What a game! That game felt like a playoff game. For me, that was the best game of the year. Not just the Jazz, but of all the NBA games I've seen. It had it all. Tons of energy and intensity, overtime, controversy, big dunks, last second shots, and it just went back and forth with big play after big play for each team. Not a ton of defense though.
Deron Williams was pretty near flawless, minus the turnover with 30 seconds and the missed last second jumper in regulation. What is funny, is that turnover he had with 30 seconds left was his ONLY turnover of the game. That is incredible. He more than made up for it with that huge 3 in overtime, and the game winner. CLUTCH! I was glad to see that, because I was starting to think to myself, that Deron seemed a little less clutch than in the last few years. That was a big, big, BIG shot.
Let's not forget Boozer tonight. Some huge dunks, 28 points, and 15 boards.
That game was starting to remind me of the Cleveland game in February. We had a nice comfortable lead with 2 minutes to go. It was starting to look like we were about to pull away and win it, then Durant, much like Lebron, hit a couple 3's, and had a few and 1's, and a few Jazz turnovers later the game was close again. Durant scored 15 points in the last 4 minutes of regulation.
Oklahoma City continues to be the team I would least like to face in the 1st round. They're so athletic. Durant gets a lot of pretty weak calls for such a young player. You definitely notice how the stars get a little bit of that extra attention, but its only Durant's 3rd year. I am shocked that he didn't get that last call, but I don't feel bad since he had about 7 ghost fouls that sent him to the line. Not to mention that 1st game in OKC that I am still bitter about, where they called a mystery foul on Paul Millsap, sending Nick Collinson to the line for the win. Maybe I am bias, but it still doesn't seem like D-Will gets those calls. I have also noticed that Wes Matthews and Paul Millsap never get calls. Booze said it best though, "That is playoff basketball and your not gonna get that call."
I am just glad we won. My heart sank when Jeff Green hit that runner with 5 seconds left. I feel pretty confident about the Jazz ability to close out close games though. They have been pretty solid in close ones the 2nd half of the year.
Last thing I noticed, was that despite Durant scoring 45, I thought CJ and Wes did an incredible job making him work tonight. I have never liked Durant much but he's actually growing on me. I think how he handled things after the game was pretty mature for a 21 year old. All he said was, "It's not a foul if they don't call it." Maybe he just didn't want to get hit with a 25,000 dollar fine.
Just have to hope now that the Jazz can have that same energy tomorrow in Houston. That game makes me nervous, back to back, on the road, against a pretty decent team.
Sean
HUGE win! I hate to say it, but we desperately need AK back for his defense. Not just for his skills alone, but his example that seems to force others to play some D as well. I don't want to rain on the parade, it was a fantastic win. GO JAZZ!
ReplyDeleted will had his best game of his career last night. 42 points i think it was. followed by a plethora of assists. that game turned into a 3 point contest the last 5 minutes of regulation....and durant won. that one that was like 8 feet beyond the arc was ridiculous. one of those guys that just keeps throwing up prayers and you just think, theres no way hes getting this one....swish. stupid. korver had the worst game of his career tho. korver did absolutely nothing positive in the second half. it was his guy that hit like 4 of the 5 threes in the last little bit before he got taken out thank goodness. also...i think the momentum change was definately when boozehound gave that stupid stare down after dunking on ibaka. they got a tech, and of course durant hit the freethrow. in the next minute and a half we went from a 9 point lead to a 1 point game. overall tho it was the most intense game ive watched all year. go yazzz.
ReplyDeleteya that was an obvious foul at the end of the game though when durant took that shot, if you watch it in slow mo you think how the f could the refs miss that... durant got screwed. but good game
ReplyDeleteThat was a very obvious foul. and it really is too bad the ref's missed it. But the truth is...ref's miss fouls all the time. It sucks when its such a crucial foul at the end of the game with no time on the clock. But there was probably several fouls missed throughout the game too that could have also changed the outcome. I think it is funny that the NBA had to come out and publicly say that a mistake had been made and the ref's missed that foul. What can be done? NOTHING!!! and as unfortunate as everyone feels it is...it happens. and it will continue to happen. I am sure many other teams in many other situations have felt that one or two crucial calls by the ref's changed the games outcome to favor their apponents. Oh well...time to move on! And I think that either team OKC or Jazz deserved the win. So let bygones be bygones. :)
ReplyDeleteClassic NBA for you. We'll admit our refs screwed up and all will be forgiven. Have you seen the Western standings. Do you know what the take is on a play-off home game? Or what advancing to the second round would be worth to OKC? Millions.
ReplyDeleteCheck it out http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5064972
It's not even close. How as an NBA official can you miss Durant's arm going sideways. I always say when I coach the perfect game and my guys play the perfect game, I'll expect the refs to be perfect, but you what? When I make a horrible coaching mistake or a player missed a wide open lay-up the win the game (nice job Bosh), they get criticized by everyone. A ref makes a mistake and they're untouchable. No way that guy should be working the play-offs and the league should be saying so.
Jazz didn't deserve it and their lack of consistency is going to kill them in the play-offs. Williams needs legitimate all-star pieces around him and Boozer and Okur are not it.
Anonymous is not a jazz fan. HAHA. I like it though. He gets us jazz fans fired up! You're saying Boozer is not a legitimate all star piece next to Williams? That's crazy! He's an excellenct fit next to D-Will. Those 2 run the pick and roll remeniscent of Stockton and Malone. That duo is close to, if not THE hottest duo in the NBA this year. Just because he did not make the all-star game doesn't mean squat. So go with me here.. who else do the Jazz bring in if they get rid of Boozer? They don't have a chance with the top elite players. Lebron= no way. D Wade= no way. Stoudamire = very unlikey. (I'd probably want Boozer over Stoudamire anyway.) Bosh= not likely. (I'd want Boozer over Bosh too, i think?) The next big "star" free agent after those guys is Boozer. They can't go out and get someone better than Boozer. Cannot and will not happen. I would agree with you on Okur. There's 3 or 4 other centers I wouldn't mind in a JAzz uniform besides Okur. And the foul at the end..OH WELL! They missed it. Calls are missed all the time in every sport that have huge ramifications. Fisher was fouled on his last shot too that would have given Jazz the 2nd seed. OKC didn't get the stop they needed with 1 second left when D WIll hit that huge shot. Blame the game on that, not a missed call.
ReplyDeleteI see how a ref can miss that call, see hoe they can miss his arm going sideways. His shot has pretty bad form. If he had a pure, elbow in, perfect follow through shot, the refs might have noticed it more. But when his arm gets tapped on his follow through, with his shot the way it is, it doesn't look like his arm was hit. I'm not saying he's a bad shooter, but his shot is not too fundamental. Reminds me of Shawn Marion, like Collin said, he shoots and you think, "there's no way thats going in," then SWOOSH.
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