Mavericks 130, Jazz 101
If we hadn't seen that loss so many times before this season - - and I'm counting at least seven no-shows for the Jazz - - then maybe Wednesday's game would be something worth getting worked up about.
Instead, it had an entirely expected feel when Jason Terry hit those two three-pointers to end the first quarter, when the Jazz kept coughing up the ball to end the second and the Mavericks pushed in front by 19 to end the third.
We've been here before. Sad to say, it's the Jazz's identity. They've played three absolutely critical games for their playoff fortunes on the road the last week-and-a-half and lost to Portland, Denver and Dallas by an average of 20 points. It's unbelievable, really.
For the first time, we heard a couple of players call what happened unacceptable. Deron Williams and Kyle Korver both did after the game. The truth is that these losses would have been unacceptable in January. I don't know what you call them know.
My theory, in case you're interested, is that the Jazz experienced so many highs on the way to the Western Conference finals in 2007 that they've been bored by the regular season, especially on the road, ever since.
I think you'd have to agree their play has reflected it. The problem is they've also had a bulls-eye on their back every time they've walked into a visiting arena since that run and they've got spanked time and time again as a result.
Otherwise, you have to admit they're a fatally flawed team unable to learn from and correct their mistakes. If that's the case, I suggest the Jazz waste no time in overhauling their roster this summer since Williams is under contract only three more years.
There also has to be some accountability for what has happened this season. There's no reason the Jazz should be 15-24 on the road, 2-17 against winning teams on the road and 3-16 in the second game of back-to-back sets.
I don't know if that accountability means player changes, practice/shootaround adjustments, curfews or whatever, but this routine isn't working.
* * *
There's still a chance the Jazz will stay out of the No. 8 seed and a first-round playoff series against the Lakers. Since they hold the tiebreaker against both New Orleans and Dallas, all the Jazz have to do is finish in a tie with either team.
The Hornets could go 1-3 (or even 0-4) with what they have left: at Dallas, vs. Dallas, at Houston, at San Antonio. The Jazz would merely have to go 2-2 to make up the game in the standings and claim no worse than the No. 7 seed with the tiebreaker.
That could be accomplished with two victories at home against Golden State and the L.A. Clippers. The Mavericks, meanwhile, close with the two New Orleans games and home games against Minnesota and Houston.
The trouble comes if the Mavericks and New Orleans split those two games, with Dallas winning its final two at home and the Hornets splitting their final two on the road. The Jazz would have to go 3-1 to tie and need to win at San Antonio or at the L.A. Lakers.
That's obviously easier said than done right now. One question is whether the Lakers will play Kobe Bryant and Co. in that final game against the Jazz.
As long as home-court advantage against Cleveland in the NBA Finals is at stake and the Lakers are still trying to get Andrew Bynum reintegrated, I think you're going to see pretty close to a full strength Lakers team.
There have also been some questions about the Lakers laying down against the Jazz to draw the Mavericks in the first round. I know nobody wants to go to Utah in the playoffs, but the Lakers also have to have seen how the Jazz have played recently.
If I were Phil Jackson, I would much rather take my chances going to Utah and playing the Jazz as constituted as opposed to Dallas the way Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Josh Howard and Jason Terry are playing right now. That's 270 points in two games for Dallas.
* * *
I would argue that at least some of Wednesday's loss came with the Jazz spending three days in Dallas before playing. That took them completely out of their rhythm after beating the Hornets on Sunday. We've been here for what feels like forever.
"They had the same amount of days off," Williams said of the Mavericks. "They played the same day we did, same amount of days off, played at the same time, same arena. They just were better than us."
"It probably would have been nice to play sooner," Kyle Korver said, "but it didn't happen that way. We just didn't have the same rhythm we had the other night. We didn't help each other out on defense.
"They started scoring, they were getting out on the break, we're not getting out on the break, we not playing in rhythm on offense. We start to press a little bit and we have that terrible stretch at the end of the third quarter, and all of a sudden it's a blowout."
* * *
It hasn't been much of a problem this season, but the Jazz were terrible when it came to closing out quarters Wednesday. They were on the wrong ends of runs to end the first, second and third quarters, outscored a combined 27-5.
