And With the 47th Pick, the Utah Jazz Select....

Paul Millsap is the biggest steal the Utah Jazz have ever had! He was picked late in the second round of the 2007 NBA Draft, but has proven himself as a strong presence against anybody in the league. That was proven again last night, as Millsap led the Jazz to a 89-73 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in the Staples Center.

Game ball: definitely Paul Millsap. He finished with 24 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and he was hustling all night long. He especially came alive in the fourth quarter, when the game was still in question. In a 4:10 stretch in the fourth, Millsap scored 15 straight for Utah! It resulted in a 17-3 run by the Jazz, which put the game in the bag. What was impressive was how quick he was moving and how athletic he looked. He has really slimmed up this year, and he looks a lot faster but still just as agressive. He carried the Jazz to victory tonight against an improved Clippers team.

Meanwhile, we await the return of Deron Williams, hopefully Wednesday night when the Portland TrailBlazers come into town. The Jazz have jumped out to a 3-0 record with D-Will on the bench, but they need him back if they expect to beat the cream of the crop in the Western Conference.

One Down, 81 To Go

The Utah Jazz defeated the Denver Nuggets 98-94 Wednesday night in their first game of the season. It was a close game, and pretty sloppy at times, but the Jazz did enough to come out with a win. If there were any naysayers claiming that the Jazz couldn't win without Deron Williams, they have been proven to be idiots. Tonight was evidence that Utah has a very deep and very talented team.

Game Ball: Carlos Boozer. He came out ready to make a statement this season, possibly trying to make up for his late-playoff collapse last spring. He was active on offense and defense, and ended with 25 points and 14 rebounds. Although he turned the ball over on more than a couple occasions, he was hustling all game long. And with the game on the line, Boozer came through. He hit a huge baseline jumper to give the Jazz a three point lead with the game winding down, and that was right after he made two clutch free throws. Here's hoping that he keeps this kind of play up all season long!

Surely Jerry Sloan was able to find some things to curse violently about (turnovers, interior defense, AC/DC blasting from the loudspeakers, etc.); however, it was a good win to start out the season. Hopefully D-Will returns to the lineup by Saturday when the Los Angeles Clippers come to town. And as we all know, the Jazz really have to play their absolute best to beat the Clippers in Salt Lake City.....

And... Here... We....... Go.

Tonight is the season-opener for the Utah Jazz. They are hosting the Denver Nuggets at EnergySolutions Arena tonight at 7 p.m. MT. They will have to try to get a win without their star point guard, Deron Williams, who is still trying to recover from his ankle sprain. It will be interesting to see how the supporting cast performs tonight under genuine pressure. I'm confident that -- between Carlos Boozer, Memo Okur, Andrei Kirilenko, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, Ronnie Price, and Paul Millsap -- the Jazz will have enough people to step up and get a victory tonight! It feels good to have a fresh start with an energized team; let's hope that we'll have a season worth remembering!!!

D-Will.... D-Won't.... D-Might??

Well, the Jazz took a hit in the mouth this past week when Deron Williams went down with what looked like a major ankle sprain. Williams had to be wheeled off the court, and it was pretty scary for a minute. However, initial medical reports say there is no bone-breakage and that he should be out at least two weeks. That would put him at least three games into the regular season before he has a chance to come back. Then again, it is D-Will we're talking about, and he's a real fighter (as evidenced by his facial hair), and he says in this Deseret News article that he is still holding on to the hopes of playing in the season opener. We can only hope for a quick recovery!

Meanwhile, Utah has a preseason game tonight against the Portland TrailBlazers, which will end the preseason. Then all eyes will be on Wednesday, October 29 when Denver comes to SLC to get this thing started!!!!

Let's Get This Party Started!!!!!!

Well, the season is just around the corner, and things are looking good in Jazzland. Deron Williams has had a busy summer with the Olympics, charity events, and basically just being The Man here in Utah. He has risen to the challenge and become the leader of this Utah Jazz squad. Carlos Boozer has been in the middle of nationwide trade chatter, but he is disregarding it for now and playing well in the preseason. Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko are looking good; both of them seem to be playing with energy and enthusiasm. Ronnie Brewer is a little bigger, stronger, and still a major hustler. Jerry Sloan is still alive. All the ingredients are there for a big year for the Utah Jazz!!

Of course, everybody wants to give 100 percent to start out the new season. The question is: will it last? Will AK and Memo still play with this much heart? Can Boozer and Williams stay healthy all year? What will happen with the young players (Ronnie Price, Kyrylo Fesenko, Morris Almond, etc.)? It's almost time for the regular season to kick off. The Jazz start out against the Denver Nuggets on October 29th, so until then -- enjoy the preseason!!!!!!

Daddy, Who Did You Say Won 22 Games in a Row in 2008?

Utah Jazz fans are loving life right now! We had another good game in Houston yesterday. That was a really quick first-round matchup. What? It's not over yet? Well, at this point I will bet all the money I will ever make that Utah doesn't let this lead slip out of their hands (judging by my recent college test scores, I may not make much. But I will bet it all). The Jazz will take care of business.

