duncan228
04-17-2008, 09:58 PM
http://origin.sltrib.com/jazz/ci_8955370
Utah Jazz: Jazz impressively waste chance for home-court edge
By Ross Siler
The Salt Lake Tribune
by Steve Luhm and Ross Siler
SAN ANTONIO - As complicated as the playoff possibilities were on the final day of the regular season, the Jazz made perfectly clear Wednesday night that they wanted nothing to do with the San Antonio Spurs and everything to do with the Houston Rockets.
They had to absorb a 109-80 beating by the Spurs at AT&T Center - a game in which the defending champions shot an unforgivable 72.2 percent in the first half - but the Jazz will open the playoffs with a first-round rematch against the Rockets.
It was the Jazz's most one-sided loss of the season and came on a night in which they had the chance to claim the Western Conference's No. 3 seed and home-court advantage in the first round with a victory.
That would have brought a series with San Antonio, however, and the reality appeared to smack the Jazz as soon as they stepped on the court, looked up at the Spurs' four championship banners and heard the first "Go Spurs Go" chant. :smokin
Instead of being haunted by the horror of losing 21 consecutive games in San Antonio dating to February 1999, the fourth-seeded Jazz can take comfort in having won a road Game 7 to eliminate the Rockets in last year's playoffs.
"You're going to have to go through the Spurs at some point, regardless, probably,'' Deron Williams said. "We definitely wanted to win the game. We wanted to win the game, we didn't want to dodge them, but this is how it goes sometimes."
The series will open in Houston with Games 1 and 2 on Saturday and Monday. The Rockets will own home-court advantage after finishing 55-27, a game better than the Jazz, and claiming a conference-record tiebreaker for the No. 5 seed with Phoenix.
"We go from having home-court advantage to now where we're not going to have it, so we're going to have to win on the road,'' Williams said. "We really haven't proven we can do that all season, but we've got to now."
If they are to return to the Western Conference finals, the Jazz's playoff path will take them not only back to Houston but also possibly to Los Angeles, where they would have to upset the top-seeded Lakers with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol.
The Jazz also have issues of their own to address. Trailing by 26 at halftime, Williams did not return in the second half, opting to rest his bruised backside. Williams complained afterward about the injury costing him his explosiveness.
In addition, the Jazz watched as Mehmet Okur was assessed a flagrant foul with 8:27 left in the third quarter after striking Fabricio Oberto in the face as the two chased after a rebound. Okur could face a possible suspension when the league office reviews the play.
"You hate to see those things happen,'' Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. "I think it's kind of unnecessary, but it happened and you pay the price. Whatever they decide, you have to go from there."
The Spurs scored 65 points in the first half alone, one more point than they mustered in a 90-64 loss to the Jazz on April 4. The 72.2 percent San Antonio shot in the first half might have been a record for a game with playoff implications.
Even though the Rockets have gone 40-11 since Jan. 1, the Jazz couldn't ask for a more favorable matchup. There will be no Yao Ming, first of all, with the Rockets having lost their goliath center for the remainder of the season with a stress fracture in his left foot.
In addition, the Rockets will play at least their first two playoff games without starting point guard Rafer Alston, who is nursing a strained left hamstring. That leaves the undersized Bobby Jackson and Aaron Brooks to contend with Williams.
The Jazz beat the Rockets 105-96 on Monday at EnergySolutions Arena and won the season series two games to one. Tracy McGrady did score 47 points in spoiling the Jazz's home opener Nov. 1 but has never led a team out of the first round in six trips to the playoffs.
The Jazz buried themselves in the first quarter, falling behind 16-4 early and giving up 11 layups in the first 12 minutes. The Spurs hit four three-pointers in the second quarter in building a 65-39 lead entering halftime. Tony Parker finished with 24 points and 12 assists in 29 minutes.
"We played terrible, they played great,'' Carlos Boozer said. "They kicked our butt and they won a big game. So for us, we're just going to move forward, not dwell on this too much. We know we had a hell of a season and just get ready for Houston."
