Jazz vs Houston Game 5 Recap
Normally David Locke provides us with a live blog during the game. Due to technical difficulties, we won’t have that tonight. Instead please enjoy this recap.
‘Handcuffed’ (Bill Baptist - NBAE/Getty Images)
Chances are you have a question on your mind. What went wrong? If you want the simple answer… Plenty. Almost everything. If you want a clearer break down, read on.
Field Goal Percentage.
The Jazz finished the game shooting 36.4%. Ouch. That is not going to get it done on the road – especially when the team you are playing has their back against the wall. Especially when that team is shooting at a 46.8% clip. You can credit Houston for playing good defense – but the Jazz did have open shots, they just could not knock them down. The Jazz seemed to abandon their offense for large chunks of the game settling for outside shots instead of forcing it inside. The Jazz continue to struggle from the 3 point line.
Free Throw Percentage.
If you have small children with you you might want to cover their eyes before you see the next stat. Maybe you better cover their ears too. The Jazz shot 13 of 23 from the line. A pathetic 56.5%. Lets face it – when as a team your free throw line looks like something out of either a horror movie or a Shaquille O’Neal box score – you’ve got big problems. It’s the second time in the series the Jazz have shot poorly from the line. It’s time to spend some extra time in the gym.
Turnovers.
Not only did the Jazz have 18 turnovers. Those 18 fumbles turned into 24 points for the Rockets. Thats more then one fourth of the Rockets total points.
Confidence and Greed.
The Jazz were missing shots, that hurts your confidence, but Houston acted like they belonged on the floor tonight – the Jazz did not. The Rockets complained to the league claiming the Jazz were playing too physical. That seemed to be a factor in this game. The Jazz looked timid at times and the Rockets looked confident that it would be their game. It was. The Jazz have to get mean and to quote Charles Barkley – they need to get greedy. They need to want it all. They need to want to fight to win every game. The Jazz still have a good chance to show this. Come game 6 – The Jazz need to be thinking one thing from the start to the finish – punch them in the mouth (don’t worry Landry, it’s not meant literally).
Pirate Code.
Game 6 is Friday night. It’s time for the Jazz to live up to the Pirate Code. Take what you can, give nothing back.
23 Comments to “Jazz vs Houston Game 5 Recap”
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This was another example of the fact the JAZZ can’t handle the preasure and they are too weak in the mind to win this series, and if they do, they are going to be swept by the LAKERS anyway. The Lakers are too good and have way too many weapons, and they know how to fire on all cylinders all the time. The JAZZ on the other hand just take too many things for granted. I have been a JAZZ fan my whole life but we all know that small market teams don’t have any leverage in the league and LA is too dominant and have Kobe Bryant who is too good and the worst of it all gets all the calls. Its like Jordan all over again, all the rules are adjusted to please Kobe. But that is the way it will always be, the Superstars get the calls while the small market teams bet screwed year in and year out. The Lakers or Celtics will win yet another championship, just the way Commissioner David Stern will want.
Ashley,
I feel your pain. But please - don’t jump. The Jazz are still in the drivers seat to win this series and there is good reason to believe they will. They play well in big games. This for them is a must win. Just the kind of game they play well in.
It’s not always a big conspiracy. Remember the last 10 years have been dominated by the Spurs - a small market team.
I understand that, but I other big problem is that these that dominate the league, we only had one team that never one the championship win one, the was the Miami Heat (hard to believe after this season) but since the Lakers have 3 not counting the ones they won with Magic Johnson, Spurs have 4, Detroit added another making their total 3. Of course we can’t forget the Jordan years (6 for his “airness”) When he retired the first time Houson got 2, Its just that once in a while someone else wins but most of all its the same teams over and over.
15 years and only 5 different teams. To me that is not a very competitive league. What they need to do is make a salary “ceiling” Where each team has $65 million to spend and can’t go over that, and whatever player sends them over the limit the player gets off the team. This would really challenge the teams to stay within means. I’m not saying pay the players less, but saying give every team the chance to be competitive and not just the ability to fork out as much money as possible. The luxury tax has only hurt the small teams, Boston and Los Angeles is way over the “Salary Cap”, but they can afford to pay the luxury tax. I love the game of basketball but the problem is like any sport money talks, and if you can make league a ton of money then they will help you win the championship. Bob Delaney proved that to me with all those horrific calls, and all were against the Jazz, no one seems to remember about eight years ago that he openly admitted to not likeing the Jazz, and will do anything to help the lose (of couse the free throws didn’t help) But like the league says, I quess, that the refs don’t make bad calls, they are perffic and are doing just fine to David Stern.
Ashley,
A salary ceiling will never happen. Not only will the players union not even entertain the idea - the owners including the small market owners would never agree to it. Using the best estimates I can find 13 teams will have to pay luxury tax this year. That means that tax money will be split amongst the other 17 teams. Those 17 teams stand to gain over 6 million a club (that pays for a player like Harpring or Korver). Also there is nothing that says the more you spend the more you win. If you take the teams who have won a first round series or are leading/favored to advance - 4 of those 8 teams are in the top 15 salaries - the other 4 are from the bottom half. There are a lot of advantages having other teams over the cap. When Boozer becomes a free agent - the Lakers can’t offer him half of what the Jazz can.
