Wasted (Warriors 117, Jazz 127)
Sometimes in life you get what you deserve. The Warriors certainly did Wednesday night. Given endless opportunities to put the Jazz away, they kept giving them hope. The Jazz answered with clutch play after clutch play. The Ws have made it this far based upon their hunger. Right now, they don’t look like the team that wants it more. The bandwagon may have hit a bump and thrown out a few fans, but there’s no reason to panic yet. We’ll learn what this team is made of Friday night in Oakland. Until then, put all the sharp objects in another room and follow the jump.
Before the blood-letting begins, let me say this: the margin of victory in this series is incredibly thin. Good teams find ways to win games, but if Stephen Jackson hits a wide open three in Game 1 and Pietrus (or Baron or Richardson) hits a free throw in Game 2, the Warriors are up 2-0. Obviously, playing the “what if” game is absurd. The Jazz can answer with just as many scenarios, but they actually found ways to make big plays. Still, despite being down 0-2 it’s hard to say that the Jazz have controlled the series. At some point talking about “just needing to make the small adjustments” becomes delusional, but I’ve got at least one more loss left before you can tag me with that.
Now, the ugliness:
The Jazz want this series more so far. They’re running harder, jumping higher, fighting harder, diving faster. Matt Barnes came in at the end of the second quarter and finally dove for a loose ball. It seemed like it had been ages since someone earned a little court burn. Whatever the explanation, this team hasn’t had the same fire in Games 1 and 2. They either find it in Oakland or they’re done.
We’re making fundamental mistakes. Free throw shooting, boxing out, ball handling, following our own shots. These are the basketball skills you learn immediately after someone teaches you how to lace up your shoes. The Warriors simply aren’t performing in the simple aspects of the game. For all of the heroics from Baron, JRich, and Barnes, we’re not playing solid playoff basketball. When people knocked us before for playing the “wrong way,” they were completely off. We’ve made them look smart in Round 2.
The Jazz are playing tremendous defense. All the attention is going to Williams, Boozer, and Okur on the offensive end, but the Jazz are winning this series because of their defense. AK-47 has taken us almost entirely out of our driving game. We managed a comeback in the second half because we started driving and kicking, but we still haven’t consistently scored on the inside (or the fast break). There are simply too many big bodies down low for us to get the looks inside we need to get the offense going. We’re staying in games because the Jazz are giving us open looks at three pointers, but the percentages will catch up with us eventually (in overtime, for example). To put this team away, the Warriors needed to repeat the play of The Third Quarter: consistently driving at the gut of the defense to get to the line. They Jazz haven’t let them do that yet in the series (and yes, I agree that we’ve been robbed with quite a few hits inside on drives, but the phantom calls went both ways Wednesday night. We have no room to complaint about this one).
The team doesn’t trust itself. We wouldn’t be in the second round without Baron’s heroics, but we wouldn’t be in the playoffs if other players hadn’t found ways to step up. Richardson and Barnes have hit big shots this series, but at the end of the fourth quarter even they looked like they were waiting for Baron to pick up the team and make something happen. That type of passivity only puts more pressure on Baron, leading him to do the destructive things that we all hated in the first half of the season: pounding the ball, fade away 18 footers, isolation with no ball movement. The best-case scenario Wednesday would have been for Richardson, Barnes, Jackson, or Pietrus to hit a big shot in the final two minutes to put this one out of reach. They did in Round 1, but they haven’t in Round 2. The only way to win this series is playing as a team.
Rebounding. Despite getting doubled up, we almost won this game. Is it crazy to say the rebounding angle is getting overblown? Obviously, a few more rebounds and we win both games, but our defense and outside shooting are almost enough right now to compensate for the Jazz’s extra possessions. If we could just get Andris going on the defensive glass, it might be enough to get us over the hump.
