There have been previous biggest games of the season. The win over Denver in Denver. The win in Boston. Kicking CP3’s can on Feb 4. This game will probably become one of those big games.

The Jazz stand just two games back of the Lakers and Hornets for first in the conference. And with three relatively easy games at home against Seattle, Charlotte, and the Clippers, we have a realistic chance of moving into first (fans are allowed to look ahead, players aren’t).

And of course the Jazz have a chance to break the team home winning streak record. It would be the twentieth in a row. We also have the re-return of Derek Fisher. I don’t even know what to say about this. Unfortunately, I already know what’s going to happen at the game. Whether fans want to boo him is their right, but that doesn’t make it right. If fans think he used his daughter’s disease for an out, then they probably believe the the moon landings were a hoax and that 9/11 was an inside job. Okay, maybe they don’t believe those things, but it’s like convincing them that we did land on the moon and that the towers fell because of the planes hitting the towers and not explosions. They’re going to believe what they want to believe. I just think he deserves the benefit of the doubt. And almost no one outside of Utah thinks he left under anything than honorable circumstances.

Anyway, huge game because of the streak, it’s the Lakers, Fisher, playoff seeding, and let’s hope for another embarrassing loss for the Fakers.

Other previews,

• Thanks FLA
• My Utah Jazz
• Forum Blue and Gold

My latest column is up on HoopsVibe.  I’ll try to get an rss feed for my articles to put up here.  But in the meantime, I’ll put up a post about it.  It’s only my second one there as I couldn’t get much done over the holidays.  But there will probably be a weekly column there. 

And if you’re familiar with Jazzfanz, sirkickyass also write there now.  Although now he takes on the name “Captain Jack’s Headband.”  Whatever that is.

I hope you got your fill of Turkey and Booze last week, because you weren’t getting any tonight.  Okur was out with back spasms still and Booze was letting his ankle heal a little more.

No matter as Deron Williams and Andrei Kirilenko led the charge and got a revenge win over the visiting Lakers.  Deron had a career-high 35 points and became the go-to scorer for the night.  He relinquished the assist duties to AK, who had his third career triple-double with 11 assists, 11 boards, and 20 points, not to mention 4 blocks and 6 steals.  Millsap and Brewer added 20 & 14 respectively.

And with two big guys out, the Jazz had to bring up Fess from down the road.  He played in his first official NBA game and didn’t seem to show any signs of being nervous or intimidated.  He went for 6 & 7, already career highs!  If we see much more of him, the ESA is going to start chanting his name when Collins is in.

Full Box Score

The Jazz led by 19 at the break and were never seriously threatened after that.  They pushed the lead to as much as 28, but it didn’t seem to get below 17 from that point on.  The controlled the second half, holding Kobe to only 6 points.  The second half is usually when the Jazz give it up to the elite players, but not this night.  They held LA to 44% shooting and the Lakers could never get in a rhythm.

A couple of glaring stats, one good and one bad.  First the bad.  Deron had a whopping 9 turnovers.  The Jazz only had 3 the entire first half.  But the biggest stat of the night was 70 points in the paint.  I don’t know what the record is, but I don’t remember anything that high.  But an even more astounding 52 of those came in the first half out of 70 total points.  And they say our interior defense is lacking.

Kirilenko had to be salivating to be the man again.  You could see see him mentally going back to the 03-04 season.  He was the dominant AK that earned the max contract.  Although I advocated trading him for Marion before the season started, I’m glad they didn’t.  Those hindsight glasses work great.  Could Marion put on a performance and put up the number like AK did?  AK should be the backup point guard.  He also had a nice full-court football pass to Williams for a layup, reminiscent of the Stockton to Malone pass against the Bulls in the playoffs.

Let’s hope they can keep him and the other parts of the core for at least the next few years.

Overall, a win against the Lakers and shutting up their fans that attend the games at the ESA is one of the sweetest things for Jazz fans.  And it’s especially savory because Boozer and Okur weren’t playing.  We could have Knicked them.

