Victory Cigar!!! UTA 84 @ BOS 85 (24-35)

[Green89]

IT is pretty darn consistent with those 20 and 6 numbers!

IT, the best 4th quarter scorer in the league gets it for me. I am concerned, though, as he's gotten under 30 minutes 4 of the past 5 games. The only game he got more than 30 minutes was his 28 point game.

He needs to get a minimum of 30 per night. Smart last night got 39 minutes and Thomas only 26. That's too big a discrepancy between your low scoring rookie guard and your highest scoring player.

[2Mas]

Hayward made a huge potential game winner shot too...he reminds me so much of John Havelcek....wish we had him ...

You mean watching highlights of Havelcek, or are you old enough to really watch them in person?

That's not like an insult or anything, i'm curious. I wish i was older. Feel like my parents generation was perfect to grow up in. Between basketball, & life in general.

Never seen any of those C's legends play. I wish I could.

[sully00]

IT is pretty darn consistent with those 20 and 6 numbers!

IT, the best 4th quarter scorer in the league gets it for me. I am concerned, though, as he's gotten under 30 minutes 4 of the past 5 games. The only game he got more than 30 minutes was his 28 point game.

He needs to get a minimum of 30 per night. Smart last night got 39 minutes and Thomas only 26. That's too big a discrepancy between your low scoring rookie guard and your highest scoring player.

I understand the line of thinking but in this case I don't think more is necessarily better. You have to keep in mind that the dude is 5'9" so he is a defensive liability against anyone that is going to be exposed more against starters he is also more likely to pick up cheap fouls. Burke was working everyone but he was getting IT pretty good. Most teams don't have two shot blockers, so if you get him in there pushing the pace against midway through the 1st and 3rd he can do more damage he and Crowder are real pain in the ass right now. But the most important thing is that no lead is safe in the NBA, you get nothing for leading through the first 3 quarters. This guy is Mr. 4th Quarter partly because he plays almost the whole 4th quarter.

I think the focus should be to evenly balance the mins between the 3 guards. At this point the results speak for themselves.

[Green89]

IT is pretty darn consistent with those 20 and 6 numbers!

IT, the best 4th quarter scorer in the league gets it for me. I am concerned, though, as he's gotten under 30 minutes 4 of the past 5 games. The only game he got more than 30 minutes was his 28 point game.

He needs to get a minimum of 30 per night. Smart last night got 39 minutes and Thomas only 26. That's too big a discrepancy between your low scoring rookie guard and your highest scoring player.

I understand the line of thinking but in this case I don't think more is necessarily better. You have to keep in mind that the dude is 5'9" so he is a defensive liability against anyone that is going to be exposed more against starters he is also more likely to pick up cheap fouls. Burke was working everyone but he was getting IT pretty good. Most teams don't have two shot blockers, so if you get him in there pushing the pace against midway through the 1st and 3rd he can do more damage he and Crowder are real pain in the ass right now. But the most important thing is that no lead is safe in the NBA, you get nothing for leading through the first 3 quarters. This guy is Mr. 4th Quarter partly because he plays almost the whole 4th quarter.

I think the focus should be to evenly balance the mins between the 3 guards. At this point the results speak for themselves.

I agree with this. He did nothing against Golden State in the 2nd half, as they shut him down pretty good with Livingston, so it depends on the matchup. I think he needs to play most if not all of the 4th quarter for us in every game. I think we can squeeze more minutes and points out of him in the 2nd quarter, as that's where he seems to get low minutes. It could help with teams making a run before the end of the half, as we can tend to go on a scoring drought that quarter.

[KGboss]

Smart was also doing the little things last night and mmaking key plays down the stretch. IT is good for offense, but honestly Smarts all around game is already better than Thomas's. Offensively not, but everything else, yah. Passing about equal if not the nod to IT there for now. I dont hate Smart getting 39 mins when IT wasnt really doing much outside of the 4th anyway.

[Fidel Sarcasmo]

Stat line that stuck out to me was Boston had only 3 turnovers all night to Utah's 13 turnovers in an otherwise abysmal score card for both teams. At least they took care of the ball. Can't all be pretty.

[Heinsohn Truth]

Stevens > Rivers at drawing up plays.

I hate Doc as a coach and think he is severely overrated, but this is one of his strengths. I'm hesitant to go that far but Stevens has been pretty awesome lately.

You're right. I just remember pierce iso's foul line extended over and over and over in that situation when doc was here. Last night was a refreshing change going to someone unexpected.

[MMyhre]

IT, the best 4th quarter scorer in the league gets it for me. I am concerned, though, as he's gotten under 30 minutes 4 of the past 5 games. The only game he got more than 30 minutes was his 28 point game.

He needs to get a minimum of 30 per night. Smart last night got 39 minutes and Thomas only 26. That's too big a discrepancy between your low scoring rookie guard and your highest scoring player.

I understand the line of thinking but in this case I don't think more is necessarily better. You have to keep in mind that the dude is 5'9" so he is a defensive liability against anyone that is going to be exposed more against starters he is also more likely to pick up cheap fouls. Burke was working everyone but he was getting IT pretty good. Most teams don't have two shot blockers, so if you get him in there pushing the pace against midway through the 1st and 3rd he can do more damage he and Crowder are real pain in the ass right now. But the most important thing is that no lead is safe in the NBA, you get nothing for leading through the first 3 quarters. This guy is Mr. 4th Quarter partly because he plays almost the whole 4th quarter.

I think the focus should be to evenly balance the mins between the 3 guards. At this point the results speak for themselves.

I agree with this. He did nothing against Golden State in the 2nd half, as they shut him down pretty good with Livingston, so it depends on the matchup. I think he needs to play most if not all of the 4th quarter for us in every game. I think we can squeeze more minutes and points out of him in the 2nd quarter, as that's where he seems to get low minutes. It could help with teams making a run before the end of the half, as we can tend to go on a scoring drought that quarter.

Lets not kid ourselves thinking Livingston shut him down, he did a fine job but that right there was just excellent team defense. IT will light up Livingston every day if he gets him mano el mano.

[DorfonCeltics]

Stat line that stuck out to me was Boston had only 3 turnovers all night to Utah's 13 turnovers in an otherwise abysmal score card for both teams. At least they took care of the ball. Can't all be pretty.

Gorman said 3 turnovers was the lowest from any team in the NBA this year. I'm really liking how Brad has this team valuing the ball.