Video from ESPN: Who will be the last 2 teams to make it into the playoffs as the 7th and 8th seeds in the Western Conference? 

Will the Jazz will sneak in with the 7th or 8th seeds? If not would you be disappointed?

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:7719243

Gordon Hayward vs Kevin Durant

Utah’s Gordon Hayward shuts down Thunder’s Kevin Durant
Salt Lake Tribune:http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/jazz/53758836-87/hayward-durant-shots-thunder.html.csp

Utah Jazz-Oklahoma City Thunder: Report card
Deseret News:http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765561614/Utah-Jazz-Oklahoma-City-Thunder-Report-card.html

Jazz vs Thunder

Utah Jazz   97

OKC Thunder  90   FINAL

http://www.nba.com/games/20120320/OKCUTA/gameinfo.html?ls=gt2hp0021100680#nbaGIboxscore

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “These guys have continued to work hard, stay together and depend on each other and support each other. We have had a few great wins of late here.”

Yahoo Sports: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap?gid=2012032026

Salt Lake Tribune: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/blogsjazznotes/53764240-62/bell-corbin-jazz-watson.html.csp

I love watching the Utah Jazz games. I was talking to some of my friends the other night about the game over the Lakers and how impressed I was with the young guys and how they stepped up and showed they were not intimidated by them. Burks could care less who Kobe was, and Kanter showed he was willing to push back against Bynum. Then we looked forward to the Jazz next game; Oklahoma City Thunder. I had mentioned that even if the Jazz were to lose, and I thought they would, I wouldn't care as long as they showed a good effort and the young guy's continue to get the minutes they deserve. I must thank my dad for texting me. He knows I never watch the games live, but he was so excited that he couldn't hold back his excitement and said "GO TO GUY PM". The PM stood for Paul Millsap. Millsap played great. He has been playing great. I had mentioned to my dad that I didn't think Millsap was a go to guy. He is starting to prove me wrong. I also will be the first to say that I don't like Miles on the floor, but 2 games in a row he has done a pretty good job against 2 really good players in Bryant and Durant. 

I have said this before, but you know the "superstar" on the opposing team will always get his numbers, but even though Westbrook got his, Durant didn't.  But what's even more impressive, the Jazz (knock on wood) have learned how to play a full 48 minutes and can close games even if the other team makes a final run. KEEP IT UP JAZZ!

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST

We Are Up and Running Again

Sorry there have been NO posts as of late, but we are starting up again. We have a lot to talk about with the Jazz winning 4 of their last 5 games, and 2 of those were against the Lakers and the Thunder. The Jazz are a deep team, and now with the young guys getting more minutes with all the injuries and with Al Jefferson attending his grandma's funeral. Are the Jazz just now hitting their stride or will Coach Corbin go back to the guys who have been hurt? Tinsley or Watson? Bell or Burks or Hayward? Jefferson or Kanter or Favors? Who gets the minutes and who will be on the floor at the end of games for the Jazz? Favors has shown he can score, but can he do it under pressure like Jefferson can? Jefferson can score when we need him to, but can he play good enough defense and get a crucial stop like Favors can?  Now with the news of Josh Howard possibly missing the rest of the season, who takes his place in the starting line up? Hayward has been very impressive coming of the bench knowing he is going to get more touches and shot attempts. Do we just figure CJ Miles is going to get the job? Does DeMarre Carrol start to get more playing time over Evans?
So many questions, however, no matter what happens , I can see the future of this Jazz team is as bright as ever. The young guys have shown they are ready to play!

Jazz vs Suns:  http://youtu.be/nckG1aIDTnE  Loss 111-120
Jazz vs Timberwolves:  http://youtu.be/1hycXrJNpT4   Over Time Win   111-105
Jazz vs Warriors:  http://youtu.be/hMSP7apwMPE   Over Time Win   99-92
Jazz vs Lakers:  http://youtu.be/JE-Qsto7hLI  Win  103-99

This is a sick play by Hayward you have to watch: http://youtu.be/uzRYE0_AaK4

Jazz vs Pistons

 105 - 90  FINAL
http://www.nba.com/games/20120312/DETUTA/gameinfo.html

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap?gid=2012031226


This was a good game for the Utah Jazz. I was a little worried there for a while. A small part of me, very small, was telling me that Rodney Stuckey was going to win this game for the Pistons. Thankfully in the 4th quarter, the Jazz, along with the play of one Al Jefferson took over. Jefferson was questionable for tonights game after the passing of his grandmother on Sunday, but I'm glad he played tonight. Just go look at his stat line. 14-18 from the line with 12 boards. It was good to see Favors as well. Every game, although he's not scoring a lot, is starting to look better and more comfortable on the floor. He's a solid player when he get the ball and just goes up as high as he can to put the ball in the hoop. I wish I could say the same for Kanter. I know he is a rookie and all, but he looked more comfortable at the beginning of the season. Now he looks lost and uncomfortable, and timid playing just 9 minutes and 2 points and only 1 rebound.