Fesenko Interview - Apparently he didn’t even have time to pack a change of clothes
Kirilenko Interview - AK has been cut.  See, he’s human.
ESPN highlights - The Lakers have a new sensation, Jobe.

Other random notes:

• Crittenton was added to the long list of AK rejections when he tried his best Kobe “going away from the basket, hop, travel, reverse layup” move and got made a fool.  Just like they keep track of how many parks a batters hits a home run in or who they’ve hit them off of, the NBA should keep track of how many unique players have been swatted by a particular player.
• Phil Jackson will have to start earning that new $24 million extension next game.
• Fesenko was hot when he first came in and played pretty solid in the second half in limited action.  But you can one weakness is running up his foul totals quick as do most rookies.
• Millsap looks to be getting back into his 06-07 form.  He had 20 (a career high) & 9.  Maybe because his 10 & 10 are the norm now he’s not surprising anyone this year.  He wasn’t expected to do what he did last year and now we take it for granted.
• Looks like Kobe still prefers the jump shop karate chop to try to make it look like he got fouled.
• And Odom must have just wanted out of the game.  Fouling Brewer on a break-away was understandable.  But then he didn’t let go of Brewer’s arm and threw him to the ground.
• Does Williams have the best crossover in the game today?  It wasn’t fair to Radmanovic.  He got schooled twice.  Try picking on someone your own size Deron.  Oh, that’s right, he crossed up Fisher too.
• The Jazz cannot play transition or fast break D to save their lives.  One guard has got to stay back if the other’s going for the board.
• Sloan was finally forced to play Giri.  I found out what happened.  Apparently Giri was caught reading a New Holland tractor catalog.  There was a whole blue v. green argument with Sloan.  Giri was just staying loyal to his European roots.  People’s mommas came up.  Miller was trying to mediate.  Ugly, ugly.
• Weird note from Ross Siler, Sloan has Flash season tickets.  They made Sloan buy tickets?  Do they make him pay for his Skittles too?  There’s no reciprocity?
• Fisher was surprised by the boos.  Why would he be?  He’s a Laker again, probably the most hated franchise of Jazz fans.  Was he picked on a bit?  Sure.  But he acted like the fans were abusing his daughter or something.  But I thank him for last year and his 1-8 shooting tonight.

Well, we’re about 12 hours into the free agent period and no news yet on Pete or anyone else for the Jazz. So here’s a video of some interviews from the summer practices and some links:

• Jerry’s thoughts on Miles not showing up for the Revue - This is not how you get more PT with Sloan. I’m guessing Miles is gone. But you would think he would have announced a contract by now if he had one.
• Araujo continues to impress - While it’s no argument he works the hardeset, we’ll have to see what kind of interest he gets from other teams. I’m banking on him being back with the Jazz.
• More Peterson news - This and other sources are saying now it’s either Utah or Detroit for MoPete. I’m saying 75% for the Jazz.
• And Fisher a Laker again - So this looks like almost a done deal. But Fisher has since fired his agent after he announced he’s looking for the full MLE for Fisher after the Jazz waived Derek. With as much as the Lakers are hated in Utah, does he get some boos? Especially with this coming to light that his agent might have used Fisher’s daughter’s condition to get out?

Technorati tags: utah jazz, rocky mountain revue, paul millsap, derek fisher, jerry sloan

Derek Fisher and his wife flew out from New York to meet with Jazz owner Larry Miller and other team officials to ask for his release from the team so that he can concentrate on his daughter’s care.

His daughter of course was diagnosed with retinoblastoma earlier this year. In his statement, Fisher said,

Life for me outweighs the game of basketball,

I imagine it didn’t take much convincing for Miller to agree to release him from his contract. Miller said that Fisher “leaves a legacy” and “He’s focused on the most important thing.

Regardless of your position on Fisher, you can’t argue his decision here at all. And I can’t think of any other Jazz player that was here for such a short time, that had this big of an impact on the team and franchise. I imagine we’ll hear many statements from the other Jazz players tomorrow. He really did provide that intangible leadership that willed the Jazz to play better and to be better people. And there’s no more noticeable example than game 2 of the 2007 playoffs against the Warriors. He will be missed immensely and the Jazz have truly lost one of the great men in this game.