Well run teams win championships. Thats why the Clippers never contend. Thats why its a small list of teams that have won over the last 15 years.
Being an NBA official is a tough job. The league constantly monitors games - so does outside authority (goverment, gaming commissions). They are not perfect but they are the best you are going to get. The NBA does not allow a bias between refs and teams to go unchecked. Crawford - one of the senior more respected refs was suspended for months because he threw a guy out and the league could not justify the reason.
Bottom line is it is not a perfect system - but well run teams can win. Those are the teams you will see making it into the second round of the playoffs and beyond on a regular basis.
FYI - only two of the top 7 teams ranked by salary are going to the second round. Here is a list of the 13 teams that will most likley be over the luxury cap if the cap will be at the projected 68.7 million.
Dallas
New York
Denver
Cleveland
Boston
Portland
Miami
LAL
Phoenix
Phily
Houston
San Antonio
Minnesota
I was thinking that there was a salary cap but I guess I was thinking of the luxury cap. Money certainly helps but I think right now it is down to heart. I thought from watching the game that the Jazz were blown away (in their minds) as well as on the floor. They were so surprised by Houston coming out with such force that their game was really thrown off. Then they started trying too hard, got really flustered, started a little bickering between players, and played like they didn’t know what was going on. Yes, I know that it is a job for them and that they get paid lots and lots of money to win (too much to win for all pro athletes, but that is another whole blog) and they shouldn’t get flustered, but they are also human. If they get it together and play together as they have before, then I look for a great game and a win Friday. Then the big problem is that they didn’t think about home advantage way back when they were losing!!!!!!
Quick answer for you Linda.
The salary cap is a soft cap meaning you can go over it but once you hit it - there will be some restrictions. Once a team is over the cap they can only sign free agents for the minimum or a mid level exception - provided they have not already used it. If you have a players “Bird Rights” basically meaning it’s your own free agent you can offer more. It also reguires trades to have somewhat balanced contract amounts. The cap is around 55 million.
Luxury tax is figured out after all contracts are signed. There is a tricky formula that will decide where the luxury tax will be - this year estimates put it around 67-68 million. If you go over that you owe one dollar for every dollar you spend above that level. That monet is then divided up between the teams that did not go over that level. Basically the list of all the teams above will giving money to all the rest of the teams in the league.
I didn’t know the last part of the salary cap. I just thought David Stern would pocket it all.
“They are not perfect but they are the best you are going to get.”
Now that is pretty sad news!
If you have watched the other playoff games all you can really ask yourself is, out of 300 million folks why can’t we find a hundred or so that have some honor in the purity of the game?
It seems that all the games are flooded with bad calls, no calls, instant rule changes and the like. Seemingly it is directed. We saw the same last year as well. Though it may not be so, it APPEARS as though it is.
I’v long said if you desie the reffs out of the W/L decision, then put up some points and ice them out of it. Put it beyond even them to call it.
Horrible game last night by the jazzboyz, Hope they grow up again by Fri.
Lets also not forget the massive flow of money that each po game brings into the clubs and respective cities, TV and the NBA itself either. All potential factors in the W/L decisions.
The Jazz’s MO all year has been that they lose games on the road that are basically meaningless. Even though last night’s game should have been important to the Jazz, they knew that they had the chance to close out at home in game 6. I believe (and predicted) that is why they lost game 5. I don’t think they are mentally unfit, they just didn’t get up and focused for game 5.
lets face it. The Rockets are a much better team than the Jazz. Prior to last night the Jazz have gotten every call/ no call. Each game has been determined by the refs unfortunately. Game 4, need I mention more. Foul after foul after foul by the Jazz not called. Then Scola barely touaches somebody and it is all of the sudden a foul. For example, lets take okur’s push into i believe it was scola’s back to gain the offensive rebound when williams missed two freethrows. Not only do they not call the foul on okur, but they call a foul on scola. RIDICULOUS and game deciding. The Rockets will win this one in 7 just like predicted even with all of our injuries and such.
Part of the reason why the Jazz lost was because they didn’t play good defense like the Rockets did, and another reason why is because Boozer didn’t make any of his shots I say we trade him.
that game was terrible! i was so mad! the jazz continue to shoot themselves in the foot! ahh.. it just makes me mad! iv been a die hard jazz fan all my life, so im pretty passionate about it!
another thing.. i never used to believe this, but more people keep bringing up the issue that the league is “fixed.” with all the money thats behind the league, and all the gambeling, how can it not be fixed?! can anyone shed light to this matter? cause i watch how teams play and how the refs officiate, and i do start to wonder if there is come “hidden agenda” behind it all!
