Discipline beats chaos as Jazz oust Warriors
Charley Rosen / Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 18 hours ago
Utah's 100-87 closeout win over Golden State was fashioned by equal portions
of skill, clutch performances, and the ability to overcome considerable flaws.
Let's examine the last category first since it will seriously impact Utah's
destiny in the conference finals.
The Jazz's most serious shortcoming is their passing. For sure, the Warriors'
fast hands threatened every dribble and every pass, but Utah also made
numerous dumb passes:
# Like Andrei Kirilenko's between-the-legs back-pass that was easily
intercepted.
# Like Gordan Giricek's errant tosses.
# Like Deron Williams' misguided missiles.
# And like just about every pass that Mehmet Okur attempted.
Indeed, Utah's 25 turnovers (which included 16 steals by the visitors) led
to just about all the offense the Warriors needed to get off and running in
the first quarter. Why on earth didn't any of the Jazz ever shake the ball
before trying to complete a pass in tight quarters? Doing this would force
the man defending the intended receiver to commit himself into the passing
lane ─ leaving a back-cut wide open.
In truth, the Jazz just might be the worst passing team ever to advance into
the NBA's final four.
Okur's limitations were rudely exposed not only in Game 5 but also in the
entire series. He can shoot treys like a guard, and he's a plus-rebounder.
Trouble is that Okur can't hang on to any passes, loose balls, or rebounds
that come to him below his waist.
Matt Harpring and Giricek are tough enough, yet are very shaky shooters and
slow-footed defenders.
Carlos Boozer had difficulty making out-passes when he was heavily pressured.
Dee Brown can't shoot himself in the foot.
Paul Millsap is murder in the paint but can't make his free throws.
The Jazz missed a golden opportunity late in the third quarter when they
failed to take advantage of another boo-boo by Stephen Jackson. This one was
a flagrant foul compounded by a technical. But the Jazz missed all three
free throws and didn't score on the subsequent possession. Instead of five
possible points, they ended up with nada.
And who was that imposter wearing Deron Williams' uniform?
Better teams than the Warriors ─ which unfortunately includes both San
Antonio and Phoenix ─ will make the Jazz bleed for their multiple errors.
The most outstanding clutch performers for the home team were Derek Fisher
and Kirilenko. Both of them hustled beyond the call of duty. There'll be no
more crying over spilled borscht in the Kirilenko dacha. And Fisher
demonstrated for the n-th time that he's Mister Huge Shot.
The big-man skills of Boozer were nearly negated by the Warriors' sticky
zones, fronting tactics, and quick defensive help. But Boozer played a savvy
game, taking only a pair of forced shots, and assaulting the boards.
As for the gallant, super-quick Warriors ─ they were eventually worn down
by Utah's size and their own monumental mistakes:
# Like Jackson playing with a you-scored-on-me-now-I'm-gonna-score-on-you
mentality, and subsequently forcing shot after shot after shot. Mister Little
Shot wound up 3-for-17 from the field.
# Like Jason Richardson's sluggishness on defense.
# And like Matt Barnes' whining every time he was late on a play and was
tooted for a foul.
The Warriors' team-wide fatigue was further exacerbated by the short interval
between games, and was manifest in Game 5 by their horrendous 3-point
shooting ─ 6-for-30. Their weariness affected their legs, their shot
mechanics, and their mental acuity.
By Game 5, Utah's defense also had a handle on the Warriors' half-court
offense: The usual isos (mostly by Davis). Drives and kicks. Quickness into
the middle and along the baselines. And a penchant for launching 3-balls.
Accordingly, the Jazz were better able to anticipate exactly where the
Warriors were trying to move the ball, and Utah's defensive rotations clogged
the paint in a much more timely manner than in the previous four games.
Baron Davis tried to lift the team on his capable shoulders and carry them
across the finish line. But Fisher's body-up defense and the many hard fouls
Davis absorbed on his way to the hoop left him with an empty tank in the
end-game.
But give the Warriors credit for an overachieving second season, for slaying
the Dallas milquetoasts, and for creating an unexpected flash of excitement
in the Bay Area and across the entire NBA universe.
In the end, however, Utah's unselfish teamwork proved superior to Golden
State's brilliantly talented one-on-one players. Discipline bested chaos.
Maturity overcame adolescent rage.
And basketball as we should know it prevailed.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/6815530
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