Tracy McGrady and Rick Adelman both complained about a questionable call late in the game last night. Andrei Kirilenko was trying to chase down McGrady in the corner when he was held up by Luis Scola. AK totally completely threw himself into the stands, and the ref called a foul on Scola. It was a huge call because the Jazz were up by three, and the Rockets hit a three-pointer right as the foul was called. The trey was wiped away, the Jazz got possession, and never relinquished the lead from there. I thought it was pretty childish to complain about that call for a few reasons: first, it was a foul! Sure, AK made it look much more violent than it actually was (Kirilenko's comment on whether it was a foul or if he flopped: "Let's say it is 50-50"), but it was a foul regardless. And if you're going to bring up bad calls, you ought to discuss the time Deron Williams was slammed to the floor and no foul was called. If you lose in the playoffs on your home court, don't make excuses. This is professional basketball!

I think Houston is done mentally. T-Mac says he's tired, he has no legs, and he just can't shoulder the load right now. I also think he's smoking something. After the game, when asked how he's going to approach game three, he said his back has never really been up against the wall like this. What? Tracy, do you remember how you've been in six other first-round matchups and you've lost all of them? Wow.

Now the party really gets started. Look for EnergySolutions Arena to be rocking. It's going to be a madhouse! Keep it up, Utah!!

To: Houston. From: Russia, With Love.

There were no tears for Andrei Kirilenko last night in the Toyota Center in Houston, unless they were tears of joy. AK played a great game, leading the Jazz to a huge Game 1 win over the Rockets. This is good news for Jazz fans: when Utah wins Game 1 of a playoff series on the road, they win the series. Granted, it's only happened three other times in franchise history, but you have to admit that things are looking good right now.

Utah came out with energy last night, which was good to see after the nightmare in San Antonio. You could tell that Jerry Sloan had gotten his troops ready for this playoff match-up. Considering that Sloan was coaching in the playoffs when most current Jazz players were still in diapers, he's a good man to have on the bench. Kirilenko was diving for loose balls, Ronnie Brewer was sticking to Tracy McGrady, and Mehmet Okur was muttering Turkish obscenities to the crowd. Everybody was doing their part. Carlos Boozer had a monster game, pulling down 16 boards to go with his 20 points.

Evidence #856 that the Korver/Giricek trade was the best trade since the Clinton/Bush transition: when things were getting dicey in the third quarter with Utah holding on to a two-point lead, Kyle Korver nailed two straight treys and blocked a shot by McGrady. The Jazz were up by eight and never looked back from that point. Korver will prove to be a huge factor in our playoff run this year.

You just get the feeling that Houston (including coaches, players, and fans) is just mentally done right now. The Jazz worked them over last night, and half the crowd was gone by the time the final whistle blew. This is a playoff game! We'll see if the Rockets can rebound Monday night, but the writing is on the wall -- Houston has a problem...

When You Fall Off Your Horse, You Get Up, Shoot the Horse, And Anybody That Was Watching

This was not the ending to the regular season that I had hoped for. The Jazz were completely out-played last night in San Antonio. It looked like Varsity playing JV for the whole first half. The Spurs completely shut down Utah's offense, and we seemed content to settle for jump shots (when you're shooting 35% from the field, that is not going to win games.) To make matters worse, San Antonio was shooting close to 80% in the first quarter and got whatever they wanted on offense. This was no contest.

So we're matched up against the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. If there is a positive coming out of last night's game, that is it. We've played well against Houston, with the exception of the season's home-opener (one of the four total home losses for Utah this year.) If we can forget about what happened against the Spurs and have the Big Three at the top of their game, I really like our chances. We need Deron Williams to rest his buttock before Saturday (I don't know what you do to rest your buttock, but it needs to be done.)

Regardless of the debacle in San Antonio, this is the best time of year for Jazz fans. EnergySolutions Arena will be rockin' and Jerry Sloan will be a loaded cannon. If Deron Williams steps up in a big way this postseason, I see good things for this team. I only wish we still had Bryon Russell and Greg Ostertag filling out our starting five. Wait, What??

It's game time. Release the hounds!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm At the Top of the World Tonight, and I Ain't Comin' Down

It's a very exciting week in the NBA world. Scratch that, it's a very exciting week in the Western Conference of the NBA world. With the Eastern Conference playoff picture decided, all eyes are focused on the Wild Wild West. The seventh and eighth place seeds go to Dallas and Denver, respectively, but the rest is up for grabs. With Utah's big win against the Rockets on Monday night, The Jazz still are in the hunt for home-court advantage, at least in the first round of the playoffs.

Utah looked good last night, from what I saw (confession: I chose a rockin' Jimmy Eat World concert over basketball. Can you blame me? Yes. Should you? No.) Carlos Boozer had a good game, finishing with another double-double. We need him to be at the top of his game on Wednesday in the showdown with the Spurs in San Antonio. If you pay attention to history, you will need to pop some Zoloft pills before the game -- the Jazz haven't won in San Antonio since Tim Duncan was in diapers. If there is a year Utah can win, however, it's now.

Everybody settle in for the wildest season-ending scramble in NBA history. Put the children to bed, lock the women in the cellar, and get ready to rock!

Creaming the Nuggets

The Jazz picked up a huge win Saturday night in EnergySolutions Arena. They came out ready to rock, scoring 40 points in the first quarter and ended up beating the Nuggets by 27. Deron Williams was the alpha male on the court last night. He got slammed to the floor by Carmelo Anthony, landing right on the small of his back. After squirming on the floor for 20 seconds, D-Will got up and finished the game. I think opponents are soon going to realize that it's not in their best interest to get Williams upset; get him ticked off, and you're just scheduling your own funeral.

