Golden State at Utah: Game 5 Notes
How do you get excited about a Jazz/Spurs series? Answer: You don’t.
In game 5 of the highly entertaining Jazz/Warriors series, several unexpected things happened:
-The Warriors — a team that lives and dies by the three — shot a woeful 20% from the land of beyond. Yet, they were still very much in the thick of things with about 4 minutes to go.
-Derek Fisher shot 70% from the field, including 4-5 from the three point line. Now, Derek Fisher is a very good player with plenty of Playoff experience, but who seriously thought he would end up being the series MVP? No one, that’s who.
-None of the Warriors were ejected in this game. I thought that was their thing whenever they lose a Playoff game. Stephen Jackson did everything but physically assault someone to get himself kicked out of the game, but the refs gave him a very long leash.
-Deron Williams finally played like the second-year player that he is. He crapped all over himself to the tune of 1 for 11 shooting, and was in foul trouble all game long. Deron, prepare to be punished in cruel and unusual fashion by Tony Parker.
-GSW kept the game close by playing an unfamiliar style of basketball: They couldn’t rely on the three (mostly because they could barely make any), so they focused on rebounding, and created turnovers (25 of them) thanks to an aggressive, trapping defense.
In the end, Utah proved itself to be the superior team. They were deeper; they could adjust their style of play depending on what Golden State threw at them; they dominated the boards all series long; and as Doug Collins pointed out, they won all of the close games.
Golden State’s elimination shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. A team with no real inside presence, and whose offensive philosophy seemingly revolves around the idea of launching as soon as they cross the halfcourt line, can’t be expected to achieve continued success in the Playoffs. It was fun as hell to watch while it lasted, though.
Now, in all likelihood, we’ll have the Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. Boozer vs. Duncan! Bowen vs. Harpring! Kirilenko vs. Finley! Who can smile less: Popovich or Sloan?
Ugh.
Who am I kidding? I probably won’t be tuning in to that series until game 5. At the very earliest.
124 Responses to “Golden State at Utah: Game 5 Notes”
May.16 at 4:01 am
Russ Bengtson says:
When Jack picked up that tech/flagrant, my personal alert system went past yellow all the way to red. I was totally waiting for him to do something, and expecting ANYTHING. Would he punch Derek Fisher in the face? Bite Carlos Boozer on the leg (blech)? Clothesline Andrei Kirilenko and pop his head clean off? I was glad to see the game come to a peaceful conclusion.
May.16 at 4:13 am
Russ Bengtson says:
And, as a lifetime member of the “Karl Malone Bores Me To Death” un-fan club, I’m actually psyched to see the Jazz in the conference Finals. The Warriors are a fun—but flawed—team, who got exactly as far as they deserved to go. I like fast-break, no-conscience basketball as much as anyone, but this is the NBA Playoffs, not the NBA Most Exciting Teams Tournament. WIN OR GO HOME.
May.16 at 4:13 am
mutoni says:
you kill puppies in your free time don’t you? hater!
May.16 at 4:15 am
mutoni says:
but seriously, i like the jazz team, i really do, but to see them go up against duncan’s spurs (especially after the sleazy tactics they used to get to this point) makes me want to curl up in ball and cry.
May.16 at 4:19 am
Russ Bengtson says:
Dude, the Spurs haven’t won yet. Have they? Unless I just Rip van Winkled through the rest of the week, which is entirely possible. The Suns played all last season without Stoudemire, they should be able to make it through one home game. Matrix better come to play, though.
May.16 at 4:25 am
mutoni says:
forget matrix, it’s pat burke i’m worried about.
May.16 at 4:25 am
Holiday says:
You can hate on the league’s 2nd all-time leading scorer you want, the Spurs are mostly old and the Jazz will be well rested and you know Sloan won’t let them get rusty!
May.16 at 4:27 am
mutoni says:
wake me up when detroit and san anton square off. actually, don’t.
May.16 at 4:28 am
Russ Bengtson says:
Haha. Hey man, we can still get Cavs/Suns. Be of good cheer—at least we’re not watching hockey. OK, we are when the Suns are playing, but that’s beside the point.
May.16 at 4:29 am
Russ Bengtson says:
I meant the Spurs. Dammit. Well, same difference.
May.16 at 4:31 am
Holiday says:
Oh and if your worried about rough play look how we handled those poor sport, cheap shot, crybaby loser’s Golden State!
P.S. Detroit aint shit!
May.16 at 4:35 am
mutoni says:
unfortunately for me, hockey is a part of my daily existence up here in canada. i’ve slowly come to terms with it.
May.16 at 4:40 am
Holiday says:
Hey I don’t care for Hockey either, but at least your not stuck with the non-sport’s like soccer or Baseball! I can give soccer a little respect but seriously “Baseball” what a joke!
May.16 at 5:00 am
Decs says:
have you guys ever tried to follow nba/ncaa in australia? heck i’d gladly watch ice hockey if it ment even 1 nba game a month.