Stephen Jackson. Utah’s bigger defenders are bothering his shot, but he’s also missing wide-open looks. He’s a streak shooter and was bound to go cold sooner or later. The Ws haven’t found someone to pick up the slack (like Monta or Pietrus). I honestly expected a huge Game 2 from Jax after his miss in Game 1. He still has shots at redemption, but he needs to hold his head high and keep fighting. This team feeds off his emotional intensity. If he shows signs of resignation, we’re done.
The short rotation. Players 7 and 8 on the depth chart logged a total of 20 minutes tonight. That means tremendous wear and tear on the starters, with a minute against the Jazz probably inflicting the physical toll of 3 minutes against the Mavs. I will charge Nelson with bad coaching only in two areas in this series so far. First, he needs to give Pietrus and Ellis long enough to work their way into the game. Even if they make mistakes in the second or third quarters, there’s something gained by just sitting Baron, Richardson, Barnes, or Jackson so they’ll have something left late. Second, he’s letting players other than Baron handle the ball to initiate the offense in crunch time. As good as Baron can be posting up, the risk of unforced errors with Jackson or Barnes dribbling is too much to take. Of course, it was Baron who stepped out of bounds in the final minute Wednesday. The decision to leave Pietrus on the court tonight in a fouling situation? Hindsight is 20-20. It’s either MP, someone with an equally poor free throw percentage, or a cold guy from the bench.
We’re not recognizing opportunities. My final gripe and maybe the most damning. Game 2 was one opportunity after another that the Warriors failed to exploit. Deron heading to the bench with two fouls, Kirilenko handling the ball after Brown’s injury, switches with larger Jazz players on our faster smalls, being in the bonus but refusing to drive to the hoop. I could go on and on. Seasoned playoff teams see these opportunities and exploit them. The Jazz certainly aren’t seizing every advantage we’re giving them, but we’ve had a some tremendous opportunities and come away empty handed.
Assuming you haven’t thrown your laptop, smashed your monitor, or simply shut your browser in disgust by now, I’ll close on a few reasons for optimism.
We’re coming home. The “we’re unbeatable in Oakland” line is foolish and may backfire on us, but we’re undeniably a better home than away club. We have more energy, carry more momentum, and close out opponents. The noise level at the Arena on Friday will be a classic test for Warriors fans. If we’re truly as great as I think we are (and others are giving us credit for being), we’ll be just as loud, if not louder, in Round 2 despite the rockier start.
We’re playing our tempo. Utah may be killing us on the boards, but they’re allowing us to stick around in high scoring games. The W’s speed, defense, and sudden-burst potential are still outstanding. If a few breaks go our way (say, a .500 shooting night from Jackson, more than 5 rebounds from Andris, or more than 1 point from Monta), we’ll look like the Round 1 Warriors again.
We’re controlling the Jazz’s offensive threats. Of course, “control” is relative when you lose, but we’ve found ways to take Boozer, Williams, Okur, and Kirilenko out of their set offensive games. Their freelancing - whether on offensive rebounds, the fast break, or broken plays - has been what’s killing us. Those opportunities are available to the team hustling more. If the Warriors up the energy, the Jazz will have a lot fewer easy looks.
We’re underdogs again. Maybe a silly point. Maybe the key to our lost Round 1 mojo. The Warriors have been playing for two months to shock the world. They did it by making the playoffs and by beating the Mavs in Round 1, but for a few days afterwards they suddenly became favorites. The Jazz’s 2-0 start and the potentially crushing nature of Game 2 should put us back in familiar territory.
So, here’s what I recommend: write us off, call us flukes, trash our wins, and run the obits on the front page. Get David Stern on the line and we can just cancel the rest of the series. What has this team really accomplished this season anyway? In my book, only one thing: they’ve made all those who have counted them out look like fools.