First quarter: Brevin Knight struggled in replacing Deron Williams, with the Jazz committing a shot clock violation, Knight having a pass stolen and a shot blocked. Jason Terry drilled two three-pointers as Dallas closed on a 6-0 run to take a 28-17 lead.
Second quarter: The Jazz had 19 turnovers for the game, including four straight late in the second quarter. The Mavericks closed the half on a 9-2 run to take a 61-45 lead, including Erick Dampier's alley-oop dunk from Jason Kidd and another Terry three-pointer.
Third quarter: The Jazz watched Deron Williams miss a jumper, Carlos Boozer miss a couple of point-blank follow-up attempts, Kyle Korver miss a three-pointer and Deron Williams commit a turnover.
At the other end, Dirk Nowitzki hit a jumper for the last of his 12 consecutive points, J.J. Barea drove for a layup, Dampier was fouled on a lob, Nowitzki kissed a three-pointer off the front rim and in and Josh Howard stole an inbounds pass and was fouled.
That run went in the books as 12-3 and gave Dallas a 93-74 lead. Add up the 6-0 run, 9-2 run and 12-3 run and you get the 27-5 combined run to end the first three quarters. That's 22 points right there of a 29-point blowout.
* * *
The Mavericks came out with 6-foot-7 Antoine Wright guarding Deron Williams, instead of Jason Kidd, who took Ronnie Brewer. Williams was quiet in the first half with five points and seven assists. I asked afterward if he was ready to see Wright on him.
"Teams have been putting bigger guards on me lately," Williams said. "I'm used to it."
"I went to the hole a couple times, thought I got fouled, didn't," Williams added. "I missed some layups. That was it. I don't think it was anything to do with him guarding me."
* * *
Never thought we'd see Kyrylo Fesenko in that game, but Fesenko played for the first time since Feb. 17 in the blowout. He had a dunk and went 1-for-4 at the foul line on the way to three points and two rebounds in four minutes.
--Ross Siler
Instead, it had an entirely expected feel when Jason Terry hit those two three-pointers to end the first quarter, when the Jazz kept coughing up the ball to end the second and the Mavericks pushed in front by 19 to end the third.
We've been here before. Sad to say, it's the Jazz's identity. They've played three absolutely critical games for their playoff fortunes on the road the last week-and-a-half and lost to Portland, Denver and Dallas by an average of 20 points. It's unbelievable, really.
For the first time, we heard a couple of players call what happened unacceptable. Deron Williams and Kyle Korver both did after the game. The truth is that these losses would have been unacceptable in January. I don't know what you call them know.
My theory, in case you're interested, is that the Jazz experienced so many highs on the way to the Western Conference finals in 2007 that they've been bored by the regular season, especially on the road, ever since.
I think you'd have to agree their play has reflected it. The problem is they've also had a bulls-eye on their back every time they've walked into a visiting arena since that run and they've got spanked time and time again as a result.
Otherwise, you have to admit they're a fatally flawed team unable to learn from and correct their mistakes. If that's the case, I suggest the Jazz waste no time in overhauling their roster this summer since Williams is under contract only three more years.
There also has to be some accountability for what has happened this season. There's no reason the Jazz should be 15-24 on the road, 2-17 against winning teams on the road and 3-16 in the second game of back-to-back sets.
I don't know if that accountability means player changes, practice/shootaround adjustments, curfews or whatever, but this routine isn't working.
* * *
There's still a chance the Jazz will stay out of the No. 8 seed and a first-round playoff series against the Lakers. Since they hold the tiebreaker against both New Orleans and Dallas, all the Jazz have to do is finish in a tie with either team.
The Hornets could go 1-3 (or even 0-4) with what they have left: at Dallas, vs. Dallas, at Houston, at San Antonio. The Jazz would merely have to go 2-2 to make up the game in the standings and claim no worse than the No. 7 seed with the tiebreaker.
That could be accomplished with two victories at home against Golden State and the L.A. Clippers. The Mavericks, meanwhile, close with the two New Orleans games and home games against Minnesota and Houston.