May.16 at 5:13 am
Heims says:
Well, looks like I need to find something to occupy my time for the next month, because I won’t be watching this crap! Way to turn off a (former) die hard fan Stern! Way to decide to enforce the letter of the law now. Good thing the rules on carrying, travelling, and block/charging are all called to the letter of the law, too.
May.16 at 6:01 am
Sesa says:
Decs: Was there no Cable TV in Aussie?
Thank god for cable TV. I lived in Indonesia and besides ESPN Asia and Star Sports which broadcast NBA playoffs 4 times a week, they got a local TV live coverage. Thank God
May.16 at 6:17 am
H to the izzo says:
^Sesa all I get is 1 playoff game a week on a Sunday at a time were I should be out drinking so I now hate you
May.16 at 6:19 am
Decs says:
yer but i’m much too poor to afford it. they dont even have hightlights on sports tonight and shit like that.
May.16 at 6:32 am
Sesa says:
Decs:
Maybe Basketball in Aussie got the same treatment like in Indonesia. People kept thinking Basketball were Rich people’s sport but hey, at least you got one player in the NBA from Aussie.
H to the izzo:
I guess I’m lucky that my parents could afford cable TV.
May.16 at 6:33 am
Kev says:
Asia too. My sports highlights on TV come from CNN. Yikes.
May.16 at 6:37 am
H to the izzo says:
Sesa I get 1 game a week with cable or as we called it here “digital” thank god for the interweb
May.16 at 6:42 am
Sesa says:
H to the Izzo:
Word! There are times when I was working (I’m currently unemployed so that’s why you see me here often) I can’t watch NBA at all. So I have to resort to Yahoo’s NBA on the web and maybe join the discussion in here and “pretend” that I watched it. I am a hypocrite after all.
May.16 at 6:49 am
H to the izzo says:
Try having your one NBA fix a week usually involving the Atlanta Hawks or Bucks,why they choose to show these teams I don’t know-but I hate them
Its hard out here for a foreigner
May.16 at 7:03 am
Sesa says:
Ouch, Man! That’s gotta be Ouch! No disrespect to the Hawks and The Bucks though.
May.16 at 7:38 am
Drolfe says:
Decs:
Dude, get cable. You remind me of a young me. One of the first things i did after getting a job was getting Foxtel put on. It’s about $50 a month. Those years i went without NBA were some of the darkest of my life, no shit.
May.16 at 7:51 am
Drolfe says:
Re the Jazz: I’ve totally flipped on them. At the beginning of the playoffs I was so anti Jazz (and in particular anti Boozer because he walked on the Cavs [not that I’m a Cavs fan but it annoys me when a player walks from a potentially great team for cash]), if i’d have known they were going to make the conference finals i would have, to borrow an Mutoni phrase, punched myself in the throat. But having watched them in the playoffs.. I’m sold. I think alot of it has to do with the Fisher situation, but I now even consider myself a Carlos Boozer fan after watching him beast out and play with so much passion. I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but watching him and Duncan go at it would be almost bordering on awesome.
May.16 at 7:52 am
Drolfe says:
Having said that, he and Amare going at it would be flat out awesome. Forget bordering.
May.16 at 8:16 am
Sesa says:
I could’ve sworn that the Warriors could’ve won this game if they kept attacking the rim.
May.16 at 9:04 am
K22C says:
Good Run Warriors. To bad you settled for to many mid-range jumpers throughout the game.
May.16 at 9:56 am
Nathalie says:
We joke, but the way the Pistons are playing right now the chances just skyrocketed for a Cavs/Suns final….scary
May.16 at 10:27 am
bootlace says:
Am I the only one who thought the Jazz got so many calls in their favor down the stretch. All those flagrants/techs, that play where Fisher slid across the whole floor and didnt get called for travel, that box out on Kirilenko that got called for a foul - how many offensive rebounds must have Utah gotten with similar shoves…anyways S jax really killed the team at the end.
May.16 at 10:29 am
StephenJacksonLovesOakland says:
^StephenJacksonHatesUtah^ ….I know I won’t be watching anymore of the playoffs. I despise the Spurs nearly as much as the Jazz, and no one cares about the east. (yawn)
May.16 at 10:43 am
MBOW32 says:
All I’ve got to say is the Warriors played very UGLY last night. Poor sportsmanship during the game. VERY SOAR LOSERS!!! HA HA HA
May.16 at 10:50 am
Rod Strickland says:
Boom goes the Dizzle. I think Hammer should have been involved for GSW he could have done a a half time performance or speech or something. BREAKING NEWS Matt Harpring is from a football background!!
May.16 at 11:41 am
ALX8725 says:
yeahhhh… Warriors played terrible against a Jazz team (that committed 23864523645923649234 sloppy turnovers in crunch time and missed all their free-throws gifted to them from the 3642364234 Warriors’ technicals). It looked like the Warriors might have even been able to pull out with 2 minutes left, but then the shots stopped falling and Derek Fisher came up big. Carlos Boozer is legit.
