Utah Jazz @ Los Angeles Lakers

[carrottop12]

It's about what I expected, took a quarter are two longer than I expected to get.

[Neon Black]

Lakers Defense in the 4th quarter was immaculate. I think the Jazz can look at the game tapes and see just where and how their execution faltered under pressure, and I think they learn from it. Honestly I'm not typically an optimist, but I think the Jazz have really begun to address some of their issues.

They defend much much better overall. They've done it in 8 of the last 10 games. They (typically) have been sharing the ball more on offense. Not as much dribbling around aimlessly, just to get double teamed and have brewer or someone throw the ball no where, creating a fast break for the other team (yeah this definitely happened tonight, but it's not an epidemic like it used to be). Also, despite the 4th quarter collapse, I really feel the Jazz put more effort into games these days. I felt like they got riddled by the pressure tonight and cracked, which is more acceptable than when they used to just give up.

I really, honestly think Fes helps on D. Gasol doesn't even have to try. And I actually thought Okur had some good stops tonight too. Also, Kirilenko brings playmaking that we were desperately missing tonight in the 4th. Korver gives us another shooting threat.

I'm not saying we're good enough to beat the Lakers in the playoffs, not yet. But at least we're closer. I feel like we can consistently beat any team in the league besides them, with the effort that has been displayed lately. Our road record will be better this year and we'll finish with at least 50, hopefully avoiding the Lakers until the WCF. I really believe that; I didn't a few weeks ago.

Let's see how tomorrow goes, and then Saturday we get the Lakers at home. Maybe we see some retribution.

[Denizfeital]

Well, since the game started at 1:30AM here, I didnt bother to watch it, because I knew the outcome already, damn it.

Dont look now, but I think its going to be a long while before The Jazz can win a game in LA, just like happened in San Antonio.

Thats terrible.

Regards,

[carrottop12]

Well, since the game started at 1:30AM here, I didnt bother to watch it, because I knew the outcome already, damn it.

Dont look now, but I think its going to be a long while before The Jazz can win a game in LA, just like happened in San Antonio.

Thats terrible.

Regards,

This Lakers team isn't as good as the 2000-2007 Spurs, nor is it built to survive anywhere near as long. Plus, by the end of this season Kobe will be just short of the 40,000 minute mark, and next year he will pass into that territory which through out history tends to reflect on when players stop being dominant. This team's championship window is not wide open.

[Ming Kong!]

I'm not so sure it was the Lakers defense, we had so many open jumpers, but no one had confidence once the Lakers got a lead. Sloan should of also subbed in Miles much earlier as Mathews was obviously struggling.

[SALMIEN]

There's three types of Jazz/Lakers games:

1. Lakers take a big lead in the first quarter, Jazz fight back but too little, too late
2. Close for 2-3 quarters, then LA blows it open
3. Games played in Salt Lake City

I'm kind of expecting type two tomorrow, even though type one has been more common there.


Oh, and on Coast to Coast tonight, they have people asking questions via twitter. Someone asked if Steve Nash was the best PG in the NBA (must be stuck in 2006). Legler, to my suprise, said Deron Williams was. Didn't really explain himself on that, but the question was about Steve Nash anyway.

omg you said it as if you read that on a paper , excactly what happens am amaized

[seejaydeja]

I lol'd

[UTJazzFan_Echo1]

I'm not so sure it was the Lakers defense, we had so many open jumpers, but no one had confidence once the Lakers got a lead. Sloan should of also subbed in Miles much earlier as Mathews was obviously struggling.

+1
That is exactly what happened, you go back and watch from when the team started to struggle and we just couldn't hit open jumpers. Sure LA played great D when they realized we weren't going to make any shots and we started to panic. They pounced on us but only after we had missed about 6-8 open jumpers/lay-ups.

[DubaLakers]

I have a ton of respect for the Jazz, but you guys need a scorer/shooter at the 2 for quite a few seasons now, must be a $/salary issue which I'm not familiar with. Okur needs to go for a dominant force underneath. T Chandler type not playing great this year, but someone that's gonna board and block. Okur or Boozer needs to go, prolly Okur cuz he works so far outside, and Booze is such a good scorer.

To me it's a management's fault, great coach, top 10 player in the league, nice parts, no excuse other than cash poor.

Sidenote: I love D Will he's my favorite PG in the league, but he makes good money doesn't he? Cuz to me it looks like he does his own tatoo's blindfolded.

[StocktonShorts]

Sidenote: I love D Will he's my favorite PG in the league, but he makes good money doesn't he? Cuz to me it looks like he does his own tatoo's blindfolded.

lol. What's sad is he had them worked on this offseason -- old ones covered up and redone. But most NBA players' tattoos look terrible. These guys end up looking like my trapper keeper from 7th grade -- all scribbled on with random thoughts, song lyrics, girls' names, swords and mythical creatures.

I don't think you can blame money so much as taste. I know/see lots of people who make very average money that have fantastic, beautiful tattoos.

Also: I think most of us here agree that we've got our C and SG skills mixed up. Our C is a deadly outside shooter and our SG plays best at the rim.

[Matt007b]

Sidenote: I love D Will he's my favorite PG in the league, but he makes good money doesn't he? Cuz to me it looks like he does his own tatoo's blindfolded.

lol. What's sad is he had them worked on this offseason -- old ones covered up and redone. But most NBA players' tattoos look terrible. These guys end up looking like my trapper keeper from 7th grade -- all scribbled on with random thoughts, song lyrics, girls' names, swords and mythical creatures.

I don't think you can blame money so much as taste. I know/see lots of people who make very average money that have fantastic, beautiful tattoos.

Also: I think most of us here agree that we've got our C and SG skills mixed up. Our C is a deadly outside shooter and our SG plays best at the rim.

totally agree with you, my feed ended little around after halftime (good thing..didn't miss much) but at that point it was the classic brewer who couldn't hit a shot, and memo was shooting left and right 3's. I actually thought we had a chance to win at halftime. Now I learn Matthew's lost it somewhere in the second half and we couldn't hit any shot to save our lives in the 4th.

We need a Mark Eaton, tall defensive rebounding center who can take on the these centers from Yao to Pau. We also need a shooting guard like matthew's who can create but actually hit a dang shot. Hopefullly CJ will step it up even more but i'm not holding my breath.

[cjs55]

Also: I think most of us here agree that we've got our C and SG skills mixed up. Our C is a deadly outside shooter and our SG plays best at the rim.

There's nothing wrong with having stretch bigs along side smalls who don't shoot well. The Celts do quite well with Rondo and Garnett. Sheed's always kicked ass. Hell even Matt Bonner is doing well for San Antonio. However, the trick is that you absolutely need a good, long defender at either the 4 or the 5. Which the Jazz don't have and desperately have needed ever since they created the BoozOkur defensive nightmare.

[HammerDunk]

We really missed AK in this game. We needed a good spark in the 4th and I think he might have filled that role had he been able to play. I'm not saying we win, but I think we stay more in the game. Anyway, I figured this was an L anyway, no biggie...

[@ndrew]

I hope AK will come in for Lakers to tear Kobe's finger. But even 9th finger Kobe will beat us.

[StocktonShorts]

I hope AK will come in for Lakers to tear Kobe's finger. But even 9th finger Kobe will beat us.

lol @ 9-fingered Kobe