The trouble comes if the Mavericks and New Orleans split those two games, with Dallas winning its final two at home and the Hornets splitting their final two on the road. The Jazz would have to go 3-1 to tie and need to win at San Antonio or at the L.A. Lakers.
That's obviously easier said than done right now. One question is whether the Lakers will play Kobe Bryant and Co. in that final game against the Jazz.
As long as home-court advantage against Cleveland in the NBA Finals is at stake and the Lakers are still trying to get Andrew Bynum reintegrated, I think you're going to see pretty close to a full strength Lakers team.
There have also been some questions about the Lakers laying down against the Jazz to draw the Mavericks in the first round. I know nobody wants to go to Utah in the playoffs, but the Lakers also have to have seen how the Jazz have played recently.
If I were Phil Jackson, I would much rather take my chances going to Utah and playing the Jazz as constituted as opposed to Dallas the way Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Josh Howard and Jason Terry are playing right now. That's 270 points in two games for Dallas.
* * *
I would argue that at least some of Wednesday's loss came with the Jazz spending three days in Dallas before playing. That took them completely out of their rhythm after beating the Hornets on Sunday. We've been here for what feels like forever.
"They had the same amount of days off," Williams said of the Mavericks. "They played the same day we did, same amount of days off, played at the same time, same arena. They just were better than us."
"It probably would have been nice to play sooner," Kyle Korver said, "but it didn't happen that way. We just didn't have the same rhythm we had the other night. We didn't help each other out on defense.
"They started scoring, they were getting out on the break, we're not getting out on the break, we not playing in rhythm on offense. We start to press a little bit and we have that terrible stretch at the end of the third quarter, and all of a sudden it's a blowout."
* * *
It hasn't been much of a problem this season, but the Jazz were terrible when it came to closing out quarters Wednesday. They were on the wrong ends of runs to end the first, second and third quarters, outscored a combined 27-5.
First quarter: Brevin Knight struggled in replacing Deron Williams, with the Jazz committing a shot clock violation, Knight having a pass stolen and a shot blocked. Jason Terry drilled two three-pointers as Dallas closed on a 6-0 run to take a 28-17 lead.
Second quarter: The Jazz had 19 turnovers for the game, including four straight late in the second quarter. The Mavericks closed the half on a 9-2 run to take a 61-45 lead, including Erick Dampier's alley-oop dunk from Jason Kidd and another Terry three-pointer.
Third quarter: The Jazz watched Deron Williams miss a jumper, Carlos Boozer miss a couple of point-blank follow-up attempts, Kyle Korver miss a three-pointer and Deron Williams commit a turnover.
At the other end, Dirk Nowitzki hit a jumper for the last of his 12 consecutive points, J.J. Barea drove for a layup, Dampier was fouled on a lob, Nowitzki kissed a three-pointer off the front rim and in and Josh Howard stole an inbounds pass and was fouled.
That run went in the books as 12-3 and gave Dallas a 93-74 lead. Add up the 6-0 run, 9-2 run and 12-3 run and you get the 27-5 combined run to end the first three quarters. That's 22 points right there of a 29-point blowout.
* * *
The Mavericks came out with 6-foot-7 Antoine Wright guarding Deron Williams, instead of Jason Kidd, who took Ronnie Brewer. Williams was quiet in the first half with five points and seven assists. I asked afterward if he was ready to see Wright on him.
"Teams have been putting bigger guards on me lately," Williams said. "I'm used to it."
"I went to the hole a couple times, thought I got fouled, didn't," Williams added. "I missed some layups. That was it. I don't think it was anything to do with him guarding me."
* * *
Never thought we'd see Kyrylo Fesenko in that game, but Fesenko played for the first time since Feb. 17 in the blowout. He had a dunk and went 1-for-4 at the foul line on the way to three points and two rebounds in four minutes.
--Ross Siler
1:22 AM
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1 Comments:
I found this to be an interesting snippet from your article:
I don't know if that accountability means player changes, practice/shootaround adjustments, curfews or whatever, but this routine isn't working.
Why isn't the coach mentioned when talking about accountability?
That said, this team is absolutely pathetic in terms of want and heart. I'm not sure what the problem is, but it needs to be rectified.
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