May.16 at 11:54 am
ALX8725 says:
bootlace, you’re not the only one.
May.16 at 11:56 am
DubsGonDoIt says:
BREAKING NEWS I hate Utah .. but I hate the Spurs more .. what am I too do??? Oh yea, root for the Suns to kick both their asses. GO SUNS, for the rest of the playoffs I will just think of them as the Warriors varsity squad =).
May.16 at 12:09 pm
Cheryl says:
Let them play the games. The Suns know how to play without Black Jesus, and Steve Nash is on a mission. Don’t count them out just yet. And, dare I say it, don’t count out the Bulls just yet, either. There’s something about Flip in pressure situations that makes me think the Bulls just might pull off the 2nd biggest upset in these playoffs. Let them play the games, guys.
May.16 at 12:11 pm
MBOW32 says:
I’ll be the first to admit that the Jazz sucked at all those free throws they were given but they still managed to kick the Warriors ass. They are soar losers!!!! I think there was actually a time where Davis was going to CRY. LOL!!
May.16 at 12:34 pm
deestarbuckz the Notorious H.A.T.E. says:
Well… the CAVS are still in it! As a basketball fan on the whole though, I am disappointed. Hopefully Nash can pull out some kind of heroics and The Matrix can prove he is worth all that money now. I still hate Utah but you can appreciate that they play good ball.
May.16 at 12:35 pm
MBOW32 says:
deestarbuckz - why do you hate the Jazz so much?
May.16 at 12:36 pm
Silky Slim says:
Marcel, I wouldn’t be so quick to write-off Phoenix! There’s still a lot of basketball left to be played in that series!
May.16 at 12:39 pm
DK52 says:
The Warriors were not going to beat anyone shooting nothing but threes and having no rebounding. No offense to Al but that’s what they get for shipping off Troy Murphy to Indi. I know Biendrins is only 21 but he was like a walking zombie this series he didn’t do anything, and had no emotion whatsoever. He must have had a combined 15 points and maybe 20 rebounds the entire series. I agree with Charles Barkley that Utah has a really good chance of making it to the finals. The Suns and Spurs are getting tired and literally beating the crap out of each other. Utah will be well rested and took 3 of 4 from Phoenix this year and split 4 games with the Spurs so it shall be interesting. Bulls are the team that should be up 3-2, I hope they beat Detroit. Nets and Bulls would be the better Eastern Conference Finals.
May.16 at 12:44 pm
DK52 says:
Losing STAT is big but losing Diaw is even bigger, they played without Amare last year and that is when Diaw was huge. Kurt Thomas is going to have to play Center and plug in a ton of minutes. If he gets into any kind of foul trouble their in trouble. James Jones is going to start and have to be big as well. Raja is consistent and you know what your getting form Nash and Leandro. I agree with the other Matrix needs to have a ton of minutes and have about 25 and 15 for them to be close. Dantoni was using a 7 sometimes 8 man rotation so you may see some players on the court you never heard of. Suns can beat this team. If it goes 7 then The Suns are back home.
May.16 at 12:45 pm
deestarbuckz the Notorious H.A.T.E. says:
Maybe I have deep seeded issues that need to be addressed… Maybe I need a sit down with Dr. Melfi. Who knows… but I have never been a fan of the Jazz. Karl Malone for all that he was as a power forward, he was the epitome of an @$$hole! From trying to blast on Magic to the threat of sitting out the All-Star game. I am a Cavs fan so I am obligated to hate Booz for the dirty contract chyt… The list could go on, but I am catching up with 24 on my Tivo! GO CAVS!!! Lebron, save the Leastern Conference!
May.16 at 1:00 pm
ALX8725 says:
DK52, So what if Troy Murphy could rebound, he hurt the team in every other way possible, why do you think Indy is out of the playoffs this year. Biedrins isn’t Shaq. What? Was Biedrins supposed to get 20 and 10 every night in this Utah series or something? When’s the last time a 21 year old center, (who actually got consistent playing time this year, basically making 06-07 his first real consistent season) who never played college ball and grew up in a different country… dominated in an NBA playoff game? And if you want to get specific he had 38 boards and 30 pts for the series.
May.16 at 1:02 pm
MBOW32 says:
Well, I’m a HUGE JAZZ FAN and I HATE Karl Malone too.
May.16 at 1:10 pm
Zee says:
That sound you hear is all the NBA fans who found a team to watch and cheer for and be excited about, turning their television channels. Sigh, the greatest western conf final series will never happen. Maybe next year…Suns/Warriors, the world isnt ready. Maybe thats why Sternbot pulled the plug.