As usual, Adam, I agree with most of what you’ve said. No doubt Nellie is burining up the core players with the short rotation. Looked like Baron’s back was ready to go. Especially if Pietrus can’t give us more than what we’ve seen in the first two games, Monta must get more floor time. Again, Azubuike, in my book, is at least the equal of Pietrus, so he deserves a shot. The rebounding disadvantage is ridiculous for this level of ball. Andris is coming up very small, unfortunately.
Our one on one play is getting us nowhere. They read almost every move and are quick to cut off our penetrators. We’ve got to get back to more movement on offense, as well as more of an attack defense (this is where I don’t fully agree with you). Right now we are on our heals as Utah is getting point blank looks right at the basket. They are dictating the tempo, and our defense has looked non-existant for long stretches.
Lastly, a nitpick on Baron: when we inbounded the ball to Baron in the backcourt with about 9 secs left, and Williams slipped, Baron should have gone away from Williams to the other side of the court instead of dribbling right past him to allow for the quick foul. Could have burned off a lot more of the clock. Don’t know if would have mattered, given how easy a look Williams got to tie the damn game. That one hurt.
Great commentary from both of you. My biggest concern - even before the Dallas series - was free throw shooting. With the exception of Jackson, I don’t have confidence in anyone to hit clutch shots from the charity stripe. Our short rotation and the subsequent fatigue makes me even more nervous. Hat’s off to Fisher, not just for his courage dealing with personal issues but for his incredible ball pressure on Baron in the last 2 minutes.
I agree with your anyalsis. The W’s could easily be up 2-0. The Jazz have played their best in both games and barely won. The W’s will win the next two at home. I would like to see Azubuike and Powell get more time in the rotation. Powell can rebound and play good D. They will be fine. Just take one game at a time.
Squandered, and outplayed in the clutch. If we don’t resurrect our killer instinct we’ll have plenty to rap about with Mavs fans (draft picks, free agents, etc).
That being said, the flip side is that’s two very close playoff intense games on the road - no shame in that. The Jazz have been dominant when they’ve had to - give credit for sure - but they haven’t dominated or outplayed us. In fact they’ve been a wee tad bit lucky as well, to win both of those, honestly.
If we hold court like we can and should, it’s still a very good series. If we don’t we’ll talk about what an amazing season anyhow and how nice it is to watch the dubs play in May.
Can we dig a little deeper then, or are we just out of gas? I believe we’ll come up with something a little scarier in Oaktown.
As the old line goes, the only difference between winners and losers is that winners get up one more time.
Cheers!
Cheers!
Yea, second guessing time is coming and I’ll repeat a couple of points I made over the last week or two, but just about everybody who posts here should have one mention at least as to how well they have done over the last few monhs.
Imagine the day before the “big trade” that we would now be scratching our heads as to how the W’s could win in the second round, let alone dispatching the leaque leading Mavericks AND even making the playoffs at all. Imposrtant to remember this at all times, including those moments where the family members (and the dog)all leave the room because you’re screaming “MAKE YOUR F#%$&ING FREETHROWS!!!”
Even if they don’t go any further than this round, they have exceeded EVERYONE’s expectations, are one of the most (if not the) entertaining teams in the league and have given us fans (35 years for me) some long lusted for respect that has been missing for so long.
Right on Warriors!!!
However…..I think that the short rotations’ cumulative effect has to materialize at some point. Exhasution shows up in many ways, including making less than stellar decisions. Since Azubuike made an initial splash when he came on board, I have been waiting for him to play more minutes and give the core some much needed rest. I think this exhasution factor fits into much of what’s going on. Having a short rotation is a gamble (it’s paid off, for sure) because all you need is for one guy to not play (injury, bad head space (Monta), suspensions etc) and exhasution is on soon on the whole team.
Also, tho the W’s can certainly score quickly and demoralize an opponent like no other (excluding Phoenix) at some point in their evolution, I hope they learn to have faith in their small ball half court offense. Too often they settle for a three or a one on one, whereas I think they could be very effective at weaving and passing their way to much easier buckets. Small ball works on the half court just like it does on the full. A highly paced offensive set including weaves, multiple screeings, back door cuts, ball movement could bewilder teams and be a potent new addition to their existing offense.
