Jazz 99, Kings 94
We'll start with injuries, since it's been the story of the Jazz season. If you were watching Tuesday's game closely, you probably noticed that Deron Williams spent a lot of the third quarter trying to get loose.
On the very first possession of the third quarter, Williams drove and got the ball stuck on his hip. It was stolen by Beno Udrih and Williams wound up straining his right hip flexor. He did some stretching exercises during subsequent timeouts.
"When I pushed off, I felt something kind of pull and then when I went to stop, I kind of slipped at the end and it pulled even more," said Williams, who had a bag of ice strapped to the area after the game.
Is the injury something significant? "I don't think so," Williams said. "I was able to finish the game. It just hurts. Some movements, it's a little sore. But I don't think I pulled it like a groin or anything."
We'll see whether anything changes in the time leading up to Wednesday's game against Miami at EnergySolutions Arena.
Williams still hasn't played more than 30 minutes since returning from his sprained ankle, though a lot of that was how well the second team played in Tuesday's victory. He had a quiet game for the first 3 1/2 quarters and said he got taken out of the game mentally.
Williams went to drive on two of the first three possessions, committing a turnover and missing a shot. "I'm used to being able to get by people," Williams said, "and it's like I get discouraged when I can't and just do dumb things."
* * *
Much credit should be given to Morris Almond for continuing to be a contributor even though the Jazz decided not to bring him back for next season when they declined at the end of October to exercise an option in his contract for 2009-10.
Almond had a career-high 12 points Tuesday and played the entire fourth quarter ahead of Ronnie Brewer and C.J. Miles. As much as his defense has been maligned, Almond blocked two dunk attempts and covered Kevin Martin in the fourth quarter.
"He's worked very hard," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. "I thought he worked very hard defensively. Now Martin's awfully tough for anybody to guard, we haven't come close to guarding him, but at least he tried to make him work as much as possible."
Sloan added that he was "proud of the way he played. He deserved an opportunity. He worked hard on the offensive end to get open, too."
Almond played only nine games with the Jazz as a rookie and spent the bulk of last season with the NBA Development League's Utah Flash.
"Mo's a hard worker, a guy that comes into the gym every day, days off," Williams said, "doesn't say much and just comes and works hard. I think it's paid off for him. When he gets his opportunity, he stepped up tonight and played great for us."
Almond didn't leave Arco Arena empty-handed, either. He took home a drawing of himself in a Rice University No. 22 jersey by a fan. He was surprised to say the least that he would have an admirer like that here in Sacramento.
* * *
Absolutely bizarre move by the Kings late in the fourth quarter to bring in Quincy Douby, who hadn't played at all, for the final 3:59. Douby missed two three-pointers down the stretch, including one with 50.9 seconds left that gave Utah the chance to take a 93-90 lead.
Reggie Theus' explanation afterward was that Francisco Garcia couldn't play more than 30 minutes so soon after returning from a calf injury. He opted to go with Douby instead of Bobby Jackson, who played 28 minutes but went 2-for-9 and missed four three-pointers.
* * *
In case you were wondering, Deron Williams was barking at a group of Kings fans sitting just behind the scorer's table after he hit that jumper with 32.9 seconds left. A Kings staffer said afterward that the hecklers were yelling at Williams after every miscue that Chris Paul wouldn't have done something like that. He got the last word, though, with the Jazz win and his four points and two assists late.
* * *
The Jazz had gone 1-5 at Arco Arena in Deron Williams' first three seasons. "It definitely felt good to get a win here," Williams said. "We thought it was going to be another San Antonio."
* * *
You'll never see a more motley lineup than the one the Jazz started the second and fourth quarters with. Somehow it clicked, with the Jazz scoring the first nine points of the second quarter, which included jumpers by Kyle Korver, Almond and Kosta Koufos.
As long as Carlos Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko are out, Koufos is the Jazz's primary big man off the bench. He fouled out with six points and five rebounds in 22 minutes, attacking the basket with a strong move as well as contesting shots on defense.
* * *
Thanks to the five free throws he hit in the final 10.1 seconds, Kyle Korver finished as the Jazz's leading scorer with 15 points. He might have shared in the honors before, but I'm pretty sure Tuesday was the first time Korver has done so individually since coming to Utah.
* * *
The announced attendance Tuesday was 10,798. It was almost depressing to see what Arco Arena (one of the NBA's best venues) has become. The Kings went into Tuesday ranking 29th in attendance, ahead of only Memphis. There were a couple of cowbells in the upper deck.
Although Brevin Knight was back from a sprained left index finger, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan opted to play Ronnie Price with the second team in both halves. Sloan has typically given Price the first half and Knight the second half when all three point guards have been healthy.
Jarron Collins celebrated his 30th birthday Tuesday.....Mikki Moore came all the way over to greet Sloan before the game even though he wasn't starting.....With Paul Millsap and Koufos in foul trouble, Ronnie Brewer played the last 3:21 of the first half as the Jazz's power forward....The Kings play a clip from an old Bobby Brown song whenever Bobby Brown scores in the game.
