Jazz proving team basketball wins
Charley Rosen / Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 3 days ago
Lots of things happened in Utah's dramatic 127-117 overtime win over
Golden State. Some of them admirable, some of them not.
The Jazz made plenty of bad decisions with the ball: Many of their 23
turnovers (the Warriors only had 12) were the result of careless passwork
─ primarily because Utah didn't fully take into account Golden State's
extraordinary quickness into the passing lanes. Most noticeable were Andrei
Kirilenko's several blind passes, and Mehmet Okur's pass to nobody on a
3-on-1 fast break. Indeed, only Deron Williams and Derek Fisher could be
trusted to safely move the ball.
Even though the Jazz once had an overpowering advantage on the boards ─
60 rebounds to 32 ─ Utah's turnovers were the reason why the Warriors still
put up more shots (90 to 87).
But the home team also launched several ill-advised shots ─ most of them
by Kirilenko. And they also committed a superfluity of offensive fouls.
Moreover, on several occasions, Carlos Boozer failed to meet the ball when
entry passes where aimed at him in the low-post.
And the Jazz foolishly fouled too many shooters who were at least 20 feet
from the basket.
On the plus side, Utah's curls, screen/rolls, and dive-cuts were highly
effective. Also, almost every player on the team made a big play down the
stretch.
And the Warriors?
Sure, they hustled. But on a minute-to-minute basis their overall intensity
level didn't quite match the baseline-to-baseline-tip-to-buzzer energy that
they displayed in Game 1. On numerous sequences, they simply pumped up
3-balls. Of their 90 total shots, 40 were from beyond the arc. Forty!
Meanwhile the Jazz put up only 16.
Even so, had the Warriors converted more than three of seven free throws in
the waning seconds of regulation, the game would have been theirs. Did they
choke? Probably not.
Given that Monta Ellis has proved to be too green to be effective at this
level, and that Don Nelson essentially went with a seven-man rotation, the
Warriors were obviously exhausted.
Still, the Warriors stuck to their guns and played their game throughout.
It was no surprise, though, that their switching defense left too many holes
that never got filled. Nor that on offense, Golden State relied almost
exclusively on isolations ─ and that was THE overriding difference in the
ball game.
Here's the relevant scoreboard:
§ In outright isolation situations, Jason Richardson was 4-13. Along the way
he also induced a non-shooting foul and committed an offensive foul himself.
§ Baron Davis was 7-18, plus four pass-outs, two assists, and five points
scored from the stripe when he was fouled in the act.
§ Stephen Jackson was 3-13, plus six successful free throws and two
turnovers.
§ Al Harrington was 1-7.
§ Matt Barnes was 0-2, plus two made free throws.
§ Monta Ellis was 0-2, plus one made free throw and one turnover.
So, then, 55 of Golden State's field goal attempts were the result of
clear-outs (57 counting Davis's two assists). No wonder the Warriors
totaled only 15 assists on their 38 total baskets.
For Utah, Deron Williams was the only player who went 1-on-1. He did this
four times, scoring twice, plus hitting a pair of free throws. And the Jazz
accumulated 31 assists on their 46 baskets.
In other words, a team beat a collection of extremely talented individuals
who played like individuals. In fact, the Warriors failed in Games 1 and 2
because there was simply too much pressure on whoever's turn it was to create
a scoring opportunity. Every shot was hard-earned, especially when the
defense could so readily anticipate where and when the shot would be taken.
Teamwork is the way to success. In any sport, especially professional
basketball.
That's the way the game should be played. That five players working in
tandem should overcome ball clubs that play one-on-five.
For sure, the series isn't nearly decided, and the Warriors may yet be
victorious. But for now, the Great God Basketball Jones is smiling.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/6795346
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這是寫在第二戰之後的..
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※ 編輯: RonnieBrewer 來自: 59.41.169.50 (05/14 16:21)