Further to the above, there is a psycological advantage for the W’s if they control the ball on offense longer, as well as making the opponent play defense longer and wearing them out as well as them having more time to commit fouls. I ain’t saying stop the fast pace, just throw another version of it at them, like switching from zone to man to man sometimes work. Maybe that’s what we get next year. Takes time.
Love this blog.
Charlie
All you peeps out in Oakland wanna talk trash about the Mavs but the funny thing is they didn’t stumble into a 67 winning season. You may have mentally beat them but your ball club is no better then a high school freshman team. They get upset and through their arms around when they get mad and push people. Your playing a team that won’t stand for it in Utah and they WILL win the next 2 games. Welcome to the NBA.
1. Careless ball-handling in transition
2. Nelson’s refusal to call offensive sets when the team has a lead in the final two minutes
(Nellie seems to call time outs in the waning minutes only to say something like: “Alright Stephen you dribble near half court for 15 seconds and then try to make something happen”)
3. On the defensive end, our guards leak out too early after the Jazz put up a shot. I know the transition/fast break offense is our game but the Jazz probably got ten extra possessions because of long rebounds Baron or Monta could have grabbed
The Warriors looked listless last night; perhaps it’s the effect of the flu bug.
Watching the Warriors the past couple of games reminds me of a superior football team allowing a good team to stay close enough where a few breaks cost the superior team the game.
I believe the Warriors will win the next couple of games in part because they are home and they will be refocused.
The underdog point is a good one: expectations are now lowered since the Warriors are down 0-2.
Free throws: If you can’t hit at least 80% you should try shooting “granny” style. It might look a little funny, but losing a game because you can’t hit your throws is funnier and sadder.
“The Jazz have played their best in both games and barely won”. I’m sick of hearing this line, guys. We can keep telling ourselves that each Jazz victory is a fluke. I’ve seen the Jazz play enough to know that they are not playing their best. They typically play up to the level required. Have you seen their game when they beat Phoenix, Detroit, or San Antonio? If they whip out one of those games, we’re in for a blowout. Btw, Wednesday night was the first time in the playoffs I’ve seen the Warriors look tired or demoralized.
JK, how does it feel losing to the JV squad then? Actually we don’t want to talk about the Mavs at all right now because 67 wins or whatever, your team isn’t significant in terms of the present tense y’know? We’re certain you understand. Maybe next year. So we feel for you but could you sob someplace else? Don’t they have self-help groups in TX?
We love Schmoe Scientific ™; a kludged group of castoffs, malcontents and what have you, written off by everybody, who play with a lot of heart and energy (if not always a ton of intelligence). We are competitive with other teams’ table scraps MAN! A Nelsonstein’s monster in shiva hydra mode (when it’s working well, ugly discoordinated chunky peanut butter land squid when it’s not).
Hey we’re having fun with it, even when it pisses us off (maybe the Mavs need *another* decade of futility to regain some authentic humility).
Cheers!
I can hear Bill Walton imploring the Warriors right now:
“Can somebody make a FREE THROW? Puh-lease?!”
Didn’t say I was cheering for the Mavs. Just stating that you have a team that Nelson has coached and built. I am a Jazz fan but I watched a little bit of the games between the W’s and Mavs and they did get out coached HOWEVER the Mavs I beleive are still a better ball club. Their numbers show it and their season proves it. Just because the W’s won 4 games doesn’t prove anything. Considering your team hasn’t won or even been in the playoffs since ‘93-’94. That would be OVER a decade ago. But the Mavs and the Jazz have been here for the longest and just because your here doesn’t mean your a great team. Marginal teams make it into the playoffs but that doesn’t mean they are any good. Your team wouldn’t be here if there wasn’t an 8th seed. Both the Jazz and the W’s have a lot of work if ethier want to win and go to the next round. But for most of your fans to say that the Jazz played their best and barley beat the W’s is a joke. A win is a win. No matter where you put it or how it’s achieved. The Jazz will play hard at Orical and I don’t think the fans will bother their composure much. Also I don’t think the MENTAL games Nelly played with the Mavs is going to work on them. Sorry Warrior fans but your going to need to find another way to win against the Jazz because Nelly hasn’t coached them before. OH… and if it starts lookin ugly in games 3 and 4 that your not going to win the series dont get all mad and start fights with the other team.
