Jazz 105, Clippers 86
The most exciting part of Monday's Jazz game was following the final minutes of the Dallas/Minnesota game on the Internet, hitting the refresh button as quickly as possible, yelling out updates and then staring in disbelief after Jason Terry's jumper.
The Jazz didn't catch the break they needed and now must head to play the Lakers in Game 82 of the season knowing that a loss will bring them right back to Los Angeles this weekend to open the playoffs against the Lakers.
By the time we got into the locker room, all of the Jazz's players knew about Terry's shot and how close the Mavericks had come to being beaten. They can still climb out of the No. 8 seed with a victory and losses by either Dallas or New Orleans.
"We put ourself in that position," Deron Williams said. "We got some ballgames where we should have won and we shouldn't even be in this position. They're doing what they've got to do - - winning - - and we should have done the same."
"We're going to worry about us," Carlos Boozer added. "That's all we can do. I'm not worried about what [the Lakers] do, I'm worried about how we play. If we play like we played tonight, then toss it up and let's see what happens."
* * *
The Lakers no longer have a chance to catch Cleveland for the NBA's best record, but coach Phil Jackson suggested that he would play Kobe Bryant and Co. about the same Tuesday against the Jazz as he did Sunday against Memphis.
Pau Gasol played 32 minutes, Bryant played 29, Andrew Bynum played 25 and Derek Fisher played 18. Jazz fans can only hope to see the likes of Adam Morrison and Josh Powell playing extended minutes.
Jackson talked about the milestone for Bryant, Fisher and Trevor Ariza of playing in all 82 games. Fisher was quoted in the Orange County Register's Lakers blog saying that it was not advisable to try to lose and dodge an opponent in the first round.
"I don't think you go into a game trying to lose in order to control who you play," Fisher said. "Even though the gap seems wider record-wise in the West than last year, I don't think the competition in the first round will be easier than what we had in the past."
Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said: "If somebody else wants to sit their players down and say, ‘OK, I'm going to save them for the playoffs,' I'm not going to coach their team,
* * *
It looked as if Paul Millsap was going to make the cutoff to be considered for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award on the nose, starting 38 out of the 76 games he played this season. No player can be considered who starts more than half his team's games.
If Mehmet Okur can't play against the Lakers after straining his hamstring Monday, Millsap could start his 39th game (out of 76). Millsap started the second half in place of Okur against the Clippers.
There were some laughs when this news was shared in the locker room, along with the suggestion that Jazz coach Jerry Sloan was just as likely to start Jarron Collins or Kyrylo Fesenko instead of Millsap on Tuesday.
Okur, by the way, is traveling to Los Angeles, was complaining of tightness and soreness, didn't know if he could play against the Lakers and didn't know how he would be affected going into the playoffs.
Millsap also had a very good game against the Clippers, with 19 points and 11 rebounds. He hit jumpers, followed up around the basket and went coast to coast for a layup after a steal. Millsap's seven offensive rebounds matched the Clippers' entire total.
* * *
Jarron Collins hadn't played in 10 of the Jazz's previous 11 games before he was summoned from the bench in the second half with Okur out and Carlos Boozer having picked up his fourth foul.
Collins gave two points, four rebounds and, most importantly, four fouls to the Jazz's cause. He also caught grief from Paul MIllsap and Kyle Korver as he dressed for the flight to Los Angeles after the game.
Collins was wearing a forest green polo shirt, jeans, tan dress shocks and white shoes. What pushed the outfit over the top was the red sweater he tied around his waist, as Korver and Millsap yelled, "No, no, don't do it."
Millsap raised the crucial issue, which is why Collins would have a sweater in the first place if he just planned to wear it around his waist.
* * *
The Clippers are probably five times as talented as the Golden State team that beat the Jazz with seven players on Saturday, but they sure didn't play like it. Baron Davis - - no C.J. Watson - - was 1-for-13 and finished with three points and seven assists.
For the game, the Clippers went 5-for-19 from three-point range, got to the foul line less than half as much as the Jazz and were outrebounded 50-36 and outscored 23-7 on second chance points.
The Clippers were missing Zach Randolph, out with a mild concussion, and Al Thornton, but they were pretty much finished after Chris Kaman exited with his second personal in the first quarter.
--Ross Siler
The Jazz didn't catch the break they needed and now must head to play the Lakers in Game 82 of the season knowing that a loss will bring them right back to Los Angeles this weekend to open the playoffs against the Lakers.