May.16 at 2:18 pm
DK52 says:
ALX8725 you sure do like correcting people and you talk a lot of trash. Indi missed the playoffs becasue ever since Reggie retired it has been all J. Oneil and Golden State felt they were in the right direction so they wanted to bring over Stephen Action Jackson. Just as you were talking trash on Fisher he forced severla GS turnovers inlcusing three or four BDiddy travels, diving on the floor for loose balls, and scorching the Warrors. 38 and 30 for the series for Biendrins I think Kirilenko had that in two games himself. Wow so Biendrins didn’t play college ball am I supposed to be impressed. Harrington, Monta Ellis, and himself didn’t play college ball neither did some of the biggest superstars in this game. He is still young so I won’t knock him yet, I just said he gave them nothing that series, and I think if Nellie would have had the smaller lineup like he did last night with Monta in the starting lineup they would have had better luck in the series.
May.16 at 2:22 pm
DK52 says:
You can’t really fault Boozer for taking the money Utah offered him. Like every other sport this is a business and the player will do what he feels right for him and his family. He showed early signs of his potential in Cleveland but injuries caught up to him and it just wasnt working out. I think Gooden has played good in the meantime. Matt Barnes for example is a key player on the Warriors and has been with 6 different teams that just havn’t worked out for him, he is a free agent and could take money elsewhere, but it may not work out because he fits the Warriors scheme so nicely.
May.16 at 2:25 pm
DK52 says:
Karl Malone is one of the top 10 players of all time and the second best Power Forward to ever play the game. How can you people especially Utah fans not like him. He threw killer elbows, but he was just a viloent player that kept himself in top notch shape. He could shoot the fade, hit the layup, catch the alley from Stcok or just dunk in your grill. Anyway I think this years Utah is much deeper and better overall the the teams from 97 and 98. Stock, Malone, and Hornacek were great but Russell, Eisley, Anderson, and Ostertag were terrible. This years team has about 9 solid players to match up with nay team.
May.16 at 2:26 pm
hoopdizzy says:
no doubt i hate the jazz but especially the jazz but especially the spurs, but horry aint gonna be mr big shot, theyll get cut off by the blazin suns suns will make it 2 the finals this year fa sheezy
May.16 at 2:29 pm
hoopdizzy says:
lol i messed up there but whatever put the jazz b4 the spurs but theyre goin down in the club in the mall theyre goin down lol
May.16 at 2:34 pm
MBOW32 says:
Don’t get me wrong, I used to like Karl Malone when he played for the Jazz, but when he went to the damn Lakers to get his ring, that’s when I turned bitter. It’s crap!! I think it would have meant more to win a ring with a team you have been with for YEARS instead of winning it with a team that you had to ride the coat tails of Kobe & Shaq to get it.
May.16 at 2:40 pm
Joe_x says:
Anyone who has the ignorance to insult hockey has never played the sport, clearly. It has everything basketball does PLUS a whole new method of transporting the player around the playing surface. And anyone who thinks watching the Cavs/Nets is preferrable to watching paint dry is an idiot. That’s what’s up.
May.16 at 2:42 pm
Joe_x says:
Actually, that last comment was a little harsh. But I’m quite sure that 98% of people on this website have never played the sport once - therefore giving them no grounds to insult anything relating to it.
May.16 at 2:43 pm
DK52 says:
Yea I understand what your saying about that. GP did the same thing two years in a row except the second time with Miami he got his ring. I really though LA would kill Detroit, and at the same time I wanted Malone to end his career with Utah. Oh Well
May.16 at 2:46 pm
joe says:
Great calls down the stretch by Salvatore. Glad he had this game.
>
Im not blaming the refs, but this was ridiculous. Cheap shots? Yeah because Utah doesnt do anything, right? Tell em why you mad Holiday.
Oak > the entire state of Utah.
I began figuring they’d lose when they couldnt run a 3-1 on break correctly at all. The 3s didnt fall, thats whatever considering how much Ive seen this team play this year.
May.16 at 2:53 pm
ALX8725 says:
DK52, Fisher also forced plenty of turnovers… on himself. FYI, its Jermaine O’Neal, not “Oneil”. Biedris, at 21, still under his rookie contract, is more raw than half of the post players in this league and you’re disappointed in his play because he didn’t play like a franchise player??? AB is from a different country, Euro basketball rules are totally different than the NBA. Not to mention a center position is much more difficult to play than a perimeter position. You’re comparing the play of a vet(ak47) to that of a 3rd year player. The reason Nellie started him in the beginning of the series was because GSW had no one inside to battle for position with Carlos/Okur/Millsap. Al was coming off a horrible performance from the Dallas series and he couldn’t be trusted as a starter in the beginning of the Utah series. Just because you watched GSW every game in the Jazz series doesn’t make you an expert on every player on the Warriors roster. I know you never said you were an “expert” but you’re sure carrying yourself as if you were one.
May.16 at 3:51 pm
StephenJacksonLovesOakland says:
For the love of god, just let us get rid of Adonal Foyle in some way.