This is a monumental week for the Utah Jazz. Home-court advantage is on the line. We've gotta win against Houston on Monday then hope for a miracle on Wednesday (either a victory on the road against the Spurs, or the Clippers beating the Rockets. Either would be a miracle).

Side note: I've got to give props to Rod Zundel and KSL for the best Karl Malone interview that I've ever seen. Zundel sat in the bed of a truck with the Mailman and discussed everything from Karl's new car dealership, to Malone's attitude towards Jazz fans today, to the possibilities of a 2-on-2 between Stockton/Malone & Williams/Boozer (Karl: "Not gonna happen"). Karl is building a museum in the upper floor of his new dealership. It will be full of Mailman memorabilia, including old Dream Team jerseys (Malone says there are still original Gatorade stains on Larry Bird's jersey. He didn't wash them. I don't know how Karl ended up with everyone's jerseys....). The Mailman also predicted a Jazz championship within 3-5 years. Quotes from Karl: "I come in peace; I prepare for war."; on why he won't challenge Boozer and Williams to a showdown: "We're just old dogs on the porch. We like where we're at." When asked by Zundel if there were any good rumors to start: "Let's start the rumor that I am buying 20% of the Utah Jazz. Me and Larry (Miller). Start that rumor." Great interview.

Lonestar Letdown

What a heartbreaking game last night! The Jazz struggled for much of the game to get anything going, but they seemed to be putting it together just in time to pull out a tough game on the road against Dallas. Deron Williams was leaving everything on the floor, and it appeared that he had singlehandedly willed the Jazz into overtime with his ridiculously tough bank shot from 25 feet out with five seconds left in the game. But, alas, someone (Carlos Boozer) forgot there were still five seconds left and Dirk Nowitzki had a wide open three-pointer that absolutely made Jazz fans everywhere curse uncontrollably (or at least scream out a controversial "Are you flippin' kidding me?!").

Not all is lost, however; for last night could prove to be a valuable lesson come playoff time. It felt like it was the Western Conference finals for the last two minutes of last night's game. Deron had a fire in his eyes, the crowd was on the edge of their seats, and Jerry Sloan was shooting violent gesticulations towards the officials. If nothing else, it had to get Jazz fans excited for a little post-season drama, because it's just about time! We definitely need a more complete team effort, though, if Utah is gonna go anywhere this May.

Don't let this loss get you down, Jazz fans. Dallas is hot, and they will be a tough draw for anybody in the West. What Utah has to do now is get everybody on the same page for the final three games and get ready to turn on the heat! With how tight the West is, the conference title is there for the taking by any of the top eight teams.

Will the Defense Please Rise

Where has this beautiful defense been all season? The past two games, the Jazz have held two elite teams (San Antonio and New Orleans) to 64 points and 66 points, respectively. That's the best scoring defense Utah has ever had for two consecutive games! It was fun to watch New Orleans struggle to get open shots and to see Chris Paul completely frustrated on the offensive end last night.

The Jazz are a very deep team. On a night where Deron Williams has only four points and Carlos Boozer only has 10, Mehmet Okur stepped up with 22 points and 17 rebounds. He seems to be at the top of his game right now, which is good timing for the Jazz. Memo was hot from beyond the arc, he was driving to the hoop with authority, and he was playing some defense!! Besides these three stars, Utah has a solid supporting cast with Andrei Kirilenko, Ronnie Brewer, Matt Harpring, Paul Millsap, and Kyle Korver. They may be the most talented team in the NBA!

If we keep this stifling defense for the final four games, I think we will have home-court advantage, at least in the first round of the playoffs. We have been scary good the past few games, and now everybody should be healthy and ready to make the final push heading into the post-season. Git 'er done!

Week to Remember

The Jazz scored 117 points against Minnesota and held San Antonio to 64 points (9 points in the 4th quarter!!) this last week; two great games, two victories, and a nice little break before a grueling 5-game stretch to close out the regular season.

A few things to note: The Utah Jazz have officially clinched another playoff berth. I am completely blown away at how quickly the Jazz retooled their whole team from the Stockton/Malone/Jerry era to the Deron/Boozer/Jerry era. Chicago is still rebuilding from the loss of MJ. The Celtics took a good fifteen years to get back on top. The Jazz had one losing season -- one! -- between dynasties. Maybe I can't call our team a dynasty yet (and maybe Stockton/Malone weren't ever, either, without championship rings), but it sure is fun to watch them dominate at home this year.

Another note: Adrian Dantley has finally been accepted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. This has been a long time coming, and it is definitely deserved. He was perhaps the only thing keeping the Jazz' heartbeat going in the pre-Stockton/Malone period. He averaged 30-plus points per game several seasons in a row and was named an All-Star 6 different times. Hats off to AD.

We've got three of the final five on the road against playoff teams from the West. I hate to chalk up three losses already -- prove me wrong!!

Put Out the Fire!

Wow, what a game last night! The Jazz beat the Wizards by 42 points! I think each member of the Wizards organization should take a moment to evaluate their lives and see if it's really worth it. They just got humiliated in a way that shouldn't happen in the National Basketball Association. Utah dominated in virtually every aspect of the game; it was never even close

First red flag for the Wizards: C.J. Miles had 29 points. He was getting shots all over the floor, and by the time Washington realized that he was a professional basketball player, he was so completely in the zone that it didn't matter who was guarding him -- he hit everything! 29 points is a new career high for Miles; big props to C.J. last night.