I did, however, feel a sense of relief as I was watching the game. Suddenly CJ Miles decided to show up. I know his numbers are insanely different when you compare his HOME games to AWAY games, but thank you for actually hitting a shot tonight.  With the trade deadline only being 4 days away, I still wonder what the Jazz plans are with CJ Miles. For far too long, people have been waiting for this guy, and for too long we keep telling ourselves to be patient and that he is worth the risk "for now", but I say enough is enough. We have to let him go.

My other big beef about tonights game comes two-fold. We heard about this "internal matter" situation with Raja Bell. My thoughts were he was upset about not getting enough playing time. When was the last time you actually saw him out on the floor at the end of a game? Now you have Corbin saying everything is good, and suddenly Bell is on the court, when the game was close, and he then finishes the game? You have got to be kidding me! Maybe Corbin is wanting to be liked by Raja rather than being respected. At the end of the game you need to either have Hayward in the game or Burks. Those guys will actually do something for you. And some might say he was out there to guard Stuckey, but he did all game long and couldn't do anything.  27 minutes, 0-2 shooting, 0-1 3Pt shooting, 1-2 FT, 4 rebounds, 2 fouls, and 1 POINT was Raja's line. I know we got the win, but I have no clue why Corbin had him out there.  You could have given Burks at least 10-12 of those minutes.

I love this picture of Earl Watson. I have to say, since the change in the line-up, I have noticed a difference in the play from the Jazz bench. I don't think it's where it was at the beginning of the season, but I do feel it has gotten much better the last few games. Is it Hayward, now taking on a more offensive role now? Or is it Derrick Favors looking more aggressive lately? What ever it is, I know a lot of it has to do with Earl and his toughness, and leadership. When a guy is scoring at will on you, he showed its time to dig deep and go after him and rough him up

Jazz vs Bulls

Jazz 97
Bulls 111     FINAL      http://www.nba.com/video/games/bulls/2012/03/10/0021100598_uta_chi_recap.nba/index.html




On a night where the Jazz were going to have 2 of their starters MIA, you would think reigning MVP Derrick Rose was going to have one of those nights where it would be boring and embarrassing to watch. Instead, as the Bulls also were missing 2 of their starters, we had to watch as there were 3 ex-Jazz starting for one of the best teams in the NBA.

I am still a Ronnie Brewer fan, and I don't hate or like Korver. I do however miss his shooting, but I really hate/dislike Carlos Boozer. Going into this game you already knew Millsap and Boozer were going to go at each other, and then you knew Korver and Brewer wanted to prove a lot to the Jazz as well. But really you can't get mad at the Jazz about Korver, he decided on his own to leave the franchise. I sure hope, after watching the game, that either Burks or Hayward learned their lesson. We want them to do what Korver did to them.

For half of the game, the Jazz played well. They need to learn to play all 4 quarters the same. During the 2nd and 3rd quarters the Jazz failed to keep the game close and the Bulls ran away from there.
The players who impressed me during the game were; Paul Millsap, who loves to go right art Boozer, except Boozer feels the same I'm sure and he showed it. I also like the play of Josh Howard and Alec Burks. I sure hope he gets more time and every Jazz fan needs to push for it as well. I've said it before, but if they are going to Have Hayward come off the bench, then put Burks in the starting line up.

Before the game, one of the 2 Jazz starters out of the line up, was Raja Bell. Coach Corbin, determined not to tell anyone as to why, but would only say Raja was not with the team. Raja Bell's reason for not playing was listed as "Internal Matters". This could mean a number of things, but if you are anything like me, I'm always asking myself why Raja is even in the starting line up when he can't even finish a game (coaches decision). I think it has a lot to do with his lack of minutes at the end of games. Maybe he will get so angry, he request a trade.







THE STAT: The Jazz outscored the Bulls in the paint 62-42 (their starting "bigs'' -- Josh Howard, Millsap andAl Jefferson -- had 57 points) but the Bulls outscored the Jazz from 3-point range 21-0. Utah missed all three 3-pointers it attempted.


QUOTABLE II: "(Korver) showed who he is and that's why we loved him when we had him." 
-- Corbin, who was an assistant coach with the Jazz while Korver played for Utah.

Jazz vs 76ers

Jazz 91


76ers  104    FINAL      

http://www.nba.com/games/20120309/UTAPHI/gameinfo.html

Quote of the game:"They are just physical. They had their hands on us. They took us out of our rhythm a little bit. They made the guys on the wings catch the ball one or two steps out. We started getting it into the paint and they really did a good job of funneling to the ball."

-- Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin on the Sixers' defense.  