May.16 at 4:01 pm
Holiday says:
Go ahead everybody keep hatin on the Jazz cause there in the conference finals! and people complaining about some calls going there way, they deserved it Baron shouldn’t have even been in that game with his cowardly cheap shot to Fisher! Oh and about Malone riding coat tails, he’s one of the biggest reasons they made it all the way to the finals! at least he didn’t pull a fag ass Barry Bonds trying to break a record!
May.16 at 4:06 pm
mutoni says:
holiday, how about you sit out the next couple of plays? ok, champ?
May.16 at 4:14 pm
Nadav Mor says:
him being a karl malone would make him an un-champ acctualy. Diamond Dallas Page 4 life.
May.16 at 4:14 pm
Nadav Mor says:
karl malone fan.
damnit
May.16 at 4:47 pm
Holiday says:
Oh and to all the Boozer bashers, what would you do if your coach told you your just and energy player and would never be a big time player for the team, obviously they were wrong about Boozer, and too bad cause think of how good that team could be right now! besides that think about all the money, screw being in Lebron’s shadow!
May.16 at 4:58 pm
Ltrain says:
Amen on the Salvatore call.
Do the jazz ever foul?
You can talk about the Warriors settling for jumpers, but when you take it to the rack and consistently get hammered (See: Jackson, Stephen) and then they call a ticky tack foul on you on the other end, you do two things:
A)You stop taking it to the rack out of frustration and settle for jumpers
B)Lose your cool. The officiating against the Warriors has been horrible all playoffs. They were screwing them in Round 1 but couldn’t stop the fact Dalls can’t see the Warriors. The Jazz aren’t horrible against the Warriors so the officiating affected the game more. And the Warriors were still in it! All in all good run by the Warriors, bu the officiating these days makes me want to puke. I don’t watch to see Bennett Salvatore win the game.
May.16 at 4:59 pm
Holiday says:
Nadav Mor, How do you support the biggest white trash loser, from the biggest joke on T.V. (Pro Wrestling)?
May.16 at 5:06 pm
jay says:
like tp9 but yeah, utah and san an will be a snooze fest….damn can we get team usa already…i am bored!
May.16 at 5:20 pm
MOMONEY says:
Ltrain said it best
May.16 at 5:35 pm
ALX8725 says:
MOMONEY said it best
May.16 at 5:37 pm
Zee says:
I would shoot more venom at the ahem “expert” DK52 but LTrain, thank you for stating what every jazz fan was ignoring and/or forgetting to state, that the jazz hacked the living daylights out of GS. Need proof? That post up by Alcholoic late in the game where he plows into Jax, sending him flying and they hit Jax with the foul. If the warriors had ref-friendly players, that is an offensive foul easy. This series was garbage, the refs made sure utah was getting the w. Refereeing is at an all time low. Not blaming the refs for everything cause you do have to make shots to win, but the whole officiating crew was basura.
May.16 at 5:40 pm
DK52 says:
ALX8725 I don’t think I’m an expert nor do I write or sound like one. Obviously you have no comeback responses to mine because all your doing is correcting my spelling and error mistakes like an annoying 5th grade teacher. Fact of the matter is this I’m a true hoops fan high school, college and NBA and I do my research and try to know most of the players by watching them. Biendrins sucks and he will never even be 1/3 of Detlef Shrempf, and I could care less about the Warriors Roster. I’m a Jazz fan and have liked them since 1990 and I’m just saying how it is. By the way if you watched the game it was Deron Williams who had all of the turnovers not Fisher. Boozer and DWill should be on SLAM’s next cover for sure.
May.16 at 5:42 pm
Holiday says:
I’ll just say it, Officiating in the nba is a joke, and David Stern is screwing this league up bad! But I could still make a case for the Jazz, for example if you watch the video of Baron’s dunk on AK47 he obviously hit Kirilenko in the face! and Matt Barnes hit on Boozer was no doubt an intentional hack! ect.
May.16 at 5:42 pm
Nadav Mor says:
Karl Malone is more white trash than B Rabbit.
May.16 at 5:42 pm
Zee says:
Damn shame the warriors have to shoot the lights out in every game in order to avoid the refs whistles.
May.16 at 5:44 pm
Holiday says:
Yeah, well he’s also hands down the greatest power forward of all time!
May.16 at 5:45 pm
DK52 says:
If the officiating crew was garbage they wouldn’t have been picked to officiate this game, refs are graded every game on the calls made. I thought Jackson, David, and Barnes were all about to cry yesterday. If you want someone to blame blame Pietrus and Baron for missing key free throws in the 4th quarter during game 2, blame Biendrins, blame J-Rich who is a former slam dunk champion but now all he can do is launch from behind the arc. Jazz whooped their ass fair and square get over it. Theres always next year for the warriors, so put your expertise analysis on that.
May.16 at 5:48 pm
ALX8725 says:
I watched the game and yes Deron Williams was turning over the ball more times than Sloan would like… but Derek was right there with him turning over possessions too. Like that one play in the ending moments of the game where Derek tries to drive baseline, runs into 2 defenders, and passes the ball back… to Biedrins. What’s with these Jazz fans…. if you didn’t know the results of the Utah series reading these comments you would think the Jazz just lost the series or something the way these Jazz fans go about complaining about everything. That and their desperate cries for attention & recognition.
