Jazz vs Blazers – Live Game Blog

Posted by Johnathan Kendrick on October 23, 2008

‘Looming Large?’ (Melissa Majchrzak  NBAE/Getty Images)

Final (Thoughts)

-The last preseason game either feels more important than the rest or less important than the ones before it.  Tonight we got both of those.  The Blazers sat their main guys while the Jazz mainstays saw about 30 minutes of action.
-For the Jazz it was almost like two games in one.  They allowed 63 points in the first half before getting after it in the second half and holding them to 26.  It’s noteworthy that the Jazz also picked up their offensive production when they picked up the defense.
-Price got the start but Knight played more minutes.  Their stats were fairly even and it’s hard to say if one outshined the other.   The two combined for 13 assists and 12 points.
-Watching tonight it looks like most of Deron Williams shots will (should) go to the shooting guards.  Brewer and Korver combine for 37 points on 13-20 shooting.
-Kosta Koufos looked good – and that might just keep him from being assigned to the Orem Flash to start the season. He might not be as strong as some of the other big men in the league but he will have to be guarded where ever he is on the floor.  Except the free throw line where he was 0-2.
- It’s hard to tell just what tonight meant against the Blazers second team. I guess that is why we will all be waiting for next Wednesday.

Fourth Quarter –

-The fourth quarter is Kyle Korver time – Korver put the Jazz in the lead by hitting 3 three point shots within about a minute and a half  of each other early in the fourth.  The crowd of course loved it.  It was as loud as the less than capacity crowd had been all night.  Korver ended with 15 points.
-Kosta Koufos not only saw some good time in a close game in the fourth quarter but made the most of it.  He hit a baby jumper from 5 feet with a strong move in the post and followed it a few minutes later with a mid range jumper.  He scored again with a strong two handed dunk with 2:30 left.
-Jazz continued to play great defense.  The Blazers again only scored 13 points in the quarter.  The Jazz forced another shot clock violation in the fourth.   

Third Quarter –

-What a difference a half makes.
- Brewer and Miles sparked the Jazz in the third quarter.  Both had big crowd loving dunks and hit some big shots from three.  They combine for 14 points and brought the crowd to life half a dozen times.
-With 6:07 left Miles and Price combine for a huge blocked shot.  Miles landed wrong and spent a minute on the floor holding his ankle.  Maybe feeling some sympathy for him the stat crew gave him the block.  He got up and played out the quarter without problem.
-The Jazz played much better  defense not only holding Portland to 13 points – but also forcing 2 seperate 24 second shot clock violations.
With 4:41 left Boozer had a chance to tie the game but instead of getting the bucket was called for an offensive foul.  Boozer has two moves refs watch for, pushing off before a basket, and pushing defenders in the back on rebounds.  If refs are calling them this early he better watch out for the regular season.
-Ronnie Price tied the game up with 4:00 left.

Second Quarter -
-Portland starts off the Second Quarter with two three point shots by Outlaw and Fernandez.  That makes them 8-9 from downtown, barley 13 minutes into the game.
-The Jazz let a 5 point deficit balloon to 14 over the course of the quarter.  They are not going to win games giving up 63 points in a half.
-The Jazz played with a few lineups in the second quarter.  At one point Boozer, Kirilenko,and Millsap made up the front line.
-As teased the Jazz played the last 3:17 of the half with CJ Miles presumably at the point, and Ronnie Brewer helping at the other guard spot.  Boozer, Okur, and Kirilenko rounded out the five on the floor.
-With 2:30 left CJ drove the lane and threw an awful no look pass that was stolen.  He then committed the foul on the other end of the floor.  Don’t pencil him just yet for PG time in the regular season.
-Brewer wasted no time getting back to work scoring as soon as he got back in the game.  He leads the Jazz at halftime with 13 points.  Boozer was productive with 12 points and 9 rebounds (6 rebounds in the second quarter).
-Brevin Knight grabbed a second quarter rebound.  It’s the only rebound the Jazz have from a guard or small forward.
-Korver got heavy cheers… as he walked to the line to shoot a technical free throw in the second quarter.  I bet that line doesn’t get repeated anywhere for anyone on any other team.

First Quarter

-Not surprisingly Price started at Point Guard.
-I know the Jazz are focusing on defense this year.  However they gave up 35 points in the first quarter including 6-7 on 3-point shots that were virtually uncontested. Portland also had 9 assists on 12 made shots.  The Blazers shot 66.7%.  Not great defense.
-Okur scored the first points of the game but went 0-4 from the field in the quarter.  He was guarded most of the time by Channing Frye as Greg Oden and other persumed regular season starters were scratched from the starting lineup.
-The Jazz were out rebounded 9 to 5 in the first quarter and did not have a rebound from the small forward or either guard position.
-The bright spot for the Jazz was Ronnie Brewer who went 4 for 7 from the field, 3 for 3 from the line and racking up 11 points.

Tipoff Notes
-Williams and Collins are in street clothes.
-Watching Williams it doesn’t look like he will be out 2 weeks.  I am not saying he will be ready for opening night, I am sure the Jazz don’t want rush him back, but if it was the start of the playoffs, a pack of wild horses would not keep him from the starting line-up.
-Earlier today the Jazz waived Lyde and Muoneke.

3 Comments

Jared Conger on October 24, 2008 said:

Fesenko (aka fessie-winks) didn’t touch the floor; that is how I would say “Orem Flash”
CJ looked really good – the best he’s looked in the preseason in my opinion; this will probably spell “Orem Flash” for Morris Almond (another one of my faves)

I think Koufos has the backup spot over Jarron Collins, there, I said it.

Amir on October 24, 2008 said:

I DONT KNOW WHY DID THEY CUT KEVIN LYDE PF HE WAS A BIG BOY HE PLAYED GOOD IN PRE SEASON AS FAR IS JARRON COLLINS CONSERN HE PLAYS ONLY 2 MINUTES PER GAME WHAT YOU WANT FROM HIM YOU CANT DO NOTHING IN 2 MINUTES COLLINS IS GOOD DEFENDER I GOT NO PROBLEM WITH HIM BUT I LIKED KEVIN LYDE GAME BUT HE COULDN FIT IN ROSTER ONLY 15 PLAYERS LIMIT.

Johnathan Kendrick on October 25, 2008 said:

Amir
you got it right. Lyde and the Jazz have certainly had mutual flirtation. The Jazz like Lyde and he would like to be in the NBA and fits well into the Jazz system. But there is not only no room without cutting someone you would still have to pay, but also the fact that the rotation is so deep that even if he was to replace Collins – he isn’t going to get in the game anyway.

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