Another red flag: Utah broke a franchise record for three-pointers made in a game. Morris Almond (that should be it's own red flag) hit a trey late in the fourth quarter, bringing the total to 15 for the night; that's one more than the previous best which was also set earlier this season. The Wizards simply weren't putting the pressure on from behind the line, and they paid dearly. Part of the reason may be that they were finishing a five-game road trip, but I think the real reason is that Utah has some great shooters this season. I mean, look at these guys: Kyle Korver, Mehmet Okur, Deron Williams, now C,J. Miles; each can absolutely stroke it from distance!

Final red flag for the Wizards: EnergySolutions Arena. Enough said.

The best thing about last night's game is that Carlos Boozer, Williams, and Okur got to sit the fourth quarter and should be very rested for the brutal stretch ahead. Keep it up Jazz!

I Hate Road Trips

Actually, I love road trips, but not when it's the Jazz and not when they're going to Minnesota. After a solid beating of the Clippers in SLC on Friday night, I was confident we would cruise through Minnesota without any problems. But I forgot the Timberwolves have Kirk Snyder on their team. Wait, What?

To be fair, Utah was missing Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko for the game on Sunday. Anytime you're missing two of your starters, you're bound to struggle. Unless you're missing three of your starters and you're playing the Clippers, but that's another story. The Jazz just couldn't do much of anything against the T-Wolves; they deserved to lose. I just can't understand Utah: they are virtually perfect at home all season, but as soon as they leave the state they look like BYU in the NCAA Tournament. Here's hoping we get home-court advantage for at least the first round of the playoffs.

To do that, the Jazz have to get serious and dominate this last stretch of the season. They play the Wizards tonight in Salt Lake. I'm betting my first child (unborn as of print date) that the Jazz win this one. After that, it doesn't look so good. They have a rematch with Minnesota on Wednesday (just chalk up a loss; that way you won't be disappointed no matter what happens), then they play San Antonio, New Orleans, Dallas, and Denver. If Utah can take four out of the five during that stretch, they should be sitting pretty come playoff time. On a related note, Minnesota WILL NOT be in the playoffs this year. That is good news.

Taking Candy From a Baby

The Charlotte Bobcats came into town tonight. They are heading back to the airport as we speak. Somewhere in between, they played some basketball, but they didn't really need to. We're talking about the Utah Jazz playing the Charlotte Bobcats in Salt Lake City. As a side note, the Jazz won the game by 22.

Don't get me wrong, the Bobcats played tough. The kept it close for much of the first half, and cut a double-digit lead down to three with six minutes left in the game. You got the sense, however, that the Jazz were just toying with them. Suddenly Kyle Korver rips off three straight treys, Ronnie Brewer has a couple big baskets, and Jerry Sloan is high-fiving Andrei Kirilenko on the way to the bench. You can decide which of those three is a lie. If you're a Jazz fan, you didn't break much of a sweat tonight.

Game ball goes to Carlos Boozer. He had a solid night with 28 points and 13 boards. I can't believe I'm giving it to him after the obscene number of layups he missed in the first half, but he redeemed himself in the second half. He was driving to the hoop with, spinning and shooting with his right hand and his left, and crashing the boards on every play. He had a ton of help though: Deron Williams had 14 points and 15 assists, Kyle Korver had 10 points and 12 marriage offers, Mehmet Okur had 20 points, 10 rebounds, and one awkward post-game interview in a bright orange sweatshirt. In all, seven Jazzmen scored in double figures; when that many players show up in the EnergySolutions Arena, you might as well leave the bus running.

We're down to 10 games left in the regular season. If we start now, we still have a chance at the lottery. If we tank it right now, we might have a chance at a #5 pick in the NBA draft. But if not, we'll have to settle for a post-season run and hope that Michael Jordan doesn't come out of retirement.

You Thought I Died. I Tried To.

I haven't written since last Monday. Big whoop, what has there been to write about? Well, I will tell you. First of all, I have decided to change the style of my posts. I have simply been recapping Jazz games up to this point. This will not do. If you want a bread-and-butter rehashing of the games, read ESPN or the Deseret News. I think there's another newspaper in Utah, but nobody really reads it. So I will, from here on out, be giving my personal take on the Utah Jazz, its players, fans, dancers, concession prices, etc. If you don't like it, send me an email at allredj@gmail.com and I will put it in my spam folder. If you like it (or hate it), comment on it and include your name, phone number, address, and the names of all those that are dear to you. I will respect anything anybody has to say.

Which leads me to my next point: Whoever said the Jazz are unbeatable at home is an idiot. Please don't read any of my previous posts. Watching them play the Lakers last week was painful. I got more excitement out of watching this year's Oscar's than I did out of that game. And I didn't watch this year's Oscar's. Utah couldn't stop the Lakers all game long, and just when you thought the Jazz might come back in it (after Deron Williams' four-point play late in the game), Kobe Bryant got mad at the world and pulled out a gun and killed anybody that got in his way.

Luckily for Jazz fans, the Sonics were coming into town. Unluckily for Jazz fans, the Sonics almost beat them. If it wasn't for some hot shooting by Mehmet Okur (to go along with solid nights from Williams and Carlos Boozer), I would have shut down this blog and started a daily update of Ron Paul's campaign run. Luckily for American politics, the Jazz won.

