Utah returns to conference finals

[RonnieBrewer (Reverse Layup)]

Utah returns to conference finals
Thursday, May 17, 2007
From wire reports

It's the middle of May and Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan still has some
coaching to do.

His annual trek back to his farm in Illinois will have to wait because Sloan
and the Jazz are back in the Western Conference finals for the first time in
nearly a decade. Utah advanced by beating the Golden State Warriors, 100-87,
Tuesday to wrap up the series in five games and get a break before the next
round.

The Jazz have survived a late-season slump that cost them homecourt
advantage in the first round, won Game 7 on the road in Houston to advance
and then beat the Warriors despite averaging 23 turnovers in the series.

Sloan sees some grit in the new Jazz, who haven't been in the conference
finals since John Stockton and Karl Malone led them there in 1998.

"In the past, when Karl and John were here, that was expected," Sloan said.
"Guys have to experience some difficulty if they're going to learn how to
play in tough games."

Sloan, the farmer from southern Illinois, is a big believer in learning
through experience. The Jazz had little of it entering the playoffs, but have
had their mettle tested repeatedly over the past month and have passed often
enough to keep the season going.

"I said a long time ago we have a young team that needs to grow up," said
26-year-old Andrei Kirilenko, one of Utah's veterans. "We're still growing
up. We're getting to where we can have concentration for the full 48 minutes."

Utah will play either San Antonio or Phoenix in the next round, starting
early next week. That will give the Jazz time to rest after playing every
other night against the Warriors since the series opened on May 7.

Sloan gave his players Wednesday off after they celebrated late Tuesday with
their sixth playoff win at home in as many games. It wasn't pretty. The Jazz
had 25 turnovers and needed to make their last six free throws to pull away
in the final minute.

But the Jazz persevered, as they have since needing to win the last two games
of the Houston series to advance. All four wins against the Warriors were
close until the end, so the experience the Jazz lacked at the beginning of
the playoffs is building.

"We didn't seem to hang our head and allow the Warriors to really take
control of the game," said Derek Fisher, whose dramatic entrance into Game 2
highlighted the Golden State series. "It seemed our ability to respond was at
such a high level."

Fisher didn't arrive until the third quarter because he was on his way back
from New York, where his 10-month old daughter had surgery and treatment on a
malignant eye tumor. The Jazz ended up winning in overtime.

Dee Brown, who sprained his neck in Game 2 when 6-11 teammate Mehmet Okur
landed on him in the lane, returned Tuesday and spelled starter Deron
Williams after he got two quick fouls in the first quarter.

After Utah's Gordan Giricek missed on an ill-advised dunk that clanged high
off the back of the rim, Brown sprinted back and broke up a Warriors fast
break by knocking the ball out of bounds.

London office to open:

The NBA plans to open an office in London this summer in an effort to expand
its fan base in Europe.

Officials will work with the British Olympic Association and focus on
basketball development leading up to the 2012 Olympics, NBA Commissioner
David Stern announced Wednesday.

Stern met with London Mayor Ken Livingstone at NBA headquarters in New York
City. London will host a preseason exhibition game between the Boston Celtics
and Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 10.



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