MaNuMaNiAc
12-08-2007, 03:39 AM
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/content/mobile/0,5223,695234383,00.html
Blown opportunity — Jazz fall flat in 4th as Spurs keep home magic
By Tim Buckley (http://deseretnews.com/dn/staff/card/1,1228,250,00.html)
Deseret Morning News
Published: December 8, 2007
SAN ANTONIO — They committed 20 turnovers, they didn't get enough late-game stops and they watched the San Antonio Spurs hit one free throw after another down the stretch. That all added up to a recipe for disaster Friday night for the Jazz, who fell 104-98 in an ESPN-televised affair to the defending NBA champions — and who saw their losing streak in San Antonio extend to 20 in a row despite the absence of two-time NBA MVP Tim Duncan at sold-out AT&T Center.
"They got good shots every time down," said Jazz power forward Carlos Boozer, who finished with a 28-point, 17-rebound double-double but committed a whopping nine turnovers himself. "That's why they're the champs."
"I thought we came out and played a good game. We just didn't have that last little bit, came up a little short," added Jazz point guard Deron Williams, who didn't think Utah's long run of futility here — 17 consecutive losses in the regular season, three straight in last postseason's Western Conference finals series — played into matters. "They made plays, they got stops. They're a championship team, and they know how to close out games — even without Tim."
The 13-7 Jazz even took a four-point lead, 76-72, into the fourth quarter as they tried to win here for the first time since Feb. 28, 1999.
But after Michael Finley knocked down a 3-pointer to make it 88-86 with five-and-a-half minutes to go, the 17-3 Spurs — still unbeaten at home this season at 12-0 — never trailed again and Utah fell to 5-6 on the road.
Utah did get to within one point twice in the final 1:20, but both times San Antonio had an answer — first when point guard Tony Parker stepped back and pulled up on Williams for a 20-foot jumper that came with three seconds left on the shot clock and made it 96-93, and again, after Williams had knocked down a trey, when Manu Ginobili hit two free throws with 17.1 seconds remaining.
The Jazz's final three possessions after that all went awry, with Boozer getting called for a charge inside, Williams missing a 3-point attempt and Mehmet Okur missing one from behind the long-distance line as well.
With Duncan out with a sprained right ankle, Ginobili did the most damage for the Spurs — finishing with a season high-tying 37 points that included 17-of-19 shooting from the free-throw line.
"He did just about what he wanted to do, and he makes it look easy," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said of Ginobili, who was guarded mostly by Ronnie Brewer and C.J. Miles. "But he's got a lot of toughness, he's got a lot of experience, and he took us to school."
The Jazz, though, were responsible for some of the hurt on themselves.
"This was a game that we made just too many mistakes coming down the stretch in," Sloan said. "You can't do that against a team like this on the road. That's where they kill you."
"I felt like I turned the ball over way too much," Boozer added. "I can't remember the last time I had nine turnovers. I've got to take care of the ball a little more, help my team get a chance to get a good shot every time."
More than Boozer's miscue count, though, Sloan was upset with the way the Spurs were allowed to play the Jazz's scoring leader.
Boozer had 23 points heading into the fourth quarter, but was just 1-of-5 from the field in the final period.
"I think his shirt was ... about four feet off of him, it looked like, a couple times," said Sloan. "That was the thing I had a tough time with. He comes across the lane, they're trying to hold him, and they can't get a hold of him, so they grab his shirt, and he can't his post-up in there. But give them credit. They were good at it."
NOTES: San Antonio shot 38 free throws to Utah's 24, and hit 8-of-10 in the final 30.8 seconds ... Miles was first off the bench at shooting guard for the Jazz ... Ex-Jazz point Jacque Vaughn had six points for the Spurs.
Blown opportunity — Jazz fall flat in 4th as Spurs keep home magic
By Tim Buckley (http://deseretnews.com/dn/staff/card/1,1228,250,00.html)
Deseret Morning News
Published: December 8, 2007
SAN ANTONIO — They committed 20 turnovers, they didn't get enough late-game stops and they watched the San Antonio Spurs hit one free throw after another down the stretch. That all added up to a recipe for disaster Friday night for the Jazz, who fell 104-98 in an ESPN-televised affair to the defending NBA champions — and who saw their losing streak in San Antonio extend to 20 in a row despite the absence of two-time NBA MVP Tim Duncan at sold-out AT&T Center.
"They got good shots every time down," said Jazz power forward Carlos Boozer, who finished with a 28-point, 17-rebound double-double but committed a whopping nine turnovers himself. "That's why they're the champs."
"I thought we came out and played a good game. We just didn't have that last little bit, came up a little short," added Jazz point guard Deron Williams, who didn't think Utah's long run of futility here — 17 consecutive losses in the regular season, three straight in last postseason's Western Conference finals series — played into matters. "They made plays, they got stops. They're a championship team, and they know how to close out games — even without Tim."
The 13-7 Jazz even took a four-point lead, 76-72, into the fourth quarter as they tried to win here for the first time since Feb. 28, 1999.
But after Michael Finley knocked down a 3-pointer to make it 88-86 with five-and-a-half minutes to go, the 17-3 Spurs — still unbeaten at home this season at 12-0 — never trailed again and Utah fell to 5-6 on the road.
Utah did get to within one point twice in the final 1:20, but both times San Antonio had an answer — first when point guard Tony Parker stepped back and pulled up on Williams for a 20-foot jumper that came with three seconds left on the shot clock and made it 96-93, and again, after Williams had knocked down a trey, when Manu Ginobili hit two free throws with 17.1 seconds remaining.
The Jazz's final three possessions after that all went awry, with Boozer getting called for a charge inside, Williams missing a 3-point attempt and Mehmet Okur missing one from behind the long-distance line as well.
With Duncan out with a sprained right ankle, Ginobili did the most damage for the Spurs — finishing with a season high-tying 37 points that included 17-of-19 shooting from the free-throw line.
"He did just about what he wanted to do, and he makes it look easy," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said of Ginobili, who was guarded mostly by Ronnie Brewer and C.J. Miles. "But he's got a lot of toughness, he's got a lot of experience, and he took us to school."
The Jazz, though, were responsible for some of the hurt on themselves.
"This was a game that we made just too many mistakes coming down the stretch in," Sloan said. "You can't do that against a team like this on the road. That's where they kill you."
"I felt like I turned the ball over way too much," Boozer added. "I can't remember the last time I had nine turnovers. I've got to take care of the ball a little more, help my team get a chance to get a good shot every time."
More than Boozer's miscue count, though, Sloan was upset with the way the Spurs were allowed to play the Jazz's scoring leader.
Boozer had 23 points heading into the fourth quarter, but was just 1-of-5 from the field in the final period.
"I think his shirt was ... about four feet off of him, it looked like, a couple times," said Sloan. "That was the thing I had a tough time with. He comes across the lane, they're trying to hold him, and they can't get a hold of him, so they grab his shirt, and he can't his post-up in there. But give them credit. They were good at it."
NOTES: San Antonio shot 38 free throws to Utah's 24, and hit 8-of-10 in the final 30.8 seconds ... Miles was first off the bench at shooting guard for the Jazz ... Ex-Jazz point Jacque Vaughn had six points for the Spurs.