Agree or Disagree? The Jazz didn't go inside enough to Jefferson, who leads the team in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots. Jefferson could have had more opportunities, but simply didn't get the ball enough or get to the free throw line enough


Rookie Watch: Jazz guard Alec Burks scored six points while center Enes Kanter was scoreless.

Can someone please tell me why CJ Miles is getting so much playing time? I'll be the first to admit that talking to others about the Jazz, I feel more comfortable with CJ out there than Raja Bell, but if the Jazz are going to experiment more with Hayward coming off the bench then I feel Burks should the start and give him CJ's minutes while still giving Hayward the bulk. 
Maybe the Jazz are doing what they did player Eric Maynor a lot of minutes? Advertisement for other teams?

Josh Howard, unlike Miles, will get a pass from me on his awful performance against the 76ers. He missed all 6 of his shot attempts. He get a pass because this is the first time as a starter where he has had a bad game. He won't get any more passes from me, or other Jazz fans for that matter if it continues.

Jazz vs Bobcats

Jazz 99   Bobcats 93     FINAL

http://www.nba.com/games/20120307/UTACHA/gameinfo.html

http://www.nba.com/games/20120307/UTACHA/gameinfo.html

Jefferson continues to play well on the offensive end by passing the ball as he ended the game with 31 points, 9 rebounds and handed out 5 more assists.

       Players who need some recognition vs the Bobcats; Josh Howard, Devin Harris, and Derrick Favors. Can't say enough about the way Harris has been playing these last 7-8 games. I love how he's been getting out and pushing the ball. Howard continues to impress after being inserted into the starting lineup. Favors was getting rebounds and was very active.

Hayward continued to look good off the bench, although he didn't score in double figures, he looked good on defense and still got 6 boards and 4 assists.

Jazz vs Cavs

Jazz 109   Cavs 100    Final

http://www.nba.com/games/20120305/UTACLE/gameinfo.html

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap?gid=2012030505

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765557311/Utah-Jazz-Unselfish-Al-Jefferson-becoming-triple-threat.html

 http://www.nba.com/games/20120305/UTACLE/gameinfo.html
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/53653952-77/hayward-jazz-points-bench.html.csp

Jazz vs Mavericks

Jazz 96                                   
Mavericks 102   Final


                                           HOW DO THE JAZZ TURN THINGS 
                                                  AROUND ON THE ROAD?


http://www.nba.com/video/games/mavericks/2012/03/03/0021100544_uta_dal_recap.nba/index.html

There's not much for me to say about the game tonight. I like the effort the Jazz made with the young guys on the floor to get within 10, but I think Corbin brought the starters in too early. The young fellas were getting it done defensively and I like when the Jazz get out and run.

What I can't stand is watching Dirk go off for 40 points. Dallas is a team, along with the Blazers and Lakers, when I think the Jazz need put Favors in the starting lineup and let Millsap come off the bench. Dirk is one of those guys who, more than likely, is going to get his points, but I'd rather he only have 20-25 instead of 40. Millsap really put a lot of pressure on Dirk towards the end of the game, but I wish Favors was out there playing against him because he wouldn't be able to shoot over him as easily.

What I also can't stand is watching every team the Jazz play against shoot lights out from 3's. Is Coach Corbin actually trying to address the team to fix this, or is he just keeping it how it is hoping teams just miss more than they make? Also, with so much talent and youth the Jazz have, who actually play significant minutes, I want to know why the Jazz don't let those guys get out and run almost every possession against an "older" "aging" team like the Mavs. Guys like J Kidd and Dirk wouldn't last long.

Now that Lamar Odom is not a Laker, I don't hate him as much, but I hate seeing a Kardashian on tv. I can't help but remember a time when the Lakers were playing on the road and someone had held up a sign that read;  "Hey Lamar, you married the UGLY one!"

Now that's funny!

Jazz vs Heat

Utah Jazz 99
Miami Heat 98  Final

The Miami Heat came into SLC looking to extend their winning streak to 10 straight games. Even without Chris Bosh playing, and considering the Heat played the night before in Portland, you knew this was going to be a tough game for the Jazz.  Talking to a lot of my friends before the game, I got a sense everyone was feeling the same. The Jazz were coming off an impressive game against the Houston Rockets and also receiving a day off, and playing at home, we were expecting a good effort from the Jazz.

  This was a fun and entertaining game to watch. At the beginning, I thought the Jazz were going to be in for a long night considering Shane Battier hit his first 4 3-Pointers (missing only 1 the entire game), but the Jazz were able to hang in there and later were able to get out and push their lead up to 18 at one point. Then in the 3rd quarter LeBron went NUTS! I believe he finished the 3rd quarter scoring 15 points and then carried it over into the 4th where he scored 17 points. No matter what he does he will get criticized for passing the ball to Haslem at the en, but the guy is a FREAK and in this case, he SHOULD NOT have passed it because he hadn't missed. He could have thrown the ball backwards and it more than likely would have went in, but he probably would have been criticized if he were to shoot it and miss.