Utah has a good stretch ahead of them if they can pull it together. They're only two and a half games out of first place in the West, and their upcoming calendar looks favorable. I realized, while watching the Laker debacle on Thursday, that we don't have much time to win a championship. I watched the game in HD, and it zoomed in on Jerry Sloan's face. We don't have much time. Win one for the gipper!

Jazz vs. Raptors: Feelin' the Home Love

Believe it or not, Utah is back at home and lovin' every minute of it. The Jazz kept their home streak alive with a win against the Toronto Raptors tonight; they have won 19 straight home games, tying a franchise record. Granted, they did it against a Raptors team that was missing their top scorer and rebounder in Chris Bosh, but a win is a win.

The starting five for the Jazz may not have realized they were in their own arena in the first quarter tonight; they came out shooting horribly and very lackadaisically. Luckily for Jazz fans, Toronto was just as embarrassing. Both clubs scored only 16 points in the first period, and fans starting crying for ticket refunds. When I say fans, I mean idiots -- for any true Jazz fan knew they would pull it together at home. And they did.

Utah's bench came into the game and took things over. The second quarter belonged to Ronnie Price, who led the Jazz into the half with a nine-point lead. However, it wasn't until the fourth quarter that Utah really exploded the way fans are used to seeing in Salt Lake. Led again by Price (as well as hot shooting from Kyle Korver), The Jazz outscored Toronto 31-14 in the final period and and wrapped up the game with a 96-79 victory.

Game ball goes to Ronnie Price tonight; he hit two straight treys in the first half when Utah was in a serious shooting slump, had some beautiful cuts to the basket, and finished with 13 points and 5 assists in just 13 minutes on the floor. He gave the Jazz a shot of energy just when they needed it, and helped take the Raptors out of contention. It was good to see him get some quality play out there.

Utah played without Mehmet Okur (reported having nausea), and Carlos Boozer left late in the game with a tweaked muscle in his back. The jazz have three days to rest up and prepare for the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. It's a big game with Kobe and Co. coming into town, and hopefully we can get those big guys back in time!

Jazz @ Celtics: Where There's a D-Will, There's a Way

Magic was in the air tonight in Boston; with as poorly as the Jazz have played on the road against lower-echelon teams, there didn't seem to be much chance that they would prance into Boston and steal a win against the team with the best record in the NBA and winners of 10 straight. The Celtics had only lost 4 home games all year coming into tonight's game, and the road-weary Jazz didn't seem to be the best candidate to change any of that. However, in case you've forgotten already, magic was in the air tonight in Boston!

The Jazz came out with a bang in the first quarter. They finished the period with 33 points and dominated both ends of the court, holding Boston to 23 points. Carlos Boozer had a great first half; he seemed to blow past his defender and slide in for an easy layup every time he got the rock. He finished the half with 15 points, and the Jazz had a 13 point lead. You knew, however, that Boston was going to make a run -- and they did.

The Celtics limited the Jazz to 17 points in the third quarter, so heading into the fourth Utah hung onto a dangerous five-point lead. Enter Deron Williams. Sure, he played well in the first three quarters, but in the fourth he was downright nasty. He scored seven of the Jazz's 10 points during a 10-0 run to give Utah a nice cushion. On one drive to the basket, D-Will was hammered to the ground by Kendrick Perkins, resulting in a flagrant foul and two freebies for Williams. It seemed to stoke a fire in Deron: he drew a charge on the other end and then ran back on offense and punched in a huge three from the top of the key. All hope of a Celtics comeback was shattered. According to Paul Pierce, Utah was the neighborhood bully tonight and there was nothing the Celtics could do about it. All I know is I wouldn't want to be the little kid facing D-Will with no lunch money.

Game ball: Deron Williams, who else?! He made sure the Jazz didn't let this one slip out of their hands. He finished the game with 32 points and eight assists, just missing another double-double. That's all the Jazz needed to pull away from Boston on this night, however.

It was a huge win for the Jazz, and hopefully it will give them some major confidence heading into the season's homestretch. Utah has one more game on this road trip tomorrow in New Jersey, and then it's back to the royal confines of the EnergySolutions Arena for a five-game stand. Now is the time for Utah to make a final push for a top playoff seed!

Jazz @ Bucks: Jump-Start My Heart

The Jazz sneaked away from Milwaukee with a win tonight, but it wasn't a game for the faint of heart. If you have a history of heart problems, consult your doctor before reading this post. It's too bad that a game against the Bucks had to be so emotionally draining, but a win is a win.

Utah started the game on a tear, had a 16-point first quarter lead, and ended up scoring 40 points in the period! The lead quickly slipped away; Milwaukee came back with a vengeance and cut the deficit to one heading into the half. The third quarter was back and forth, and the Bucks pulled away in the fourth. Jazz fans everywhere started to get queasy as they realized the Jazz were letting another road game slip away.

But the basketball gods had other plans tonight! Down 11 late in the game, Utah used spectacular free throw shooting and a 12-2 run to come roaring back into the game. Mehmet Okur pulled down two offensive rebounds on the same possession and fed Carlos Boozer down low for a huge layup to give the Jazz the lead. Andrei Kirilenko poked the ball away from Milwaukee and hit a streaking Ronnie Brewer, who was fouled and hit one of two from the free throw line. Now down by two, the Bucks' Charlie Villanueva drove to the hoop, only to get the ball swatted away by Boozer, and the game was in the ol' refrigerator.