By the time we got into the locker room, all of the Jazz's players knew about Terry's shot and how close the Mavericks had come to being beaten. They can still climb out of the No. 8 seed with a victory and losses by either Dallas or New Orleans.
"We put ourself in that position," Deron Williams said. "We got some ballgames where we should have won and we shouldn't even be in this position. They're doing what they've got to do - - winning - - and we should have done the same."
"We're going to worry about us," Carlos Boozer added. "That's all we can do. I'm not worried about what [the Lakers] do, I'm worried about how we play. If we play like we played tonight, then toss it up and let's see what happens."
* * *
The Lakers no longer have a chance to catch Cleveland for the NBA's best record, but coach Phil Jackson suggested that he would play Kobe Bryant and Co. about the same Tuesday against the Jazz as he did Sunday against Memphis.
Pau Gasol played 32 minutes, Bryant played 29, Andrew Bynum played 25 and Derek Fisher played 18. Jazz fans can only hope to see the likes of Adam Morrison and Josh Powell playing extended minutes.
Jackson talked about the milestone for Bryant, Fisher and Trevor Ariza of playing in all 82 games. Fisher was quoted in the Orange County Register's Lakers blog saying that it was not advisable to try to lose and dodge an opponent in the first round.
"I don't think you go into a game trying to lose in order to control who you play," Fisher said. "Even though the gap seems wider record-wise in the West than last year, I don't think the competition in the first round will be easier than what we had in the past."
Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said: "If somebody else wants to sit their players down and say, ‘OK, I'm going to save them for the playoffs,' I'm not going to coach their team,
* * *
It looked as if Paul Millsap was going to make the cutoff to be considered for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award on the nose, starting 38 out of the 76 games he played this season. No player can be considered who starts more than half his team's games.
If Mehmet Okur can't play against the Lakers after straining his hamstring Monday, Millsap could start his 39th game (out of 76). Millsap started the second half in place of Okur against the Clippers.
There were some laughs when this news was shared in the locker room, along with the suggestion that Jazz coach Jerry Sloan was just as likely to start Jarron Collins or Kyrylo Fesenko instead of Millsap on Tuesday.
Okur, by the way, is traveling to Los Angeles, was complaining of tightness and soreness, didn't know if he could play against the Lakers and didn't know how he would be affected going into the playoffs.
Millsap also had a very good game against the Clippers, with 19 points and 11 rebounds. He hit jumpers, followed up around the basket and went coast to coast for a layup after a steal. Millsap's seven offensive rebounds matched the Clippers' entire total.
* * *
Jarron Collins hadn't played in 10 of the Jazz's previous 11 games before he was summoned from the bench in the second half with Okur out and Carlos Boozer having picked up his fourth foul.
Collins gave two points, four rebounds and, most importantly, four fouls to the Jazz's cause. He also caught grief from Paul MIllsap and Kyle Korver as he dressed for the flight to Los Angeles after the game.
Collins was wearing a forest green polo shirt, jeans, tan dress shocks and white shoes. What pushed the outfit over the top was the red sweater he tied around his waist, as Korver and Millsap yelled, "No, no, don't do it."
Millsap raised the crucial issue, which is why Collins would have a sweater in the first place if he just planned to wear it around his waist.
* * *
The Clippers are probably five times as talented as the Golden State team that beat the Jazz with seven players on Saturday, but they sure didn't play like it. Baron Davis - - no C.J. Watson - - was 1-for-13 and finished with three points and seven assists.
For the game, the Clippers went 5-for-19 from three-point range, got to the foul line less than half as much as the Jazz and were outrebounded 50-36 and outscored 23-7 on second chance points.
The Clippers were missing Zach Randolph, out with a mild concussion, and Al Thornton, but they were pretty much finished after Chris Kaman exited with his second personal in the first quarter.
--Ross Siler
12:22 AM
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2 Comments:
Well both Dallas and New Orleans have a chance to lose tonight, considering who they're playing.
That said, the Jazz are Mr. Hyde on the road so the chances that they win on the road are slim to none and slim just left town.
It helps that both the Spurs and the Rockets are fighting for the 4th seed, so neither Dallas or the Hornets can expect to catch a team resting a bit.
Lately it hasn't looked likely for the Jazz to match their potential, but the odds that the Jazz can move up a spot or two with a win tonight are better they could ask for at this point.
Now only if the game wasn't on the road against a western conference team with a winning record on the 2nd half of a back to back...
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