Season’s Turning Point

Posted by James Seaman on May 08, 2009

Perhaps it is the curse of the losing fan to look back at a game, a series, or a season and wonder what if? Growing up in the late 80s and early 90s, I used to create entire fantasies in the days and weeks after the University of Utah would get crushed by BYU on the football field, always imagining how things could have played out differently for the Utes and their sparse community of starved football fans. Even as an adult, I find myself doing the same thing with the Jazz. Was there a turning point—a missed opportunity, more accurately—somewhere along that line that might have changed the season? Some key game that, were Jerry Sloan and his crew to find a secret passage back, might have played out differently and allowed the Jazz to alter their destiny?

If we can put a finger on a turning point in the Jazz’s season, it must be the back-to-back losses in Atlanta and Miami that snapped Utah’s dozen-game win streak. Though it took more than half the season, the Jazz seemed to have found themselves at last, beginning with the victory over the Lakers on the eve of the All Star break. The Jazz wouldn’t lose again until March 11^th against the Hawks. They had catapulted themselves from depths of potential playoff exile to first place in the Northwest Division. Entering play on Wednesday night, March 11^th, the Jazz stood at 41-23. Portland had a 40-23 mark, and Denver, losers of three straight and eight of eleven, was 40-25.

The Jazz fell behind early in Atlanta, down by seven at the end of the first quarter and trailing 55-42 at the half. But Deron Williams and company roared back, grabbing a two point lead as the fourth quarter began. As a fan, when your team finds itself in the midst of a long winning streak, you tend to believe that you’ll never lose again, that you’ll find a way to pull out every contest. I definitely felt that way as I watched the Jazz close in on the Hawks, just as they’d done in their two previous victories over the Raptors and Pacers. But this time it wasn’t meant to be. When Mehmet Okur sank a jumper with approximately five minutes left, giving Utah an 87-85 lead, no one could have predicted that the Jazz wouldn’t make another field goal. Perhaps more importantly, no one would have guessed that the Jazz—winners of 12 straight and 15 of 16—would win just seven more times in the regular season.

While the Atlanta loss left Jazz players and fans disappointed, the team still found itself in good shape, 2-1 on the current road trip and having a chance to guarantee a winning tour by beating Miami on Saturday, March 14^th. The Jazz seemed to have the Heat beat at more than one point. Utah led by seven with 55 seconds to play in regulation, then grabbed an eight-point lead to open the second overtime. In both cases, the Jazz quickly surrendered their advantage. After blowing these leads, the Jazz never got the opportunity to build an edge in the third extra session, getting outscored 15-4. Despite enjoying fourth quarter leads against both the Hawks and Heat, the Jazz managed to drop both games, exerting a tremendous amount of physical and emotional energy in the Miami disappointment. Utah had little fight left in them as they arrived in Orlando for the next evening’s matchup. Once Dwight Howard and his teammates finished manhandling Utah, the Jazz had lost three straight and had to limp home from a losing road trip, their win streak a fading memory.

What if the Jazz had found a way to hang on against the Hawks and Heat? Even with a loss in Orlando, Utah would have finished 4-1 on their road trip and claimed 16 wins in 18 games. While the Toronto and Indiana wins seemed only moderately impressive due to those teams’ losing records, winning in Atlanta and Miami might have added some swagger to the Jazz’s step, giving them the confidence they would need for a tough string of road games down the stretch.

This doesn’t mean the Jazz would have won it all. The team has too many defensive weaknesses to claim true contender status. But those wins might have helped the Jazz avoid the tailspin that would eventually bring them tumbling to Earth. Most importantly, if Utah had defeated Atlanta and Miami, thus defying fate and altering the course of their season, they might still be playing today.

8 Comments

Boondock Saint on May 08, 2009 said:

I agree. That was the turning point.

J R Stewart on May 08, 2009 said:

As we exited the Miami game, we had some ‘Jazz Suck’ comments hurled at us, and we had to agree. That game was a turning point, among many. So many opportunities, so little fulfillment.

Jazzaholic

Mal on May 08, 2009 said:

Thanks for bringing up the Miami wound again. I was just about over it.

Regardless, you are spot on. Those two games were indeed the turning point. It was at that moment that I realized the Jazz were not mentally tough. If they were, they would have known what to do up 7 with 55 seconds to play. That Miami game took it out of everyone involved, including the emotionally invested fan such as myself.

JayD on May 08, 2009 said:

I too cant help but wonder what might have been if the Jazz would have one those 2 games . I expected that lose to Orlando mostly because it was on a back to back . But if the Jazz would have pulled out those 2 wins against Atlant and Miami they may have been a different team playing Orlando .
I also agree with you about that being the turning point of the season . Oh well what might have been .
Lets hope that these boys will work on all their emotional trauma over the summer . Maybe they will work on their shooting and defending . Maybe we will pick up a defensive minded player also . Lets hope so .
Go Jazz !!!!

jlowrey68 on May 09, 2009 said:

I was at the Hawks game and witnessed Atlanta players taking us to the hole repeatedly. The Jazz showed little defensive cohesion and a a old coach showed his lack of in game adjustments. We were down by three with a minute to go and I saw Korver not even in the game and AK never saw the court in second half. I also believed this to be the game that unraveled our season. Congrats on the sharp eye

Linda McFarland on May 09, 2009 said:

Will not have my computer for about 5 days so everyone get things figured out and I will be back blogging soon.

J R Stewart on May 09, 2009 said:

Another turning point was the victory over the Garnettless Celtics and Bynumless Lakers, on the back end of a back-to-back. Those 2 wins propelled the Jazz to the playoffs, instead of the lottery.
It goes both ways. Without that turnaround, they could have had a lottery pick.

Jazzaholic

John M and Kathy M on May 10, 2009 said:

James, thanks for the terrific analysis. Should be a very interesting summer even without the Revue.

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