Derek said that he has no plans to retire, but that it’s not out of the question. I would guess he would sign with a team back east where he could be closer to specialists. I can’t see him going to NY, but maybe Boston or Detroit? Doesn’t seem right to speculate on that now.

And then of course there’s the obvious effect this will have on Jazz personnel. You have to thank Fisher for letting the team know early of his plans. That way he doesn’t leave Utah in a bind by announcing his intentions later. By letting them know early, they can plan accordingly. It just goes to show what kind of person he is. More coming on this later, but I imagine that Jazz will speed up the process of re-signing Dee Brown and step up their efforts to bring in Peterson.

Whatever may come, I’m sure I can say for all Jazz fans that we wish him the best of luck in his future professional career and more importantly, a complete and healthy recovery for his daughter. I know a lot of prayers will be said for his family.

Technorati tags: utah jazz, derek fisher

No offense to the rest of the Jazz team, but if Williams can’t go tonight and definitely if both him and Fisher can’t go tonight, they might as well book those family vacations starting this weekend. ESPN is reporting that Williams didn’t practice because of a sprained foot/ankle. And Fisher is in NY again with his daughter. Although Derek is expected back, Williams is a game-time decision. Not sure where Williams injured his foot/ankle. I don’t remember reading anything about it until now. And they don’t mention how he did it. And outside of Boozer, the Jazz haven’t had anyone who can score with any consistency. Could be a long night. Sloan had this to say:

“I can’t count on anybody until we get in the building and they put their uniform on,”

He should have stopped at anybody [except Williams and Boozer].

Weird thing is that I thought it would be Jacque Vaughn and Bruce Bowen who had injured ankles.

And now, The best links in all the world, in all the NBA, in all the universe…

Link to ESPN.com: Jazz starting backcourt one big ‘if’ for Game 5
Utah Jazz v. San Antonio Spurs = Ratings Disaster - Although I bet there’s a bigger stinker coming in the finals.
Carlos Boozer almost a Laker? - In the whole Kobe Bryant trade demand fiasco, this little tidbit came out. Boozer wanted to go to LA.
Steve Luhm weighs in on the free-throw mess from Game 4 - Boozer doesn’t go the line once during the whole game and 27 of the game’s last 29 free throws are for the Spurs. Hmmmm.
Karl Malone & LaTech to make announcement about his new position - Audio of the press conference here: http://www.latechchamps.com/media/
Why the Jazz-Spurs series has been one of the best in the playoffs - Even if no one is watching.
Eva Longoria wears blue? - I was at the game and didn’t see her in Blue. I saw the Jazz Bear trying to give her a Jazz shirt, but she was in black. Maybe she’s a closet Jazz fan?
Jerry was calm when he got called for his technical fouls. “All I did was ask him a question.” Would it have anything to do with his Mom or sexual preference?

Technorati tags: utah jazz, san antonio spurs, eva longoria, karl malone, jerry sloan, nba playoffs, deron williams

The NY Times has an insightful article into the situation with Derek Fisher and the condition of his 10-month old’s bout with retinoblastoma. From the article

“He really had three choices,” Abramson said. “Remove the eye, remove the eye or remove the eye.”

This will go down as one of the greatest, most memorable moments in Utah Jazz history. As Nellie said:

You’re talking about Willis Reed walking in

I sure wished I would have recorded that game, but alas my DVR was being used to record something else. I’d buy it in a second. I don’t think the Jazz have had quite the emotional game that occurred that night. The whole game could almost be made into a movie. From Deron Williams picking up two early fouls, to Dee Brown getting folded in half like the waiter in Men in Black, to using AK as the point guard. And then you have the hero’s entrance late in the game that came straight out of a basketball movie. Maybe he should have pinned a baby-blue cape to his back. I can’t think of anything that would give a a greater boost to a team and to the fans than that entrance. I can’t imagine what it was like for the fans there. Who knows how the game would have played out?

Here’s all the best to the Fisher family.

Technorati tags: utah jazz, derek fisher, retinoblastoma