Recap - Minnesota Timberwolves @ Utah Jazz - 117-100 W - 2 April 2008 - The calm before the storm
Now if we can keep Memo away from anyone that is sick for the rest of the year, we’ll be in good shape. In fact, he should be made to wear a mask from now until the end of June at all times.
We need the Memo that goes 4-7 from downtown for 22 points. We need the Memo that can nail back-to-back three pointers that put the Jazz on a run to pull away from teams. He was open for most of the second half with the now patented “Deron beating his man off the dribble and when Memo’s man comes over to help, Memo slides behind the line and drains an open three” play. And whatever it is, Memo likes the rims at the ESA. He shoots 44% at home but just 31% on the road. He has improved since the All-Star break however.
He wasn’t the only one nailing the three. After making 15 against Washington (compared to only 14 made free-throws), the Jazz followed that up making 12 against Minny. Korver was 3-3 again, Williams & Price both had two (I like that backcourt a lot), and AK made his only attempt.
But more impressive was that they actually put some D on the Wolves in the second half. In their previous two games at Minny and for the first half, they couldn’t stop the TWolves. Minnesota shot almost 60% in the first half. But they finished the game shooting just 47%. Boozer even came away with a huge block.
The Jazz had seven players again in double figures. Memo had the aforementioned 22, Deron had 19 & another 14 (including one of the best oops to CJ of the year), the Price for Booze was 12-pack, AK scored 13, and Harp and Korver were in double-figures. And with those last two, I think the Jazz are now 15-0 when they both score 10+.
The season series against the Timberwolves has been the Jazz season to a tee. Lose on the the road to crappy teams, and blow them out at home. The Wolves only have 7 wins against teams with a winning record. 28% of those wins are against the Jazz. But on the flipside, the Jazz do weird stuff like going into Boston and blowing them out by 18.
So now the gauntlet begins. Friday the Spurs come to town. Then it’s three-days rest before heading to NO. This is going to be one of my most anticipated games of the year. If they avoid another first quarter mess like last time, I think we come away with the win. Then it’s at Dallas. That’s another game we could win. Then it’s home to host Houston and Denver. A win v. Denver would probably clinch the division by then. And then what will certainly have home-court implications, we finish the season @ SA.
With as crazy and Jekyl/Hyde (is there another term to use for this?) as the Jazz have been, it’s crazy enough that they could just go 6-0 and blow everyone’s minds. The three home games are all winnable. The lone loss at home earlier this season from those teams was against Houston. But we’ve beaten them @ HOU. We’ve lost at Dallas, but that was pre-Kidd. The NO game I think we see another Deron statement game.
That leaves the SA game. It has to end sometime, right? I think we’ve been saying that for a while now. But to say the Jazz haven’t won @ SA since last century is crazy. And what a bigger statement game to make then to go into SA, lay down the law, steal home-court, and ride off on their horses back to Utah.
You may now comment Danielle
Other blogs,
- My Utah Jazz
- Biased Fan (nothing yet, but expect to hear some cussing about CJ)
- Ross Siler
April 3rd, 2008 at 10:12 am
Thanks! I have been SO excited to post this since last night. So, after the loss on Sunday, I made this comment:
“I am just completely forgetting about yesterday’s game. Too many painful memories. Tonight could go either way. It depends on who shows up to play. Maybe, next year I will put a huge group of fans together, and we will get Larry H. to sponsor us going to every away game to cheer the team on, as that is pretty much the ONLY way they are winning lately. Hey, we can dream.”
And then, if any of you were watching the post-game show, Deron basically said the SAME THING!!! He was like, well maybe we need to get our fans to follow us on road games, we’ll talk to Larry about that.
Haha. So, I really do think D. Will reads this blog. Or else we are telepathically connected. I’ll go with the first one.
Deron,
I think you are the best PG in the league. And I think you should have been player of the month. And, I know you’re married, but you’re really hot. Please continue being so amazing!
-Danielle
P.S. I propose that fans start chanting MVP whenever Deron has the ball. He is the the MVP of our team.
April 3rd, 2008 at 10:42 am
I’m uploading that video now and I’ll have them embedded soon.
I think you have a point that he reads this blog. You know at least one of them had to have read it when the AK New Year’s Eve part pics were posted. So I think you’re on to something.
April 3rd, 2008 at 12:07 pm
You all realize that we’re only a half game out of homecourt, right? We have the tiebreaker with PHO so if they stay at #5, we’ll start the playoffs at the ESA
April 3rd, 2008 at 6:54 pm
I 2nd the MVP thing. Deron is so under-apprieciated. Can I be on this Road Fan team? Anyways I think I am totally addicited to this blog now.
April 3rd, 2008 at 7:17 pm
That would be very luxury.
And thanks for posting all of these videos so I can watch them instead of studying for my biochem test.
April 3rd, 2008 at 8:23 pm
What the he** does CJ have to do to get time?
Seriously… 29 points on 12-17 shooting, and he still doesn’t get any time.
Sat on the bench the entire first half, even with the team struggling.
Jerry… get a brain.
April 3rd, 2008 at 8:24 pm
So, my dad just told me that he will buy me tix for tomorrow nights game, they are on the 5th row behind the jazz bench on the end toward the portal. Pretty amazing right. BUT, statistically what are the chances of my heart being broken tomorrow night? I don’t know if I could handle this loss in person.
April 3rd, 2008 at 10:12 pm
The Jazz will do fine. And I expect a full report. I’ll see if I can’t get a screen grab from the game. Just don’t get hauled off by security by trying to jump on KK. ANd plug your ears when Sloan speaks.
April 4th, 2008 at 12:17 am
What CJ needs to do to get a start is learn to play some frickin’ defense w/o hacking away like crazy. Look at his numbers — he averages one foul every 7 minutes on the court. That ain’t gonna do it do it, especially since Utah is already the worst fouling team in the league. Miles may well be a better scorer than Kirilenko at this point, but scoring isn’t a problem for them.
That said, he shoulda started that night anyway, cause you just shouldn’t have the back-up PG starting at SG, but Miles still isn’t ready for primetime.
April 4th, 2008 at 7:09 am
This blog has exploded in the last 6 weeks or so. Welcome to the family. Actually it’s more like a support group…
April 5th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
[…] wrote back in TWolves recap that we need the Memo we all know to be able to have any chance in the playoffs. He was on […]