GO JAZZ!!
You’re funny, Jkester the Jester! You win two close games at home with some hard work and some luck, and now the Jazz are NBA royalty? With how many rings again? That would be infintely less than the dubs son (and I’m sure even you can count to one).
OK you’re right! Boozer’s inhuman (and we don’t mean how he treats old blind men, necessarily)! Deron’s a monster (and yes we’ll test that calm demeanor in the Oracle)! AK is a Russian hit man (with a soft, sensitive, chewy carmel inside and a free ride pass from his wife no less)! I can’t believe the league even let us on the same court with this all-world team, it’s like pedigree vs mutt for reals! Phenomenial!
We really appreciate you letting us stick ’round in these ballgames, it’s good for our emotional development and self-esteem - we thank you because you care. We are just soooo happy to just be here y’know? Hanging out with Salt Lake City’s Living Legends, a true honor.
Gosh.
Hey Jkestler,
So what if the Warriors haven`t been to the playoffs as often as your Jazz. And I love your line…”your team wouldn`t be here if there wasn`t an 8th seed”…well there are 8 seeds in each conference smart ass, and we are here and we won`t back down from Loozer, I mean Boozer and co.
When the Jazz franchise wins a championship, then maybe we can talk, but for now go crawl back into your hole.
Hey,
I’m a jazz fan, but rather than talk smack I wanted to say HOLY $%&! what an amazing couple of games! I’m of course happy the jazz pulled out both wins at home, but the series is anything but decided. I’m blown away by the athleticism of the Ws and how unconscious they are with the threes–and that it often WORKS for them! The jazz will be up by 10 and then you blink and the Ws are up by 4! Unbelievable!
I think the jazz will try to slow it down more in Oakland because if they don’t the Ws always seem to be on the brink of a 20-0 run. Obviously, for the jazz to have a chance there, their rebounding has to be as dominant as it’s been. I also am interested to see if the every other day schedule will eventually take it’s toll on the Ws in a long series.
But this series has the look of a classic series that goes to 7 games. I think fans of both teams should buckle up for a fun ride–and hopefully the rest of the NBA will take notice of the best series going!
AW YEAH! No shame losing to the better team y’know? Not in matchups this fun & exciting to watch! Hey if the Jazz beat us at our game in our home - more power to them them! If the next few games are like the last few stay glued to your TV certainly!! Must watch ball - CRUCIAL!! We’ve got the entire basketball nation paying attention now, because win or lose you have to admit our play can move you, even if you don’t have a pulse (right Dallas fans?).
Cheers!
Mojozworkin,
I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the Jazz up tempo game. I’m glad the scores have been high and not a stall ball game. I think the Jazz are probably a better up tempo team then they believe they are. If the Jazz try to slow down the tempo, I think it will hurt the Jazz even more because the Warriors will stay in the zone and force the Jazz to settle for jumpers.
I believe being at home gives a team a 5-6 point team advantage; thus, I believe the Warriors will sweep the next to games. I do think they can win four in a row, but the Warriors have to play better. The Jazz are a good team, so the Jazz are not giving the Warriors a pass to the next round as many expected.