Utah Jazz: Jazz impressively waste chance for home-court edge
By Ross Siler
The Salt Lake Tribune
by Steve Luhm and Ross Siler
SAN ANTONIO - As complicated as the playoff possibilities were on the final day of the regular season, the Jazz made perfectly clear Wednesday night that they wanted nothing to do with the San Antonio Spurs and everything to do with the Houston Rockets.
They had to absorb a 109-80 beating by the Spurs at AT&T Center - a game in which the defending champions shot an unforgivable 72.2 percent in the first half - but the Jazz will open the playoffs with a first-round rematch against the Rockets.
It was the Jazz's most one-sided loss of the season and came on a night in which they had the chance to claim the Western Conference's No. 3 seed and home-court advantage in the first round with a victory.
That would have brought a series with San Antonio, however, and the reality appeared to smack the Jazz as soon as they stepped on the court, looked up at the Spurs' four championship banners and heard the first "Go Spurs Go" chant. :smokin
Instead of being haunted by the horror of losing 21 consecutive games in San Antonio dating to February 1999, the fourth-seeded Jazz can take comfort in having won a road Game 7 to eliminate the Rockets in last year's playoffs.
"You're going to have to go through the Spurs at some point, regardless, probably,'' Deron Williams said. "We definitely wanted to win the game. We wanted to win the game, we didn't want to dodge them, but this is how it goes sometimes."
The series will open in Houston with Games 1 and 2 on Saturday and Monday. The Rockets will own home-court advantage after finishing 55-27, a game better than the Jazz, and claiming a conference-record tiebreaker for the No. 5 seed with Phoenix.
"We go from having home-court advantage to now where we're not going to have it, so we're going to have to win on the road,'' Williams said. "We really haven't proven we can do that all season, but we've got to now."
If they are to return to the Western Conference finals, the Jazz's playoff path will take them not only back to Houston but also possibly to Los Angeles, where they would have to upset the top-seeded Lakers with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol.
The Jazz also have issues of their own to address. Trailing by 26 at halftime, Williams did not return in the second half, opting to rest his bruised backside. Williams complained afterward about the injury costing him his explosiveness.
In addition, the Jazz watched as Mehmet Okur was assessed a flagrant foul with 8:27 left in the third quarter after striking Fabricio Oberto in the face as the two chased after a rebound. Okur could face a possible suspension when the league office reviews the play.
"You hate to see those things happen,'' Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. "I think it's kind of unnecessary, but it happened and you pay the price. Whatever they decide, you have to go from there."
The Spurs scored 65 points in the first half alone, one more point than they mustered in a 90-64 loss to the Jazz on April 4. The 72.2 percent San Antonio shot in the first half might have been a record for a game with playoff implications.
Even though the Rockets have gone 40-11 since Jan. 1, the Jazz couldn't ask for a more favorable matchup. There will be no Yao Ming, first of all, with the Rockets having lost their goliath center for the remainder of the season with a stress fracture in his left foot.
In addition, the Rockets will play at least their first two playoff games without starting point guard Rafer Alston, who is nursing a strained left hamstring. That leaves the undersized Bobby Jackson and Aaron Brooks to contend with Williams.
The Jazz beat the Rockets 105-96 on Monday at EnergySolutions Arena and won the season series two games to one. Tracy McGrady did score 47 points in spoiling the Jazz's home opener Nov. 1 but has never led a team out of the first round in six trips to the playoffs.
The Jazz buried themselves in the first quarter, falling behind 16-4 early and giving up 11 layups in the first 12 minutes. The Spurs hit four three-pointers in the second quarter in building a 65-39 lead entering halftime. Tony Parker finished with 24 points and 12 assists in 29 minutes.
"We played terrible, they played great,'' Carlos Boozer said. "They kicked our butt and they won a big game. So for us, we're just going to move forward, not dwell on this too much. We know we had a hell of a season and just get ready for Houston."