Game ball: Deron Williams. He had yet another double-double with 26 points and 13 assists. But this game was a balanced effort from the whole starting line-up (all five ended in double figures; Boozer, Okur, and Williams each recorded double-doubles). Great game!

It was also nice to pick up a big road win heading into the Bean-Town Showdown with the Boston Celtics on Friday. Let's hope the real Big Three show Boston's big three a good time!

Jazz @ Bulls: Sleepy in Chicago

Utah did not start out this Eastern road swing the way they wanted to last night. They had an early lead, but it quickly disappeared; the Bulls virtually dominated the last three quarters en route to a 108-96 victory in Chicago. Utah tried to make a run late in the fourth quarter, but they couldn't ever get closer than eight points before the Bulls would hit a big three or get an easy layup.

Mehmet Okur gave the Jazz another great performance (22 points and 18 boards), and Deron Williams contributed another double-double (20 points and 10 assists), but they were the only bright spots the whole evening. It was nice to see Andrei Kirilenko back though, and he played fairly well with 10 points, four rebounds, four assists, one block, and one steal.

There is no time to cry about this one; Utah makes the short trip from Chicago to Milwaukee tonight for a game against the 23-41 Bucks. If the Jazz are going to make up any ground in the West before season's end, it has to start on this road trip (especially with how hot the Houston Rockets and L.A. Lakers are currently).

Double Whammy Weekend

The Jazz had a great weekend with two huge wins: they made a late-game run against the Suns in Phoenix, then absolutely crushed the Nuggets the next night in Salt Lake City. I was sick all weekend and wasn't able to watch either game, but suffice it to say, the Jazz are better off without me. There will be much to write about this week; they head out on a 4-game-in-5-nights Eastern Conference road swing starting Tuesday night in Chicago. Utah has a lot of momentum right now (5-game win streak), and they are playing what might be the best basketball they've played all year! If they can keep this up, they could easily jump to third or second in the Western Conference race.

Jazz vs. Timberwolves: Sweet Revenge

Utah took it to Minnesota in a big way tonight in the EnergySolutions Arena. Perhaps the memory of last week's disappointing loss to the T-wolves was still lingering in their minds, because they sent the "pesky Wolves" out of the gym with their tails between their legs. It's not always a good sign when the seats are empty with several minutes left in the game, but the Jazz stuck a fork in Minnesota early in the third quarter and cruised to a 105-76 win for their 17th straight home win.

The first half was a fairly strong showing; Utah heading into the intermission with a 51-39 advantage. There wasn't a whole lot to be excited about up to this point, other than a few sky-high dunks from Ronnie Brewer. He also hit two early treys and had 12 points by halftime. It wasn't until the second half that the crowd really got into it. The Jazz came out in the third and absolutely hit the Wolves right in the mouth! They reeled off a string of 15 straight points to start the third and never looked back. Deron Williams had another great game with 21 points and 11 assists -- most of those points came on identical plays: killer cross-over and quick slash to the basket for the easy layup. Carlos Boozer was strong underneath, pulling down 14 boards to go with his 16 points. The Jazz are tough to beat when those guys are on their games.

Game ball: Ronnie Brewer. He had five or six spectacular dunks, several of those coming on alley-oops. He was slashing to the basket and making his defender look foolish all night. He ended the night with 16 points and eight rebounds and five plays worthy of SportsCenter's top 10 plays of the night. What an improvement he's made this year!

Big game Friday in Phoenix against the "Big Cactus" Shaquille O'Neal and the Suns. Utah should be able to rack up some numbers against them (Denver scored 126 on the Suns tonight). They may not have Andrei Kirilenko back for the game, but if they get a team effort like tonight, the Jazz should be sitting pretty heading into the Rocky Mountain Showdown on Saturday.

Jazz vs. Mavericks: Keep On Rollin', Rollin', Rollin', Rolling'

Wow, this one was a real roller-coaster of a ride, but the Jazz ended up on top once again from Energy Solutions Arena. Somehow they just keep pulling out big games at home, and this one was definitely a big game and an exciting one. We'll take it from the top and try not to miss any of the action:

The Jazz started out white-hot in the first quarter. Carlos Boozer hit his first 5 shots, Ronnie Brewer had a couple three-point plays, and before Jerry Sloan had let fly his first expletive, Utah was up by 21! They were shooting close to 70% in the first quarter, and the Mavericks were completely left in the dust. The Jazz did take a big blow in the first period, however, when Dirk Nowitzki clotheslined Andrei Kirilenko under the hoop, slamming AK to the ground right on the small of his back. Andrei stayed down for awhile and ended up limping to the locker room and being wheeled out to a local hospital for x-rays (the preliminary reports came up negative).

The Jazz as a team kept cruising all the way through the second quarter and took a 14-point lead into halftime. Deron Williams had -- get this -- 14 assists in the first half!! That's one short of the franchise-record set by the Assist King himself. Things were looking good at that point, but Utah came out flat in the third quarter, and Dallas trimmed the lead to 6 heading into the final stanza.