May.16 at 5:59 pm
DK52 says:
Actually Congratulations your right on that one or half right, he turned it over after he slipped on the court-you didn’t mention that part. I really don’t know what you Warriors clowns are complaining about. I give total credit to their team for even making the playoffs. Think about it if they were not matched up with Dallas in round 1, then they wouldn’t have had any chance at beating the other teams except MAYBE the LA Lakers. So be happy they got this far. If they would have had a legit big man they would have maybe had a better chance.
May.16 at 6:00 pm
DK52 says:
The only thing Timmy has over Karl is 3 rings, but as far as the other categories he’s got a long way to go. I have Karl and Sir Charles slightly ahead of Duncan at this point in his career.
May.16 at 6:00 pm
Nadav Mor says:
Ill take Timmy over Karl anyday.
May.16 at 6:01 pm
DK52 says:
Hey Holiday do you know why these people on this column are so mad? I can’t figure it out???
May.16 at 6:03 pm
DK52 says:
By the time Tim calls it quits he may be the best PF ever, but just remember he never had MJ to contend with.
May.16 at 6:17 pm
DubsGonDoIt says:
The little Mexican girl hunter was a dirty player if I have ever seen one. Malone was constantly driving knees up & elbows out. That man is the epitome of what I hate about the NBA, homer calls all day long. It’s as if Malone could never foul anybody. JAZZ SUCK!
May.16 at 6:48 pm
MBOW32 says:
All you people that say the JAZZ SUCK, need to take a closer look. The JAZZ are going to the Western Conference Finals. OBVIOUSLY, they don’t suck!!!! You just don’t have anything else better to do than bitch about another team probably because your team is OUT of the playoffs. LOL!!!
May.16 at 6:50 pm
mutoni says:
i wish people would feel an electric shock each time they typed “first!” and “lol”
May.16 at 6:53 pm
Holiday says:
Tim had David to start with, not to mention bigger market team! oh and he’s seven feet tall Karl Malone had way more heart, was a hell of alot stronger and of corse he played when the league was alot tougher hence team’s like the Bad Boy piston’s, tim has it easy! malone started playing with the like’s of Kareem, Ewing, Hakeem, a young shaq, a young mourning, David Robinson! there’s no comparison!
May.16 at 6:53 pm
jdubbs says:
I’m a neutral fan enthralled with the Warriors post-season run as anyone else. Even though the Dubs gave away a couple of games, the slightly better team won. But the Jazz are overall a fluke to have made it this far. They go minutes without scoring, get too nervous to make free throws, and play a walk-it-up, and yes BORING style of basketball. Spurs and Jazz? Shoot me! Anyone, everyone who doesn’t live in Utah would have preferred a Warriors/Suns matchup.
May.16 at 6:58 pm
Holiday says:
And don’t tell me he choked when your gonna turn around and say the Bull’s are the greatest team ever, with Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, Kukoc, Kerr among other’s and the greatest coach of all time Pil Jackson! and outside of the greatest point guard, and power foward of all time hand’s down the only other above average player we had was Hornicek!
May.16 at 6:59 pm
Holiday says:
With Boozers monster dunk’s, Kirilenko’s shot blocking, Okur’s game winning 3 pointers and the loudest place in the NBA yeah there real boring! It’s no fluke they took Houston to 7 game’s and won, the Warrior’s beating Dallas was a fluke, I got respect for them but seriously what’s with the Jazz hate?
May.16 at 7:03 pm
Holiday says:
And I got defend the Spurs a little bit, I mean you can tell me Ginobli isn’t entertaining, and don’t tell me you don’t tense up and get excited when Horry’s got the ball in his hand’s in the last second’s of a close game? Duncan may be boring but the spurs can be pretty fun to watch some times!
May.16 at 7:17 pm
ekam says:
BOORing series if spurs and utah meet boringest teams ever
May.16 at 7:27 pm
Holiday says:
Well the Jazz kept pace with Warrior’s the quote unquote most entertaining team in the league, Oh and we beat them hahaha! seem’s to me if you can do everything that the exiting teams can do and then win ya gotta be doin something right!
May.16 at 7:57 pm
andrew says:
(australian typing) Get the foxtel put on - any Australian b’ball fan without it is missing out… I went four years without it, and can’t believe how happy it’s made me since I got it reconnected… I actually know who all the magazines are talking about now! amazing! and I can differentiate between the ‘right way’ and run and gun styles. Amazing! Because generally it’s hard to tell from youtube highlights packages and photographs. Go foxtel. I just wish we got more games with Marv and Steve commentating.
May.16 at 8:05 pm
David says:
But even if you get foxtel you only get one or two games a week. Still, better than nothing, I suppose.
