Swamigp’s Weblog

After a sub par first two games of the series, Carlos Boozer awoke, scoring 27 points while dominating the boards with 20 in a 104-99 win over the Lakers. Boozer and point guard toyed with the Lakers in the final period, using the pick-and-roll to perfection to make keep the Jazz alive. Boozer scored 11 points in the final quarter to secure the win, holding off a rally by Los Angeles midway through the period. Deron Williams, despite a sore wrist sustained early in the game, poured in a double-double of his own, scoring 18 points and dishing 12 assists for a Utah team that led for most of the game.

After a quick 11-3 run to start the game for LA, the Jazz woke up and took advantage of the turnover stricken Lakers to grab a 9 point halftime lead. Utah was very efficient on the offensive end as well as defensively, collecting 15 assists on 21 first half field goals. They took a double digit lead early in the second because of a plethora of contributions by the Jazz role players, outscoring the Lakers by nine after being tied after one. Utah was aggressive all night long, going to the hoop as much as possible, especially in that second period. The score stayed the same throughout the third, with the Lakers only outscoring the Jazz by two in the third.

Kobe Bryant posted his usual line: 34 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists; but he was very un-MVP like in the closing minutes of the game. He took wild shots and turned the ball over leading to the demise of his team. It wasn’t all his fault, the Jazz were excellent in this game. Every time the Lakers scored, it seemed like the Jazz answered in any way possible. If they didn’t make a field goal on the next possession, the took the ball to the hoop and drew fouls. A prime example was late in the 4th. The Lakers went on a quick 6-0 run, changing a 9 point game to three midway through the period. The Jazz were then revitalized, scoring 6 straight points of their own, all by Boozer to regain the nine point lead.

Boozer had it on automatic all night long, evident in his 12-21 shooting, taking advantage of a somewhat poor Lakers interior defense (Gasol isn’t a great defender), scoring the majority of his points in the paint or fall-away 13 footers from the baseline. Mehmet Okur torched the Lakers from the outside, showcasing his game, like Boozer, with ease. He scored a very efficient and effective 22 points on 8-14 shooting, including 4-7 on threes.

When the Jazz are in sync their game is amazing to watch. Jerry Sloan has always had great teams, especially with the likes of greats John Stockton and the Mailman runnings the show in the nineties. Well, Boozer and Williams are the second coming. Williams is, like Stockton was, very savvy, he doesn’t turn the ball over a lot therefore making smart plays with the ball. The chemistry between Williams and Boozer mirrors that of Stockton and Malone in their prime, a prime example of this is the play of the pick-and-roll. The second coming worked it magically throughout this must win game, as they had done all season long (leading to an All-NBA second team and third team selection for Williams and Boozer, respectively. Especially during their run at home this season during which they dominated opponents, sporting a 37-4 record.

Feeding off the fans is what teams do, as boy do the Jazz do that (an abysmal 17-24 on the road). They have a great core group of unknown players. Acquiring Kyle Korver midway through the season turned around their season as a whole with his shooting ability. His presence spread out the floor for the Jazz, giving them as Suns-of-old look (before they traded Shawn Marion) make them a playoff team to reckon with. Utah also has some bruisers inside such as Paul Millsap. He doesn’t score a lot, but does all of the little things, plays good defense and rebounds like crazy. Pretty much he is an undersized fridge (6-8 260). Though he didn’t do much in this game, his 14 minutes proved vital, providing depth for the Jazz and gave Boozer and Okur rests when needed. Another unheralded play (except in fantasy basketball leagues) is Andrei Kirilenko. Though, like Millsap, he doesn’t score much, he does everything else needed to help his team win. He, like the rest of the Jazz, plays very good defense, using his lanky 6-7 frame to his advantage. Like his other teammates, except Williams, he struggled in the first two games of the series (fouling out in both games, as well as game 3). He, like his teammates, in this game, picked it up. I guess home is wear the heart is. Let’s see if the Jazz can do the unthinkable and take a couple of road games and win the series.