JKestler…its unfortunate you don’t have any friends in Utah to talk to your beloved Jazz about and are forced to log onto OUR, obviously now legendary, blog to gloat about your teams two narrow wins. The funny thing is the Jazz won 51 games and clinched early and the Warriors had to fight and claw to make it into the playoffs and it’s still taken the Jazz 48 and 53 minutes respectively to beat our “High School Freshman team”… If the Warriors are a high school freshman team then the Jazz are nothing better than the school yard bully who push, shove and throw elbows when they can’t beat you fair…I’d say Jerry Sloan is the big brother who is standing at the school yard fence yelling encouragement to his younger brother, but for some reason I have too much respect for him to say that…or maybe I just did. Anyway I’d rather my team play with emotion and lose, than play dirty and win…IDIOT…
Jazz play dirty? HA HA….Obviously you didn’t watch your team during the series between Dallas and you?
Now, now…this blog is for intelligent basketball conversation and enthusiasum. If Jkester is a bafoon who cannot bring his lowly IQ up to our level and break down the tremendous series that we a so privelidged to be a part of then just ignore him. He obviously doesn’t know anything about a freshman basketball team - he sounds like a little kid who just got cut on the first day of tryouts. Grow a pair and come back when you are a bit more mature and can sit at the big boy table.
Back to the game. Man was that a terrific showing by both teams. Of course I almost broke my TV when we started missing those free throws….and I knew that D.Fish was going to make an impack. I have to take my hat off to him and his family (also Dee Brown - I hope he is okay). One thing I don’t understand is why Jax was inbounding the ball at the end of the game. He is the best freethrow shooter and is basically not in the play. I don’t understand. I would have rather him take those freethrows and Baron at the end. And why is MP even in the game in crunch time when you know that if he gets the ball and goes to the line there is a good chance he will miss.
I am still very optimistic about what is transpiring in this series. No matter what the final conclusion is, this is the way it should be. I want to see our team have some pressure put on it’s shoulders. Winning game 1 in Dallas made the series almost easy. That is not how you become a Champion. MOST Champions earn it by responding to situations like this. I thought the Dubs would win in 6 - and still think they can - but it would serve us well to experience being in a game 7 on the road. Win or lose we still win.
The one thing that is really bothering me is Monta. I don’t understand why he can’t bring up his level of play. We all saw what he is capable of. Even after the trade when he was coming of the bench he was good for 17. I just don’t get it. I really hope he comes out of his funk at home.
As for being back at home. I think will have a huge win in one of these games and a close win in the other. Hopefully we can come out on fire in game 3 and put it away early so we can get some rest for our guys, but I have a sneaking suspesion that game 4 will be just like the last 2 -it will come down to the wire.
We Gotta Believe!!
GO WARRIORS!!!
“Considering your team hasn’t won or even been in the playoffs since ‘93-’94. That would be OVER a decade ago. But the Mavs and the Jazz have been here for the longest and just because your here doesn’t mean your a great team”
So tell me JKester, when was the last time your team went to the playoffs before this year…and when was the last time they got out of the first round….and aside from John and Karl, what does your team really have to hang it’s hat on? I’m not sure I understand what you are talking about in the quote above. Please enlighten us with your profound knowledge.
For the record, I don’t think the Jazz are playing dirty. They are just bigger and stronger. It is up to the refs to call the game fairly. I have seen the Jazz push us under the basket and knock us around a bit but this is the playoffs and we need to understand that this is how the game is played. I just hope if we step up the intensity and push back that they call the game equal at both ends.
I don’t think the Jazz play dirty either, though Boozer and Harpring do play like linebackers a bit (but I mean that mostly as a compliment). They’re big and strong - wha’chah gonna do?!?
Yeah love to Fisher and Brown no doubt!
WE blessed to get to watch games like these!! Hope the first two were just the intro YO!
A damn fine game that the dubs cannot afford to dwell on. I think defensively they played well and just need to find a few more steals and rebounds to seal the deal. There’s probably not enough time to learn new free throw shooting techniques so they should continue to do what they do well and just take care of the ball. Even Baron was too careless with the ball last night. To have a chance to win when you’re out-rebounded and have no inside presence speaks real highly of the W’s.
