"We can’t guard anybody" - Recap - Utah Jazz @ Sacramento Kings - 4 December 2007
December 5th, 2007 by 
Basketball John
Maybe this is why professional reporters try to stay emotionally detached from the team they’re covering. I don’t know how everyone else deals with a loss, but I can’t read the recaps, watch ESPN, or have anything to do with the game for at least a day later. It’s even worse to have to write about it.
How can you watch a game where John Salmons is made to look like an All-star? Granted, he is having a career year already. He took over after their leading scorer, Kevin Martin, went down. And at one point he scored 13 straight. The Kings had their way all night as they were able to drive to the hole without without repercussions. As Deron Williams so succinctly put it,
We kept on getting beat to the hole
Williams and Brewer should consider themselves the first, last, and only line of defense. Because with AK drawn out on the perimeter with his man, they’re not getting any help from Boozer and AK. Boozer was in foul trouble most of the night. The Kings went to the line 47 to Utah’s 22 times. Normally I would be ranting about how it should have been closer, but there weren’t too many calls that I thought were bogus. The Kings were in the paint and getting to the rim all night, and as a result, they were getting a lot more calls. Bolerjack and Booner should have announced that this game was sponsored by And-1 because that’s all I heard all night. Maybe the Jazz just ran out of steam in this one. They were up 8 after 1, 3 at the half, 3 after the third, and then took a crap on the court by giving up 43 in the fourth.
So the Jazz are now 1-4 or so on the road when playing the second game of a back-to-back. One of the most brutal stretches I can remember is coming up now with 9 of 11 on the road, with none of the road games against an “easy” opponent. This stretch will really define what kind of team we have this year.
Other notes:
- Fans are blaming this on not playing Sundays
- Much to the delight of some and horror of others, Sloan will be back for another year.
- Great Kings fan behind the bench. You could hear him all game. And all he ever said was. “Take that Sloan.” Lame. It would be cool to have a mic behind the bench though to hear coaches, players, and fans.
- Brewer’s put-back dunk was one that got you out of your seat. What’s it like to have a 2 that can get up like that?
Posted in Recap | 
December 5th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
“I can’t read the recaps, watch ESPN, or have anything to do with the game for at least a day later.” this is VERBATIM what I tell people after the Jazz lose.
I had to watch it via ESPN’s Gamecase so I never got a feel for the game, but how on Earth do we give up a 43 point Q? I say plat Fesenko, play him now and play hit a lot.
December 6th, 2007 at 8:38 am
I’m the same way as you guys. I avoid reading/thinking about the game immediately after the buzzer sounds until the sting subsides the following morning.
Spurs and Mavs back-to-back this week are going to be brutal.
What a difference a FIBA MVP and trade demand makes…last year whenever AK touched the ball, I would cringe and expect the worst. This year, I expect good things to happen whenever the ball is in AK’s hands (a great pass, a made jumper, a set-up for a play, etc..).
December 6th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
I can’t sleep the night after a loss. I just lay there and think about the game all night long, although, I do the same thing after a great win, I’m just much happier.