The Mavericks kept chipping away at the lead; fans started getting nervous, and the Jazz players were starting to play a little reckless. About halfway through the period, Dallas took a three-point lead and had complete momentum. For those of you that may have forgotten, though, this game was played in SLC. Utah answered with a 16-0 run, and didn't really look back from there. The game was cemented from the charity stripe, with Kyle Korver (surprise!) hitting 6 straight to seal the deal. In fact, as a team, Utah nailed all 18 free throws in the fourth quarter! It's pretty hard to lose at home with that percentage. Carlos Boozer had some huge steals when the game was on the line, and Mehmet Okur had a big three-point play to turn the tide for the Jazz.

Despite the great performance from many players, the game ball has to go -- once again -- to D-Will. He finished the game with 17 points and 20 assists! He's really proving himself as a strong leader and a smart passer. He seems to be maturing and improving every week. He will be invaluable to the team come playoff time.

Utah has a revenge game against the "pesky Timberwolves" on Wednesday, as well as a Friday night game in Phoenix against the new-look Suns, but everybody has to be anticipating the big Saturday matchup against the right-on-our-heels Nuggets in SLC. The excitement has only just begun!

Jazz @ Grizzlies: ROAD WIN!

The Jazz beat up on the reeling Memphis Grizzlies last night to the tune of 113-92. It was a sweet road victory, considering Utah hadn't won on the road since before the All-Star beak (two weeks ago). It was also relieving to see the Jazz finally beat a team that they're supposed to beat (Memphis is 27 games out of first place in the Southwest Division, and has lost 8 straight).

It wasn't as thorough of a beating as it may look, however; in fact, Utah led by only two points with eight minutes to go. That was when the Jazz really turned it on and cruised to a 21-point victory. Credit for this win goes to several people (Jerry Sloan knew when to call timeouts to stop Memphis' momentum, Kyle Korver had 17 points and was 4-7 from behind the line, Kirilenko had 16 points and 5 assists). The game ball, however, goes to Deron Williams; he played 40 minutes, had 13 points, and ended up with 19 assists! He had great vision of the court all night long, and always seemed to be able to find the man with the best chance to score. He finished the game just 2 assists short of his career high. In all, seven Jazz players scored in double figures, and the team shot 57% for the game. Great win!

And it's just what the Jazz needed heading into Monday's game with Dallas. At least we know it's possible for the Jazz to win on the road now, even if it is against the likes of Memphis. Take comfort, Jazz fans, we're headed back to SLC for this one!!

Jazz @ Hornets: Shoot Me In The Face

There's not a whole lot a man can say about last night's debacle in New Orleans. The Jazz were completely out-played in the first quarter, and were outscored 38-15. The Hornets reeled off a 23-0 run, and that's the end of the story. Sure, Utah fought back and cut the lead to four points with just over eight minutes left in the game, but everybody knew the Jazz didn't deserve the victory.

In case I'm sounding a little too negative/depressed, I'll say this: I am. But, of course, New Orleans is a good team and a legitimate contender in the West. Chris Paul was dominant last night; the Jazz had no answer for him. He could be considered an MVP candidate in my book.

We don't have much time to think about what went wrong yesterday -- the team is swinging over to Memphis for a clash with the Grizzlies tonight. I will just take some strong medication and hope that the stinging from the Hornets (excuse the pun) goes away quickly.

Jazz vs Pistons: At 6'8", Weighing In At 258 Pounds, From Louisiana Tech...

Karl Malone?? Um, I mean Paul Millsap! What a game he had last night, especially in the second half, leading the Jazz to a great come-from-behind victory over the Detroit Pistons. Millsap scored 16 of his 19 points in the second half as the Jazz erased a 15-point third quarter deficit in front of their home crowd. One night after losing to a Minnesota team with the second-worst record in the league, Utah beat the team with the second-best record in the NBA!

Millsap wasn't the only contributor to the inspiring victory, however. Carlos Boozer was dominant as usual (18 points, 15 boards); Deron Williams was integral in sparking the third quarter rally (finished with 14 points and 14 assists); and Mehmet Okur had 24 points on 10 of 18 shooting, including 3 huge treys in the final 3 minutes to seal the win. I was surprised they didn't get out and guard him behind the line better than they did; Okur played alongside many current Pistons during his stay in Detroit. The team effort was refreshing for Jazz fans, considering the nightmare they went through just 24 hours earlier.

In fact, the crapfest in Minnesota must have been looming in fans minds in the first half of last night's game; the Jazz got behind by 18 in the second quarter, and after three straight turnovers, the crowd broke into a shower of boos. It's not something Utah is used to, considering they had won 14 straight games in the Energy Solutions Arena coming into the game. It must have woken the team up, however, and the crowd was rocking by the time the Jazz took the lead with 8 minutes to go in the 4th quarter.

Game ball goes to Millsap. He may not be worthy of replacing the Mailman in the hearts of Jazz fans just yet, but he certainly has turned out to be a steal for the Jazz (they picked him up in the second round of the draft!). Millsap was exactly what the Jazz needed last night to turn things around and beat a very good Pistons team.

Jazz @ Timberwolves: Give It Away

The Jazz were shooting lights-out in the first half of tonight's game against Minnesota: they were sitting around 60% from the field after the first period. 15 of their first 16 field goals were assisted. Carlos Boozer had 13 points in the first quarter. The Jazz were cruising, right? WRONG. They were tripping over themselves, second-guessing their moves, and were afraid of any physical contact at all; they looked like high school sophomores on a first date! They were turning the ball over every other time down the floor! It was enough to give anybody a splitting headache. By the time the first half was over, they had turned it over 14 times (they average 15 turnovers a game this season), and they were trailing by 5. It was a tribute to the mediocrity of the T-wolves that the lead wasn't any bigger!