--Ross Siler
On the very first possession of the third quarter, Williams drove and got the ball stuck on his hip. It was stolen by Beno Udrih and Williams wound up straining his right hip flexor. He did some stretching exercises during subsequent timeouts.
"When I pushed off, I felt something kind of pull and then when I went to stop, I kind of slipped at the end and it pulled even more," said Williams, who had a bag of ice strapped to the area after the game.
Is the injury something significant? "I don't think so," Williams said. "I was able to finish the game. It just hurts. Some movements, it's a little sore. But I don't think I pulled it like a groin or anything."
We'll see whether anything changes in the time leading up to Wednesday's game against Miami at EnergySolutions Arena.
Williams still hasn't played more than 30 minutes since returning from his sprained ankle, though a lot of that was how well the second team played in Tuesday's victory. He had a quiet game for the first 3 1/2 quarters and said he got taken out of the game mentally.
Williams went to drive on two of the first three possessions, committing a turnover and missing a shot. "I'm used to being able to get by people," Williams said, "and it's like I get discouraged when I can't and just do dumb things."
* * *
Much credit should be given to Morris Almond for continuing to be a contributor even though the Jazz decided not to bring him back for next season when they declined at the end of October to exercise an option in his contract for 2009-10.
Almond had a career-high 12 points Tuesday and played the entire fourth quarter ahead of Ronnie Brewer and C.J. Miles. As much as his defense has been maligned, Almond blocked two dunk attempts and covered Kevin Martin in the fourth quarter.
"He's worked very hard," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. "I thought he worked very hard defensively. Now Martin's awfully tough for anybody to guard, we haven't come close to guarding him, but at least he tried to make him work as much as possible."
Sloan added that he was "proud of the way he played. He deserved an opportunity. He worked hard on the offensive end to get open, too."
Almond played only nine games with the Jazz as a rookie and spent the bulk of last season with the NBA Development League's Utah Flash.
"Mo's a hard worker, a guy that comes into the gym every day, days off," Williams said, "doesn't say much and just comes and works hard. I think it's paid off for him. When he gets his opportunity, he stepped up tonight and played great for us."
Almond didn't leave Arco Arena empty-handed, either. He took home a drawing of himself in a Rice University No. 22 jersey by a fan. He was surprised to say the least that he would have an admirer like that here in Sacramento.
* * *
Absolutely bizarre move by the Kings late in the fourth quarter to bring in Quincy Douby, who hadn't played at all, for the final 3:59. Douby missed two three-pointers down the stretch, including one with 50.9 seconds left that gave Utah the chance to take a 93-90 lead.
Reggie Theus' explanation afterward was that Francisco Garcia couldn't play more than 30 minutes so soon after returning from a calf injury. He opted to go with Douby instead of Bobby Jackson, who played 28 minutes but went 2-for-9 and missed four three-pointers.
* * *
In case you were wondering, Deron Williams was barking at a group of Kings fans sitting just behind the scorer's table after he hit that jumper with 32.9 seconds left. A Kings staffer said afterward that the hecklers were yelling at Williams after every miscue that Chris Paul wouldn't have done something like that. He got the last word, though, with the Jazz win and his four points and two assists late.
* * *
The Jazz had gone 1-5 at Arco Arena in Deron Williams' first three seasons. "It definitely felt good to get a win here," Williams said. "We thought it was going to be another San Antonio."
* * *
You'll never see a more motley lineup than the one the Jazz started the second and fourth quarters with. Somehow it clicked, with the Jazz scoring the first nine points of the second quarter, which included jumpers by Kyle Korver, Almond and Kosta Koufos.
As long as Carlos Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko are out, Koufos is the Jazz's primary big man off the bench. He fouled out with six points and five rebounds in 22 minutes, attacking the basket with a strong move as well as contesting shots on defense.
* * *
Thanks to the five free throws he hit in the final 10.1 seconds, Kyle Korver finished as the Jazz's leading scorer with 15 points. He might have shared in the honors before, but I'm pretty sure Tuesday was the first time Korver has done so individually since coming to Utah.
* * *
The announced attendance Tuesday was 10,798. It was almost depressing to see what Arco Arena (one of the NBA's best venues) has become. The Kings went into Tuesday ranking 29th in attendance, ahead of only Memphis. There were a couple of cowbells in the upper deck.
Although Brevin Knight was back from a sprained left index finger, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan opted to play Ronnie Price with the second team in both halves. Sloan has typically given Price the first half and Knight the second half when all three point guards have been healthy.
Jarron Collins celebrated his 30th birthday Tuesday.....Mikki Moore came all the way over to greet Sloan before the game even though he wasn't starting.....With Paul Millsap and Koufos in foul trouble, Ronnie Brewer played the last 3:21 of the first half as the Jazz's power forward....The Kings play a clip from an old Bobby Brown song whenever Bobby Brown scores in the game.
--Ross Siler
2:41 AM
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