Spurs vs. Jazz Previews

[gingerwave]

Another great report.

[duncan228]

Gameday: Spurs vs. Jazz

Two battered teams will hit the AT&T Center court tonight when the Spurs take on the Utah Jazz. Both teams should expect to be powers in the Western Conference this season yet both will play tonight with key players on the sidelines.

Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili remain out, though Ginobili might be back soon. See Jeff McDonald's blog on Ginobili

The Spurs, despite their injuries and struggles, have won three of their last four overall and two of their last three home games.

The Jazz have won their last two games, including Wednesday's 105-94 home-court victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. But they also added to a list of injuries similar to what the Spurs have been facing.

Here's the latest on the Jazz, who are also beat up early this season.

Ross Siler, Salt Lake Tribune
For only the fourth time in the last four seasons, the Jazz likely will play without Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer as they look Friday night to end a 21-game road losing streak to the San Antonio Spurs.
http://www.sltrib.com/jazz/ci_11042134

Tom Buckley, Deseret News
The Jazz and San Antonio Spurs have been something of a lopsided matchup in recent years, especially with Utah having lost 18 in a row during the regular season here - including a 0-11 record at AT&T Center, where tonight the two face off for the first time this season.
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705264769,00.html

[timvp]

"They're good," Sloan said of the Spurs over the years. "They're better than we are, to make a long story short. They've got a great player in (Tim) Duncan. We've never had an answer for him since he's been in the league. Parker, he's been as good as anybody that we've played against at that position. And of course then (Ginobili).

"They've got a lot of guys around those guys (who) know they've got to win. ... And they know they're going to win," Sloan added. "They step out there on the floor, they go out to do one thing — and that's to win. And that's why they defend. They defend you, and they execute their stuff. They don't just defend once in a while; they defend you every time you come down the floor."

That's noteworthy praise coming from one of the most respected men in the game

[DPG21920]

Sloan never getting COTY is a shame in my book.

[balli]

I hope it's a good game and I hope nobody else gets hurt. Not sure if Brevin Knight is going to be out there or not. Helps us a lot if he is.

All things being equal, even with both Deron and Booze out, I'd expect Utah to compete if not win. We suck on the road, in SA in particular, but usually we get up for Western Conference road games. The road games we drop are usually to sub .500 squads that we get y and lazy with. We're also deeper and that helps us out in a game like this. Still, it is SA and I've seen the Jazz crawl out of there, licking their wounds, more times than I can remember... and that history has to factor into any prognostications about tonight's game. I remain slightly optimistic though. Jazz win by 5 in a nail biter.

[DPG21920]

Utah has played well considering the injuries they have had this year. It is impressive to see them play so far.

[balli]

Utah has played well considering the injuries they have had this year. It is impressive to see them play so far.

All I can say is that we're really, really lucky to have Millsap, CJ, Brewer and even Kosta Koufos all contributing. We'd be no place without our draft picks right now.