Jazz @ Lakers - 10:30 ET- ESPN - 04/02

[HammerDunk]

Man, if we end up playing LA in the playoffs, I'm just going to watch the home games. How depressing...

[Ming Kong!]

Well I thought we had a 10% chance at best of winning this one, I just wanted a hard fought game. I think we played rather hard, they just executed the offense VERY well, and we got screwed over constantly when we were making runs. It doesn't help that Gasol played 40 out of the first 43 minutes of the game, before putting in their scrubs. Had we not started SO bad, we would of had a chance. I'm pissed with the refs, but I'm not pissed with the effort.

Every team has tough games remaining on their schedule, and we will probably be able to determine our destiny vs the Suns. Dallas could get the 2nd, but I think at worst we'll be 3rd. Regardless we can't do a thing against the Lakers, so we better hope that we don't fall to 4th, and that someone can pull a huge upset.

[Jampod]

Man, if we end up playing LA in the playoffs, I'm just going to watch the home games. How depressing...

Last home game was atrocious.

[outerspacefella]

That guy Jeffers really can flat out jump...

[HammerDunk]

Man, I just realized that we are only 3 losses out of the 8 spot. That's scary...

[Soul Patch]

Jeffers attacked the **** out of that rim. We should have put him in earlier, he couldn't have done worse than Miles. Fes should be used against the Lakers, he doesn't seem to get intimidated by anyone but Sloan.

[Sloanfeld]

After seeing that shot of Fes on the bench where he kept moving his elbows, does anyone else think he has ADD? That would explain his poor efforts in practice too.

[StocktonShorts]

Time to see if our new 3 point barrage threat is strong enough to counter LA's interior defense.

I actually think LA's interior defense is no small reason we're shooting so many 3s lately. I think it's in large part preparation for the playoffs vs. LA. Call me crazy. But, that's how I see it.

I hope to see us raining 3s.

4-15 with just one attempt for the NBA's leading 3pt shooter in 7 minutes of play.

[Soul Patch]

After seeing that shot of Fes on the bench where he kept moving his elbows, does anyone else think he has ADD? That would explain his poor efforts in practice too.

I didn't notice it.

[seejaydeja]

Well, can't say we didn't expect a big fat L but it doesn't lessen the sting any less. I was just hoping for a close game.

It boggles my mind how consistently dominant Odom is against us. Same with Fisher, that dude must have a career FG% of 80+ against the Jazz.

[babyjax13]

If we would have shot a respectable percentage from the free throw line it would have been a lot closer (we went 12-21). I would assume that Korver not playing much isn't because he's in Sloan's dog house - maybe it was because he was sick/injured?

[carrottop12]

Jeffers attacked the **** out of that rim. We should have put him in earlier, he couldn't have done worse than Miles. Fes should be used against the Lakers, he doesn't seem to get intimidated by anyone but Sloan.

I saw that with Jeffers too. That kid can get up.

[d-will8]

The annoying thing is that AK matches up extremely well with Odom. However, even when he's in the lineup, Sloan generally sticks to unsuccessfully trying to contain Odom with Boozer and Millsap. For us to have any chance of beating (or, to be more realistic, seriously competing with) the Lakers, Jerry would have to break from his normal rotation and get a little more creative, namely by playing AK a lot more at the 4 (he also guards Pau pretty well) and giving Fesenko some minutes. Also, Deron would need to play the entire series with the same mentality he played with in that second quarter; his ability to dominate the Lakers guards is really our only advantage over them, but it's a BIG one and he would need to exploit it as much as possible.

[outerspacefella]

... Deron would need to play the entire series with the same mentality he played with in that second quarter; his ability to dominate the Lakers guards is really our only advantage over them, but it's a BIG one and he would need to exploit it as much as possible.

Well.... mmm.... I'm not sure really....
The fact is Williams rarely dominates Lakers guards when it matters. I don't think that second quarter really counts, because his team needs that kind of effort BEFORE BEING DOWN BY 18-20 POINTS!!!. If you wait untill yout team already is in such a deep hole, then your second quarter effort really just don't mater anymore most of the time.
Besides, that's what Lakers defense do. They choose their poison and let it play... and then all of a sudden they just choose another poison and clog on the first one, and then again and again.... It's part of Jackson mental games to let you know you will only be functional as long as they want you to, and is also a great tactic for in game adjustements on the fly (a luxury the Lakers have because they have a great and unusual deal of D talent there). After all... Williams second half was pretty mediocre...
That second quarter was fueled 50% by Williams being aggressive, and 50% by Lakers D design; they know the Jazz will not take a game away from them with Williams taking the bsaketb all to the rack all night long. And we know it as well.

To beat them you need lenght and athleticism, along with some harshness. As long as dudes like Artest make a hustle game and then start kissing their muscles and no one, and I mean NO ONE go with a hard foul on him... well... you have no chance... You can bet Artest would have been carefull about such crap if Harpring would have been there...

[Pai Gow]

^^^ See the problem with that is always match-ups, we rarely see Bynum cause he is always hurt whenever he goes up against us and when he is in the lineup, someone else in their starting 5 is out (like at our place Kobe was out).

Bynum will be key in a playoff series vs. them, we NEED him to play or else Odom will continue to eat us alive cause we'll have no one other than Booz and Millsap to put on him cause Phil will play him at the PF position.

I"m not to disappointed in this loss, L.A. just came off a horrible road trip, Kobe just signed an extension, people are calling each other out in the locker room, etc. They needed this win more than we did in the perspective of momentum into the playoffs and they knew that.

I thought we played hard and from the 2nd quarter to the 9 minute mark in the 4th quarter we outplayed them pretty good. We need AK healthy in the worst way and CJ and Korver have to make shots..

[dalekjazz]

I was hoping to see something from CJ Miles in this game. This game showed CJ is not a prime time player. People compare him to J.R. Smith. At least J.R. shows up against Kobe. The whole Jazz team looked scared stiff against the Lakers with a multitude of stupid turnovers including guys catching the ball out of bounds and guys throwing up soft **** at the rim.