Game 53: Oklahoma City Thunder (39-12) @ Utah Jazz (28-24)

[FJS]

Really nice game, we played with heart and their stars give their A game. Still, our big eat alive their bigs.
Burks is playing really well, and Jefferson did an hell of a game.

Carroll is winning minutes too, and Marvin is lost. I'm sure I am more confortable with Carroll, Hayward, Burks and Foye as SF/SG rotation.

[red4hf]

i really can't stand the way watson runs this team. he just dribbles aimlessly beyond the 3pt line for half of the shot clock, and the jazz gets into the offense way too late because of that. this leads to rushed offense and bad looks and just inefficient offense and a lot of bad shots and turnovers. it pisses me off every single time - just painful to watch.

This is so true, it's not even funny....... He has one good moment per game, and you think "OK, he's going to play well now" and the next possession he'll do something incredibly frustrating or stupid.......

Jefferson needs to stay with this team...... He and Favors can be the best frontcourt in the NBA, while Kanter continues to develop....... Burks and Hayward would actually play really well together if ever given a chance..... Both love to run, can handle the ball, can pass, and Burks is showing a much improved jumper.....

If only we had a Coach to take advantage of all this talent......

[The59Sound]

Jazz basketball without Gordon's been painful for the most part. Seems like, overall, we haven't actually been running any plays. That includes Burks, but he at least forces guys to play defense and goes strong to the hoop.

Watson, and to a lesser extent Tinsley, just wander around the three-point line for 20 seconds, then wait for Jefferson or Millsap to make themselves available 18 feet out. It's not pretty.

[slcjosh]

And Al is a better coach than Corbin. Honestly, I sorta hope we can keep Jefferson. I'd like to watch him, Kanter and Favors play together for the next few years. It would allow Kanter and Favors to develop and as Jefferson gets older he'd be a nice player to have off the bench.

Thats a bit of a stretch, Corbin is doing a fine job with the pool of players hes got. Example, look at Demarres development and ability to adjust. That wasnt just his idea, you gotta give Ty credit and for seeing he was struggling and coached him up to change his game. Rather than taking threes, Carroll is attacking the basket, and has been working on his one dribble jumpers and dribble, counter dribbles.

The rest of the quote i totally agree with. And i think the FO is leaning that way anyway, with the cap space, sign jefferson to a big deal for a few years, work the trade and free agent market, and say thanks for all your hustle paul millsap. I would love to see a Jefferson favors starting bigs, and kanter as the 6th man coming in with burks.

My notes from last night that i noticed:

It shouldnt be a surprise but OKC tunrs the ball over way too damn much. I think Tinsley had 4 steals, 3 i saw mayself. Al jefferson got 2. Millsap got 2. If they want to win a championship they gotta take better care of the ball.

Durant is a great player but the jazz physical play, the refs letting the game go on THE WAY ITS SUPPOSED TO BE played and not blowing the whistle every 2 seconds for supers stars, and apparently the crowd really got under his skin. He acted a little bit like a cry baby b*tch last night. tweeting about the crowd is just bitchy. grow a sack and own up to the fact that you got beat by a team who wanted it more. Other than his techincal-flagrant 1 foul on burks he played a pretty good game. He is a lot of fun to watch.

Westbrook just TORCHED the pg's in the first half. im pretty sure he was 7 of 8 in the first quarter. he was on fire. Im glad the jazz stepped up and slowed his game down a bit.

Ibak is a beast and is a really good shot blocker. His ability to be solid from 15-19 feet is great, if he could just improve his back to the basket game and get better in the post, he will be one of the top big men in the game.

The rest of the thunder looked pretty pedestrian when the jazz were playing their game. their jump shots werent falling as much, Kevin martin only scored six, and jackson surprisingly had 12. other than that, Thunder Bench was quiet.

Utah Bench vs OKC Bench was the real deciding factor, burks had 13, carroll had 13, favors had 15, plus a few from watson and kanter, the jazz bench scored 49. Thunder bench scored 25. Jazz bench doubled OKC. Thats huge.

Burks played very well again. His great play and Marvins inability to shoot straight leads me to beleive that Marvin will lose a bunch of minutes when Hayward returns healthy from his shoulder sprain. I understand he plays great defense, but we dont pay the guy 8 million to score 2 points in huge games. He should average 9-10 a game. Burks Looks like he has found his stride and is improving with every game. he had some great jump shots, great passes, and played very solid defense on Westbrook and kevin martin. Only ill advised shot he took was when he tried to dunk on the fast break and got rejected. If he had made that dunk he is probably a top 3 play on sports center so i cant hate it too much.

Millsap looked very good tonight. His jumper was smooth and his moves were quick and decisive. He took advantage of a bit bigger and slower ibaka gaurding him one v one.

Big Al Jefferson was big again. Despite getting raked in the face and clearly intentionally elbowed in the back of the head by perkins, he kept his poise, played his game and dominated the post. Got to love his professionalism and will to win.

Perkins is an asshat. he shoulda been ejected for that elbow to jeffersons head.

Jmaal Tinsley stepped up big and had a bunch of steals.

Some guy called in to 1280 am dj and pk this morning who sat right behind the OKC bench, he said that Scotty Brooks was furious with his team and told them more than once to toughen up or they were going to get blown out. He called a time out and said it again in the third quarter, and rather than rise to the challenge, OKC wilted under the pressure and Durant lost his cool.

Great win by the Jazz. I was very pessimistic going into it, but our guys showed me if they play their game they can play with anyone.

Go Jazz.