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Why, you may ask?

Beating three of the top four teams out East, in 4 days to boot, is great.

There are three things Utah hasn't been able to add to their resumé in the last few years:

1. We're a dangerous road team, regardless of opponent.
2. We're a mentally tough, and scrappy; we find ways to win.
3. We come to play every night, whether we're playing a lottery team or not.

After this week, I think we all agree that, while this streak has been one of the more memorable stretches in recent Jazz memory (for me), there is still a decent level of uncertainty tainting these victories.

The Jekyll and Hyde offense. The offensive rebounds (if I watch Big Al and Mansap stare at a shot in the air while the opponent's high flyer walks between them for the easy tip one more time...). The inexplicable, seemingly immediate large deficits. And well, can the boys (or will they) find the heart to consistently put out as much effort and grit as we've seen heading into this weekend? Can they consistently win on the second day of back to backs? How about 2,500 miles from home, against an opponent with two whole wins?

Considering the circumstances, I feel like this afternoon's showdown will be as telling as a road-trip-opening win against the 'Big 3' (can we please STOP naming every group of three good players that?).

Here's to hoping we can stop expecting letdowns, and start expecting beatdowns.

I don't get why you guys belive we're gonna win this game. If you watched closely last night we were running on empty.

If you take away the genius Evans move by Sloan when he hit The Hawks at the right time when it was clear ATL had no idea who the kid was.

Our starters didn't have the energy to cut into the deficit . And we were lucky as hell our bench had enough energy to cut into the lead. It's not like we even did it all by ourselves the hawks helped with missed free throws.

You can tell. Our starters are out of energy because of this road trip. And I don't think we have enough to pull out another win. Definitly not another comeback.

Don't get me wrong. We're gonna fight. This team has the heart and it's shown. But coming back from 3 deficits on the road in 4 nights takes a toll. Our best bet is to gain a lead early and keep it.

In the bright side:

Charlotte is playing his 3rd game in 4 nights so they aren't more rested than us. (another roo was a road trip to Toronto and Washington so they have made more miles than us lately)
Their starters had a lot of burn too Jackson 41 min Wallace 40 and Diaw 38 yesterday and they aren't younger than us.

Millsap and Jeffesron played 35 yesteday.
Watson did it ok vs a superior team, so I think Williams can rest a little more. Fess can play more, and their C aren't really great. Evans can play too, he is ready and maybe Hayward can see some PT.

I don't think the problem is we're empty.

I think it's crazy to say that Charlotte is the most important game - I would actually rank the most important statement games in the order they were played, Miami was a huge statement ( even though the Heat are fading a little), Orlando is a perennial title contender, Atlanta is up and coming but Charlotte is tied with Memphis and Minnesota as the biggest who cares franchises in the NBA. It matters very little if the Jazz win this one in the public eye and the standings. Having said that, this game rides on AK and Bell playing solid d on Wallace and Jackson, if they do, we win comfortably. If not, we're in trouble..

On the contrary, this is very much the least important game of the road trip at this point. The Jazz have had 3 great comebacks on the road against tough competition. Unless we get completely blown out I doubt very much that anybody would hold an L tonight against us. I'm not saying we get a free pass tonight for the grueling schedule, but it's close to it.

Yet, it can be debated in the game thread

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