Oh Man. I don’t get it how the jazz didn’t win it in four. last year the jazz had rookies in millsap and brewer. and they beat the Rockets with yao and a Tracy Mcgrady who was a lot better last year then this year. now they have more playoff experience and an mvp candidate. Whats up. i think they should forget about it being the playoffs and play tommarow as if its a normal season home game.
i think that coach sloan should give korver a little more time in the fourth quarter and let him get a rally going.
Korver is playing horrible in this series. I say bench him and put Morris Almond in. Boozer has played horrible in this series, bench him and throw Millsap into a starting roll.
Houston is not better than Utah. The Jazz will not lose this series. Everybody loves the jazz when they win, and jump boat when they lose. Where’s the loyalty?
Go Jazz, in 6.
The Jazz are a good team. Over time i hope they can win it all. Pau Gasol was a steal for the lakers and they’ll probably dominate the next few years. I’m as loyal as they get.
Jazz in 6. Lose to lakers in six games. (of course if there is defense).
Oh yeah whoever said trade boozer is nuts! Boozer will find his game. He is an all star and he makes the pick and roll happen. If he comes out more aggressive and gets to the hoop then he will be ten times better. He needs to stop taking the jump shots!
Jazz better start stepping up because all they need to do is win one more game and then they will have to go against the Lakers the #1 team in the west they should of thought of this before, because now there going to be tired when they go against the Lakers so Jazz don’t let your guard down and upset me, remember your at home.
The Jazz better win… or else I’ll be really upset.
Joe G- Not only are your rockets not better than the Jazz they arent even on the same level. T-Mac cries over everything. Including his early exits year in and year out. He is also the reason you lost game 4. Okur didnt go over Scola he didnt go over anyone. Not to mention it was Landry trying to box him out. But McGrady knocked the ball out of Landrys hands and thats how Okur ended up with it. If your going to say we got all the calls in game 4, then you should have watched game 3 when the Rockets could do no wrong and got all the calls. The Jazz struggled in game 5 obviously. But they will win this series due to the fact they are the better team. Oh and I hope TMacs tears dont cause a flood in Houston from losing another first round playoff matchup. Maybe one day he will make it into the 2nd round.
I have to agree with Clay about Tracy Mcgrady. I haven’t seen anybody since Michael Jordan get calls like he does, yet he still snivels about every no call. A good example was when Ronnie Brewer stripped him in the lane in the last game and then threw the ball off Mcgrady’s leg. It was a clean and great play by Ronnie, but Mcgrady just had to complain about it. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. All the Jazz need to do to win this series is get solid games from Okur and Boozer on the same night. Boozer is a stud, but he has struggled in this series. For that matter, so has Okur. I know Okur has made some clutch three pointers and made the rebound in game 4, but overall he has struggled. I think these two are due to play well at the same time. look for a big game 6 from both of them. We don’t want this to go to a seventh game. The war in the paint and off the bench will dictate game 6.
The thing the jazz lack is consistency…they are so inconsistent that they cannot keep their game up even between quarters. The only way they can get past the Lakers in the next round is if they are consistent with their offense and free throws. They need that 3point back…either that or they need to get dirty and pound it in the paint.
“lets face it. The Rockets are a much better team than the Jazz. Prior to last night the Jazz have gotten every call/ no call. Each game has been determined by the refs unfortunately. Game 4, need I mention more. Foul after foul after foul by the Jazz not called. Then Scola barely touaches somebody and it is all of the sudden a foul. For example, lets take okur’s push into i believe it was scola’s back to gain the offensive rebound when williams missed two freethrows. Not only do they not call the foul on okur, but they call a foul on scola. RIDICULOUS and game deciding. The Rockets will win this one in 7 just like predicted even with all of our injuries and such. ”
Wow….I was having a great time reading these and even chuckled to myself a few times…and then i saw this one….Seems to me like we’ve got either an extremely frustrated Jazz fan or a rockets fan on our hands…… Fact is, in game 5, the Jazz played horribly…..They didn’t deserve that one at all….They will win in six….There’s nothing like closing out a series at home….Hopefully Sloan has them each shoot a million free throws before the game…Haha….No one likes to lose Joe…especially the Jazz, nor will they again in this series….As to your comments about the Jazz getting every call/no call….haha…That’s very amusing to me….I returned from an LDS from Boston in January, thus I was not able to see every game, but have seen almost every game since then…and the Jazz 99.9% of the time fall victim to the call/no calls…. The Jazz get beat up every single time they play…and rarely, if ever, do they get an uncommon number of calls in their advantage… Fact is, the refs aren’t perfect, and though they make their share of bad calls, rarely does a call affect 100% the result of a game…There are always other factors that determine that…..The Jazz are a much better team than the rockets, they just forgot to eat their wheaties on Tuesday… Jazz in 6 and then bring on the lakers!
The refs are doing a great job. You can tell because both teams fans think it’s being called in the other teams favor.
BTW - Okur didn’t foul anyone to get the rebound at the end of game 4. T-MAC knocked it out of Landry’s hands and against the backboard right to Okur. Watch the clip again. Landry had it and T-MAC knocked it away.
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