This is the game that sets the tone for the rest of the regular season.

Just 2 1/2 games back of the Spurs in the standings, the Jazz need this game to have a reasonable chance of moving up in the standings and gaining home court advantage.

As weird as it sounds, these are the games you want to see the Jazz playing at the end of the season.  If the Jazz have any business of winning in the playoffs, these are the teams you have to beat.  You can’t wuss your way through the West.  So if we do well on this stretch it’s a good pre-cursor for the playoffs.  If we limp through these games, well maybe it’s just not the year.

Of course, you could have said the very same thing last year.  They Jazz stumbled for the last two months heading to the post-season and ended up in the WCF.  So what do I know?

So we go up against Duncan, Longoria, and the original Flop (Manu).  This year the Jazz fans’ hatred had been primarily focused on Denver, and probably rightfully so.  But I think everyone’s forgotten that public enemy #1 has been Manu.  Does anyone remember back to last year’s playoffs?  If he gets booed any less than Fisher or Giri, then something’s wrong.

So expect to see a lot of Timmy’s bug eyes of unbelief tonight.  Expect to see a performance put on by Manu and Collins (who will be out in full force against Duncan).  And expect to see Eva signs when Parker is shooting FTs.

It will all come down to defense.  You can live with one, maybe two of the big three getting theirs, but if Fabio or Finley or some other scrub gets hot, it’s going to be ugly.  We all know that the Jazz can score with anyone.  They lead Hollinger’s offensive efficiency rating.  But can they get the defensive boards and stay out of foul trouble?

And the Jazz need to jump on them early and put this one away.  Look for Deron and Memo to have the big games with Brewer adding to the fray.  And if KK has his 15 points, it’s over.

The road to the playoffs start now.

Other blogs,

• Biased Fan
• My Utah Jazz
• FLA
• Pounding the Rock
• Spurs Dynasty

Other notes

• I felt kind bad for inadvertently giving Abbott at TrueHoop a heart attack with my April Fool’s column.  But not after reading this.  LeBron of course.  Howard, yes.  Paul, yes.  The ranking is debatable of course with Williams/Paul.  Just one problem.  He didn’t list Williams in his top 6.
• If we lose tonight, Danielle can’t go to any more Jazz games this year.
• A guy I work with, huge Spurs fan, got to go shag balls tonight for the Spurs and then hang out in the locker room.  Even though it’s for the Spurs, you have to be jealous.

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