Utah came out with a little more fire to start the third quarter, erasing the 5 point lead and going into the fourth quarter tied up at 72. That was the end of the highlights for the Jazz tonight. Minnesota scored 39 points in the final period, and sent the Jazz packing. Utah ended up with 24 turnovers, a season high. This makes two losses in three games; two games the Jazz were supposed to win! It's hard to place the blame on any one player for this loss (everybody was very sloppy and lackadaisical), but Boozer did have a great night on the offensive end, finishing with 34 points and 8 rebounds. Overall, however, the Utah was a no-show tonight against the cellar-dwelling T-wolves.

Now is no time to lose our momentum! Houston is riding a 12-game win streak (but they did lose Yao Ming to a season-ending injury), the Spurs are starting to pick up steam, and the Lakers are just plain scary. The Jazz have a tough stretch ahead, starting tomorrow night against the Detroit Pistons. Let's hope the home crowd and light a fire underneath the team and get them going again!! Anyone have any Advil??

Jazz vs. Hawks: Clutch Korver

What a relief! After the Clippers made us look Charmin-soft the other night, I was a little concerned that the Hawks might come in here and steal a victory. But I was only a little concerned, seeing as how the Hawks have tried winning in SLC almost as many times as Ralph Nader has tried winning in Washington; and they are about equally successful. The last time Atlanta won in Salt Lake they had Dominique Wilkins leading the way. For those of you that are under the age of 65, Wilkins used to play basketball.

The game wasn't as easy as I would have expected, though. In fact, it came down to the last few plays. All I have to say is that I'm grateful for Gordan Giricek; were it not for him, we never would have known Kyle Korver (I suggest his nickname be Killer Kyle Korver, or KKK). He's the best non-Puerto Rican closer in the western hemisphere. Last night he hit 6 of 6 free throws in the the closing minute to seal the victory for the Jazz! I have as much confidence in him as I had in Jeff Hornacek at the line. On a related note, Hornacek needs some love here because of what he has done with Andrei Kirilenko's game. Kirilenko hit a huge three late in the game with the Jazz up by only three. Speaking of confidence, in the past, each time Kirilenko took a jump-shot I would throw up a little in my mouth; since Hornacek's been working with him, Andrei's been 50% from beyond the arc!

The home streak continues. We're close to breaking the franchise record of 19 in a row, set back in 1995. We've got some tough games ahead, however (Detroit, Dallas, Minnesota. Wait, is there an NBA team in Minnesota?). Keep on rollin'!

Jazz @ Clippers: Manic Depression

It's impossible to find any silver lining anytime you lose to the Clippers. You just pretend like nothing happened and you hope nobody was looking. The Jazz had a horrible game from the field (they finished the game 0 for 13 from the three-point line...) and they had no energy on defense. You can look in any number of directions trying to place the blame, but this loss has to sit squarely on the shoulders of the Jazz starters for not coming to play. Sure, Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams both ended up with double-doubles once again, but the team as a whole was missing-in-action. The frustration just kept piling on throughout the game, and it resulted in some hot tempers toward the end of the game (Boozer, Paul Milsap, and Jerry Sloan each picked up a technical foul). I read post-game comment written by an irate "fan", calling tonight's officiating the worst he had EVER seen, and that he had watched his last NBA game. I can understand being a little disgruntled after a depressing loss like this, but that's probably a little rash. Then again, I was about to commit suicide in the middle of the fourth quarter until some friends came over and reminded me of all my good qualities.

The Jazz still lead the Northwest Division by a game and a half over the Nuggets, and they stay in 4th in the West. Insane stat: 17 of the 20 losses this year have come on the road! At home: 23-3 (tied with Dallas for best in NBA); our home field goal percentage, assists per game, and steals per game are all best in the league. We are untouchable in SLC! Let's just hope things get shaken up a bit before the playoffs, or else we'll be facing the Spurs in the first round. We'll find out tonight if this game was a small hiccup for the surging Jazz, or if the flames that fueled our near-perfect January have died out.

Strap 'em Down. Let's Roll!

I was thinking about all the good things in my life, and I got all the way to one: the Utah Jazz. They have been my life, my passion, and my secret affair since I was old enough to tell the difference between Jerry Sloan and Jerry Springer. I can remember back to the days with John Stockton's revealing shorts, Greg Ostertag's killer cross-over, and David Benoit's consistent bricks. I cherish the glory years with Karl Malone and Stockton creating headaches for every opposing coach in the league, leading the Jazz to two consecutive Finals runs (I still blame myself for offering a silent prayer in game 6 of the '98 Finals -- right before Jordan nailed the game-winner). Ever since that time, I vowed to separate church and sport. It's been quite the ride the past few years, and the Jazz seem to really be back in action these past two years. Stockton and Malone have returned in the form of Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer; Sloan hasn't touched a referee for awhile, and the Jazz are back at the top of the league. It's time I gave back to the Jazz more than they've given me: they've really given me nothing, so all I really need to do is write about them every now and then. I count it as a blessing to be able to follow the Jazz on their quest for that elusive title. Let it be known that as of this, the 22nd of February, 2008, I devote this blog to ranting, raving, praising, and defaming the Utah Jazz. Enjoy.