Duncan is a great post player and is one of the best ever. He just gets a lot of hate because he doesn’t have a (loud, public) personality
May.16 at 8:12 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Duncan also doesn’t dunk on people and yell at them or shoot three-pointers. He just wears a groove in the backboard with that bankshot, collects loose balls, alters countless shots, and—more often that not—goes home with 25, 12, and a W.
May.16 at 8:15 pm
Spurs/Suns: we await you says:
I went to this game and Ive got to say that it was a 12 round boxing match on both sides of the ball. Hard fouls, bad passes, missed calls, and tempers raging. Everything you want to see in an elimination game. Im a Jazz fan at heart, but I would have cheered on the warriors if they were playing anyone else. We owe them one for taking Dallas out of our path. They will be an exciting team for years if they stick together. Im glad everyone got to play last night too. Its a shame that the spurs/suns series fate may have been decided by david stern rather than by who was able to put the best team on the court. But if we can take anthing from golden state, it is a lesson that anyone is beatable. David can kill goliath. Thats what stands in front of us. Its time to pick up the the biggest rock we can find and try to sling it at them.
May.16 at 9:23 pm
Alpha-bet says:
Wow, now that GS is out it really is no interest value in the play-offs, unless it’s your job to watch or your like…a coach or something…San Antonio?, Utah?..Pistons?, Cavs or Nets?. Not really must-see TV, life schedule changing stuff here..
May.16 at 9:26 pm
bootlace says:
Is this GS team gonna stay together for next year? Would be nice to see them for a whole season now that they have gelled. I hope they dont blow all their cap space on Bierdins!
May.16 at 10:28 pm
DK52 says:
Utah and San Antonio wouldn’t be boring. Most people like the teams that don’t play any defense like the Suns and Warriors. I don’t like the Spurs but their dam good. Duncan is fundamentally sound and does all of the right things which you people find boring. Ginobli is the best International player outside of Nash and Tony Parker is super fast and very good. Barry, Finley, Horry, and especially Bowen=the older guys on the team are very boring. Utah is exciting and can play any style of offense. I’m from Pittsburgh and like the Jazz. Even if we had a hoop squad I would still like them.
May.16 at 10:32 pm
DK52 says:
If you find it boring then don’t watch it. You can go Fishing with Yao, TMac, Dirk, Kobe and BDiddy.
May.16 at 11:17 pm
ALX8725 says:
How can you say the Warriors don’t play defense when you just watched them play defense for 5 games against the Jazz. And 6 more games if you watched the Dallas series.
May.17 at 2:58 am
Russ Bengtson says:
Gonna be mighty interesting to see what happens to the Warriors now. Do they keep the same squad together and try again? Does Nellie even stay? (And, if not, is anyone else on the planet capable of coaching the same squad for 82+?) Can Baron stay healthy for a full season again? Can Stephen Jackson stay sane for a full season? Do they need to add a low-post threat, and, if so, who do they trade? (Jermaine O’Neal would be a good guy to go after, but I can’t imagine Indy giving Golden State any more of their players.) How much do they pay Barnes and Biedrins? Sheesh, this should probably be a separate post.
May.17 at 3:56 am
mc says:
Are you kidding me. A hard-fought series with two well-coached teams. What’s not to like? GS is a flash-in-a-pan, fell-good, sugar-buzz, short-attention-span team, all glitz and no sunstance. They’ll bomb big-time next season.
May.17 at 8:51 am
K22C says:
Spurs aren’t boring.
May.17 at 9:12 am
DK52 says:
Do they Warriors get Steals? Yes. Do they play good defense? NO way. Just becasue davis and Monta have quick hands and collected a lot of steals that series doesnt make them a good defensive ball club. They can’t stop you from scoring, and the Jazz scored over 100 points numerous times after averaging only about 88 points in the regular season.
May.17 at 9:19 am
DK52 says:
Russ makes some good points. I’m not sure if Nelson is interested in coaching at all next season. Barnes will end up leaving, and Ellis will be one of the starting guards next year. A 7-foot center or a low post threat would greatly benefit this team.
May.17 at 10:28 am
Alpha-bet says:
Umm… want to know what will happen to the ‘07 Golden State Warriors?…must they not forget the ‘06 LA Clippers..those who dont know there history is doomed to repeat it…
May.17 at 11:09 am
shu says:
Good lord 100+ posts? Mostly about Karl Malone? Best timing for a business trip. I don’t even need to say it right? It starts with U… ends in R, sounds like Yuta Glover. oh fine, UTAHCOVER! I believe it’s now impossible for your magazine not to give em a cover. At least I hope so, regardless of the rest of the post season. I think the headline should be “WHOTHEFARE THESE GUYS AND WHAT ARE THEY DOING KNOCKING OUT SUPERSTARS LEFT AND RIGHT?” or, “YALL BETTA RECOGNIZE…” Or “UTAH-kin TO ME, FACKER?” For the Warriors, they’re going nowhere if Nelly’s gone. None of their magic would have been possible without him. Let’s hope Sloan stays for a few more to get a ring. Their roster is set until DWill needs an extension.