By the way, can the W’s try some mid-range jumpers? And if they’re going to the hole (J-Rich), could you go for the dunk and not fade to the left? THANKS.
I am a Jazz fan. Man, what a series!!! The first game could have gone either way. Last night, the W’s gave it to us - but, yet we did have to earn it. Fisher gave us an emotional boost that we desparately needed. The Warriors are an exciting team to watch and have made the Jazz a more exciting team to watch as well. Baron is amazing and a class act - I love the magnets on ball commercial. It’s going to be tough to get a win in Oakland, I think it’s going to come down to another wild and wacky game 7.
You have to feel sorry for San Antonio and Phoenix, that was supposed to be the series to watch. Jazz - Warriors have become the new American Idol.
Best wishes to Fisher and his family and Dee Brown
The picture of Monta came out of the game, wrapped the towel over his head and was repeatedly hitting his head was very difficult to take. Nelson should allow this youngster to play through his mistakes and not yanking him out the game right after every mistake. Despite being a professional, Monta is young and need some encouragement, not punishment for his mistake. The way Nelson handling this makes it worse for Monta’s confident.
Jackson should learn that he will not be able to beat AK driving to the basket for a layup, if his outside shots do not fall, he should try to help with an assist because he is a good passer. And PLEASE do not try to do the cross-over move, you do not have that move…give it up…you will dribble the ball off your own feet.
The Ws should not bring Powell or Foyle in the game no matter how bad is the rebounding situation. They came this far with their styles of playing, just need to stay with it, will live and die with this style (at least for the rest of the play off). What the Ws need is that ALL players must help out on the rebounding. Utah makes it a point to play very physical with AB and it works, AB did not get that many rebounds, everyone needs to help him out.
Utah has a good coach and their style is to be physical with the Ws small team. Also, the refs let the players play more physical than the regular season; The Ws should recognize this style and not be frustrated and expected many calls. When you get knock down, just get right back up and continue. Jackson was busy complaining about a non call last night, he did not run back and the result was a wide open three for Okur.
I still think the Ws can win this series if they win the next two games at home.
GO WARRIORS GO…
Make Open Shots- Whether its free throws or a layup. What is going on???? Usually NBA players are known to be a little better than college or high school players. Open shots are only controlled by the shooters. Theres no excuse for a missed open shot, but for the players. Baron!!! Please pass up the ball, when bringing it up. If he would’ve passed up the ball, maybe just maybe he wouldn’t have stepped out of bounds.
Lets Go Warriors. Lets tie this up at home! 2-2
You guys need to check yourself before you wreck yourself!
You sound EXACTLY like the Mavs Fans in Round 1!
before you attack me, read the comments, and then tell me that I’m wrong.
THAT’S THE PLAYOFFS! It’s a freakin’ rollercoaster ride! Good luck, and have fun!
jkestler…i’d like to introduce you to two things: spellcheck and paragraphs. oh, and last time i checked, wins in the playoffs DO matter ‘cuz you know…that’s what gets you into the next round.
just enjoy the damn series for what it is!
Jazz fan here, and I just have to disagree with the folks who are claiming that the W’s have taken our “best shot” and barely lost. In both games, the Jazz had hefty leads, and took those opportunities to lose their defensive intensity and turn the ball over at an astonishing rate. Take away those lapses and the Dubs have zip to hang their hats on. The Mavs weren’t ready for your jelly, but over all I’d have to say the Jazz are.
Carve it in stone: We split the next two games and the Jazz clinch it at home in game 5. Nellieball makes for good fun and games, just not second-round wins.
They don’t carve things in stone in basketball - to hard to bounce y’know? Maybe, but given how close the games are? Just as easy we’re back in the Wasatch 2-2 (and you know this).
Cheers!