime with a 59-46 lead. The Grizzlies had gotten as close as seven in the second quarter, but Kirilenko and Brewer connected on another nice play, with Kirilenko throwing a behind-the-back pass and getting back the ball for a layup plus foul.
* * *
The Jazz actually closed out the first, second and third quarters impressively. They ended the third quarter, in particular, with a 12-2 run after Deron Williams came out of the game that included a steal and breakaway dunk by Ronnie Price.
* * *
Paul Millsap's follow-up dunk over Hakim Warrick (I believe) in the third quarter was the highlight of an outstanding game. Millsap finished with 24 points (four shy of his career-high) and 16 rebounds (one shy of his career-high) starting in place of Carlos Boozer.
* * *
In a season of milestones, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan now is one victory shy of his 1,100th as an NBA coach, spanning his years in Chicago and Utah. Only three coaches have ever won 1,110 games, starting with Lenny Wilkens (1,332), Don Nelson (1,,285) and Pat Riley (1,195).
* * *
I don't know if anybody else had the feeling at Wednesday's game, but the Jazz seemed from the start as if to know they were going to win and the Grizzlies to know they were going to lose and it was just a matter of getting from Point A to Point B.
--Ross Siler
He is hesitant about playing in back-to-backs in the early stages of his return, the problem being that the Jazz have three such sets of games the next two weeks. He got through Wednesday's game just fine, but said his ankle was sore afterward.
What's interesting is that the Jazz are playing a rare set of back-to-back home games, something that hasn't happened since February 2001. When the schedule came out in August, I think we all looked at this weekend's games and thought it was a mistake.
The timing might just be perfect, however. Williams probably wouldn't play both ends of a traditional back-to-back, with a late-night flight and everything. Since the Jazz are at home, though, Williams could have a better treatment schedule and no travel.
If the Jazz are careful about his minutes, Williams could play both Friday and Saturday. The team is off Thursday for Thanksgiving, so we'll have more information as to his availability after Friday's morning shootaround.
As a sidenote, Williams told us Wednesday that the strength testing he did actually showed that his sprained left ankle is currently stronger than his uninjured right ankle, thanks to all the rehab work he has had to do. You can't ask for more than that returning.
* * *
Williams said he was still hesitant to attack the basket and a little "nervous" about getting the ball inside. That didn't stop him, however, from posting up Memphis' Mike Conley and Kyle Lowry to great success in Wednesday's game.
He spun on Conley - - the type of move that has most aggravated his ankle - - and scored while being fouled, although he didn't convert the three-point play, early in the third quarter. Williams also passed outside to Mehmet Okur for a three-pointer from the post.
Even when he didn't get the ball, Williams commanded attention in the post. Marc Gasol left Paul Millsap after he saw Williams get position on Conley, which left Millsap wide open in the lane for a dunk. Ronnie Brewer did the right thing in getting Millsap the ball.
Williams hit a couple of jumpers in the game, a 23-footer with the shot clock running out and a pull-up three-pointer over Lowry in the first quarter. He didn't drive as much as he normally would, but he also didn't get a couple of fouls calls when he did attack.
He did push the ball, hitting Ronnie Brewer for dunks and serving up an alley-oop to C.J. Miles. The breakdown of Williams' assists? Five to Okur, four to Brewer, two to Miles and one each to Andrei Kirilenko, Morris Almond, Matt Harpring and Paul Millsap.
* * *
Ronnie Brewer has now matched his career-high of 21 points five times, including again Wednesday. I'm very much looking forward to writing the story the night Brewer finally breaks through with 22.
If you pay attention to plus/minus numbers, you'll see that Brewer finished plus-33 in the 36 minutes he played Wednesday. That means the Jazz outscored Memphis by 33 points while Brewer was in the game. We'll be watching to see if anybody tops that number on the Jazz this season.
* * *
Jazz coach Jerry Sloan had been upset with a series of mental mistakes and breakdowns at the end of the first half in recent games. His players atoned a little with a highlight play just before halftime Wednesday.
Mehmet Okur scooped up Hakim Warrick's inbound pass to Darko Milcic, started the break the other way and lobbed a pass to Ronnie Brewer. While still in midair, Brewer lobbed a pass to Andrei Kirilenko for a dunk with 0.3 seconds left.
The Jazz went into halftime with a 59-46 lead. The Grizzlies had gotten as close as seven in the second quarter, but Kirilenko and Brewer connected on another nice play, with Kirilenko throwing a behind-the-back pass and getting back the ball for a layup plus foul.
* * *
The Jazz actually closed out the first, second and third quarters impressively. They ended the third quarter, in particular, with a 12-2 run after Deron Williams came out of the game that included a steal and breakaway dunk by Ronnie Price.
* * *
Paul Millsap's follow-up dunk over Hakim Warrick (I believe) in the third quarter was the highlight of an outstanding game. Millsap finished with 24 points (four shy of his career-high) and 16 rebounds (one shy of his career-high) starting in place of Carlos Boozer.
* * *
In a season of milestones, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan now is one victory shy of his 1,100th as an NBA coach, spanning his years in Chicago and Utah. Only three coaches have ever won 1,110 games, starting with Lenny Wilkens (1,332), Don Nelson (1,,285) and Pat Riley (1,195).
* * *
I don't know if anybody else had the feeling at Wednesday's game, but the Jazz seemed from the start as if to know they were going to win and the Grizzlies to know they were going to lose and it was just a matter of getting from Point A to Point B.
--Ross Siler
12:38 AM
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2 Comments:
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First of all, Happy Thanksgiving to you Ross and Steve. Keep up the good work.
Williams looked good and its great to hear that his injured ankle is strong. Like you stated, Williams looked hesitant to drive to the basket, but Im sure that'll come with time. His court awareness and pinpoint passing was still there...as well as his shooting.
The Jazz looked good in this game. For a second there I thought I was watching the Harlem Globetrotters with all the alley oops, dunks, etc. that happened throughout the game. It was good to see. It gets the crowd into the game.
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