Williams allows Jazz to save face

[ducks]

Williams allows Jazz to save face



Williams allows Jazz to save face

Web Posted: 05/20/2007 10:42 PM CDT

Jeff McDonald
Express-News

Sometime in the second half of an old-time playoff grudge match Sunday that was looking more and more like a Spurs rout, Utah guard Deron Williams glanced up at the scoreboard in abject frustration.
Down by 18 points in the second half of Game 1 was not the way he'd hoped to start his maiden trip to the Western Conference finals.


"In the first game, you're supposed to send a message," Williams said. "We didn't want to get blown off the floor."

So Williams decided to do something about it.

Thanks mostly to Williams, who scored 18 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter to practically will Utah back to respectability, the Jazz didn't get blown out.

They closed to within 108-100 by the buzzer, allowing Utah to save face, if not the game.

"Game to game, it does matter how you finish," said Derek Fisher, by far the most playoff-savvy player on the Utah roster. "Even if you lose, it's important to establish some things that can carry over."


With his outburst, Williams telegrammed his own message to the Spurs, who had spent much of the past two weeks chasing Phoenix's Steve Nash.

Suddenly, they have another pinball point guard with whom to contend.

Williams not only notched a career high in scoring, he also doled out nine assists.

Just how necessary was Williams to the Jazz offense on Sunday? He pretty much was the Jazz offense on Sunday.

Utah made 36 field goals. Williams had a hand in 22 of them.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, borrowing Charles Barkley's favorite adjective, called Williams "fantastic."

"That's what you are looking to see from players," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. "Who will step up and put their hearts out there on the floor?"

For his effort, Williams earned a hearty "good game" from his teammates. He also earned a well-meaning "good luck trying to do it again" from Fisher.

If the Jazz are going to count on Williams pumping in 34 points a night, Fisher says, they might as well call it a series.

"It was good for him and good for our team," Fisher said. "At the same time, against this team, you can't rely on one guy getting what he got."

For one afternoon, however, Utah's youngest starter also proved to be its most poised.

Andrei Kirilenko, so crucial in the Jazz's five-game ouster of Golden State in the conference semifinals, was little more than a walking commercial for hair gel. Mehmet Okur, whose 6-foot-11 frame and 3-point prowess are supposed to present matchup problems, hit 3 of 15 field-goal attempts.

Fisher, who ascended to Alamo City infamy in exactly 0.4 seconds the last time he faced the Spurs in the playoffs, hit only 1 of 7 field goals.

Carlos Boozer, the unabashed postseason star for the Jazz so far, finished with 20 points — but managed just four during a decisive first half in which the Jazz fell behind 54-36.

Only Williams seemed to properly rise to the challenge of the conference finals, pumping in big shot after big shot to help Utah scratch to within single digits in the last four minutes.

"Some guys were struggling from the field so I tried to get going and get some energy," Williams said. "The lane opened up for me."

And so, Williams made his eyebrow-raising opening statement in Game 1. The lingering question for Game 2 will be: Can the Spurs offer a rebuttal?


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[CubanMustGo]

Derron played very well yesterday, especially when you look at his 2007 playoff stats:

points - 17.8 (5/20: 34)
assists - 8.9 (5/20: 9)
FG% - 43.1% (5/20: 56.5%)
turnovers/game - 4.1 (5/20: 1)
steals - 1.2 (5/20: 1)
rebounds - 4.8 (5/20: 7)

Keep in mind that the averages include yesterday's numbers so his performance yesterday was even more off the charts. The question to ask is this: fluke, or start of a trend? San Antonio IS a much better defensive team than Golden State and is at least as good as Houston. It will be interesting to watch him the rest of this series.

[ATRAIN]

Was it be or was one of the announcers yesterday all up on Derron's sack. I was thinking damn dude enough already. Yeah he is good, but to say he is up there with the likes like Kidd and Nash (DIDN't even Mention Parker).

[ObiwanGinobili]

Derron played very well yesterday, especially when you look at his 2007 playoff stats:

yes he did.
But the part of the article that is equating him with nash had me laughing my morning coffee out of my nose.

[SAGambler]

I said yesterday that it was a "fluke" game for him. Everything he threw up in the 4th went in.

Over the entire season he has the 8th best shooting percentage of the Jazz, along with the 3rd best in points scored and shots taken.

So no.....I don't look for anymore 30 point games out of him.

[98Ute1]

I said yesterday that it was a "fluke" game for him. Everything he threw up in the 4th went in.

Over the entire season he has the 8th best shooting percentage of the Jazz, along with the 3rd best in points scored and shots taken.

So no.....I don't look for anymore 30 point games out of him.

That's because he's not primarily a jump shooter. The Jazz run the pick and role offense so he has much the same role that John Stockton did, but he is a better scorer and not quite the passer (yet) that John was. Don't expect too many more 30 pt. games outta him, but a 20 pt. 15 assist night isn't out of the question. Believe me, he will be very good.

[BigBeezie]

What's funny is that the Jazz will rely on him heavily next game....and we will have a Bruce Bowen hounding and pestering him for four quarters most likely. Don't look for much out of him next time.

[michaelwcho]

He's a better scorer than John Stockton, who had a 51.5% FG for his career? Trippin! If Stock had thrown up 20 shots a game, he'd get his points, too...

[twincam]

John Stockton was a great point guard. Great outside shot, great passer...just not aggressive enough to lead his team to the promise land.