Its funny to get everyone's perspective on the game afterwards. There are so many different opinions about what the Jazz did well and what they didn't do so well and need to get better at. In my opinion, I loved watching the Jazz bench play and was wanting them to get back on the floor. They looked like the Jazz bench from a couple of months ago. While on the floor, the team showed hustle, energy, grit, and some emotions. Enes Kanter went after every rebound he was close to, and although he took some ugly shots, I'll live with it. He deserves it after how hard he worked to get the ball in the first place. Also, I'm really starting to like Alec Burks more and more after each game. I can't wait to see him next season when he gets bigger. I know CJ Miles had a great game against Houston, and was solid last night against the Heat, but watching Burks, he looks like he has a ton of confidence out there and he doesn't care who you are, and looks forward to the challenge.

Next challenge for the Jazz, take these 2 wins and play the same way on the road starting against Dallas.

Click to Watch:
http://www.nba.com/video/games/jazz/2012/03/02/0021100536_mia_uta_recap.nba/index.html

http://www.nba.com/jazz/video/2012/03/03/20120302postmillsap2m4v-2022734/index.html

http://www.nba.com/jazz/video/2012/03/02/0021100536_mia_uta_play7.nba/index.html

http://www.nba.com/jazz/video/2012/03/02/0021100536_mia_uta_play7.nba/index.html

http://www.nba.com/jazz/video/2012/03/02/0021100536_mia_uta_play7.nba/index.html

Jazz vs Rockets

Utah Jazz 104
Houston Rockets 83
Final

The first half of the game was an U-G-L-Y !!! It was nice to see the Jazz come out the 2nd half and look like the Jazz back in January. The ball was moving from side to side, and other players were getting involved. I like having Josh Howard in the starting lineup. Listening to sports radio before last nights game about how Corbin wants to make some changes in the rotation, and one observation was to start Bell when he get back, and have Hayward come off the bench. I don't like that idea. I know a lot of Jazz fans want Hayward to score more, but he does a lot out on the floor. He is smart with the ball, and doesn't try to force anything and he's a good defender. He literally tries to block every shot he can if he's close enough to the guy, especially on a fast break. It was good to get this win, because Houston has been playing some pretty good ball as of late. I know it was a home game, but it showed others on the Jazz team are ready for more playing time (Favors, Burks). I still think Kanter needs to get more minutes as well, and wish Corbin would play Kanter and Jefferson at the same time.

We had great performances from Devin Harris, who had to leave the game with flu-like symptoms, and CJ Miles. Funny how they both had huge games after all the trade talk involving their names. I still think they will both be traded by the deadline. It just sucks to see how CJ Miles can play so well and how athletic he is, but it also sucks how those glimpses come every 5th or 6th game. Maybe Harris will start to play well knowing that he is outta here, and wants to leave. Who knows really?

http://www.nba.com/games/20120229/HOUUTA/gameinfo.html

http://www.nba.com/games/20120229/HOUUTA/gameinfo.html

http://www.nba.com/games/20120229/HOUUTA/gameinfo.html


SIDE NOTE: Every time the Jazz play the Houston Rockets, I can't help but remember a great experience I had. I had the opportunity to talk to Hakeem Olajuwon, who is one of the top 5 centers of all time in my opinion. I came home and had a message on my answering machine ( I was on my mission) from Hakeem inviting myself and my mission companion over for dinner (see pic). I also met Steve "Franchise" Francis.

The Young me with Hakeem outside the practice facility

Dinner at Hakeem's home. Spaghetti w/ meatballs and Fish

Steve Francis. He said he likes Mormons

Jazz vs Kings

Utah Jazz 96
Sacramento Kings 103
Final
















Game Highlights:
http://www.nba.com/games/20120228/UTASAC/gameinfo.html

http://www.nba.com/games/20120228/UTASAC/gameinfo.html

http://www.nba.com/games/20120228/UTASAC/gameinfo.html

Demarcus Cousins absolutely owned the Utah Jazz. I honestly don't mind having a guy who has 1 or 2 loose screws in the head on my team. I hope that the attitude which Cousins plays with, will rub off onto Kanter and Favors for the future. Think of Metta World Peace aka Ron Artest back in his days at Chicago and Indiana. He was crazy, but they guy was an All-Star, and one of the best defensive players the league had. He didn't care who you were, just ask Kobe, he was going to try and get under your skin. This is how Cousins plays. I wish Coach Corbin would tell Favors and Kanter to get in there, and to not worry about being pulled from the game if they just lay someone out for trying to make a layup. Start them while they are young and help them develop, not just their ball skills, but also develop a nasty/dirty/intimidating presence.

All-Star Weekend