May.17 at 11:44 am
DubsGonDoIt says:
Even though Utah is going to the conference finals, a strictly Utah cover won’t sell. Give up! People don’t want to see Boozer’s ugly mug on the cover of a magazine.
May.17 at 11:50 am
DK52 says:
What do you mean it won’t sell?? Slam is Slam and will sell regardless besides mostly everyone gets their subscriptions in the mail. It’s not a fashion magazine it’s a ballerz magazine and Boozer can flat out play. If you give Ben Wallace 3 covers who is pretty scary himself, and Dirk gets 3 covers, not to mention Bassy, then Utah at least deserves one cover of at their starting 5 if not then aBoozer, Dwill cover would be fine. They are long overdue.
May.17 at 11:52 am
DK52 says:
No more Shaq covers for this magazine, he’s not what he once was and they havn’t done squat this year. Time to retire Big Aristotle
May.17 at 11:53 am
DK52 says:
Slam waited until Malone was a Laker to give him a cover which really upset me. Utah next cover for sure for sure.
May.17 at 12:38 pm
Zee says:
Please realize that just because slam is slam doesn’t mean they can slap anything on the cover and expect it to sell. For people who claim to have written for slam I would assume that you know that some slams have been high sellers while others have been duds, the utah cover will go the way of the new jersey nets cover. It aint happening. And dont hate cause the warriors are the most exciting team in the playoffs and no one outside of utah wants to watch the jazz play.
May.17 at 12:40 pm
Zee says:
At least when the warriors season is over we still have the giants, the a’s and football to look forward to. What do you have? oh yeah the summer campouts under the malone and stockton statues. lame.
May.17 at 12:43 pm
Zee says:
“If you find it boring then don’t watch it. You can go Fishing with Yao, TMac, Dirk, Kobe and BDiddy” @ DK52 - choose between that and watching the jazz and the spurs? In a heartbeat.
May.17 at 2:02 pm
DK52 says:
Hey Zee, thats pretty funny. Uah deserves the next cover and I think they will get it, it will be a Jazz cover next month followed by the NBA champion on the cover of the next issue which surprise surprise could be the Jazz. I have seen player after player on the cover of my fav mag Slam and Utah is next trust me. If you read one of my earlier posts you will see I am not from Utah but cheer for them and the Oakland A’s please talk about boring. The only thing California has going for them is the Chargers which is one of three NFL teams you guys have.
May.17 at 2:05 pm
DK52 says:
Hey you guys have the Dodgers and the woeful 49ers, and the Raiders WOW not to mention Barry Bonds, and The Padres, and the Lakes and Golden State and LA Kings. Wow what a state.
May.17 at 2:07 pm
DK52 says:
For Zee and ALX8725 I gave credit to the Warriors for a heck of a season, and for being exciting I dunno why you can’t at least admit Utah earned their wins, and deserves what they get. Okay how about this. Next SLAM cover=Jerry Sloan
May.17 at 3:03 pm
shu says:
SECOND!
May.17 at 3:11 pm
shu says:
What I meant to say was, I know some covers do poorly versus others. The June? issue in 04 had 3 high school kids. and a fold out for three more. Ya, I’m a hoops junkie so I knew they were good, but only had seen em on Youtube. But they were too good as a class, so it couldn’t be avoided. I KNOW it sold poorly. BUT THEY HAD TO! So they did. That’s what I’m saying. I’m SURE they don’t want to, not for the sales but also the team, but this is just inevidable. And sales usually doesn’t count monthly subscribers, it usually just counts what got sold off shelves, because that varies from month to month. Speaking of, 6 on the all-slam team again? All those cats better have NBA careers better than Telfair’s…
May.17 at 5:41 pm
Holiday says:
I wanna know who wouldn’t want to see constant shot blocking, monster dunking, game winning/tying 3 pointers, or real nice passing from the #2 assist man in the league? Well if your into that kind of stuff then maybe you should take in a Jazz game! and maybe join the club of the NBA’s best fans!
May.17 at 5:43 pm
Holiday says:
Oh and a side note who wants to watch the Giants and fat a** Barry Bonds win a steroid tainted record??
May.17 at 7:20 pm
scooter says:
Are you guys kidding? Have any of you watched the Cavs/Nets? I LITERALLY fell asleep! Good lordy those are the two most boring teams in the playoffs BY FAR. The first sentence of this article says “In game 5 of the highly entertaining Jazz/Warriors series..” Then everyone says the Jazz are boring. This series could not have been “entertaining” solely for the Warriors, could it?
I’ve actually enjoyed watching the Jazz these playoffs. Enjoyed the Warriors too for a while, but then I got a little tired of them. Wasn’t a Jazz fan back in the Malone days, THEN they were boring, but now they’re somewhat fun to watch. Maybe people are just confusing them with the teams of old? I don’t know- but few of you are making sense.