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Game 53: Jazz 109, Thunder 94
Posted by: TACOREV on February 13th, 2013
The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of the Utah Jazz.Rolling on all cylinders, the Jazz run away with a huge win over the Thunder (39-13, 16-10 away).
Jefferson’s 23 & 7 led the Jazz, with Millsap finishing not too far off a triple-double with 18/10/6. Favors scored 15 while Carroll and Burks each chipped in 13 off the bench.
Kevin Durant posted a 33/6/5/4 performance and Russell Westbrook added 22 to lead OKC. Reggie Jackson scored 12 off the bench, while Serge Ibaka put in 10 points with seven blocks.
Great all-around effort tonight by the Jazz. It really makes me wonder how good this team could be if Corbin could get everybody to play with that kind of effort more consistently.
The players I tend to complain about did pretty well tonight. Although Jefferson’s 23 points came on 22 shots, he was playing with an all-around effort that we rarely see from him. Tinsley was getting destroyed by Westbrook on the defensive end, but had six assists and hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the second half to help open up a big lead on the Thunder. Watson also had one of his better games.
Carroll was absolutely everywhere tonight. The dude hustles harder than anyone on the floor, and was doing all kinds of stuff that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet. Despite Durant going for 33, Carroll played as good a D as you can on a superstar scorer during the stints in which he guarded KD.
Burks also continues to make big plays and solid contributions when given minutes. He had a handful of mistakes, but he doesn’t shy away when he makes them.
Now standing at 29-24 (20-6 at home), the seventh-place Jazz (a game and a half out of sixth) head to Minnesota to face the T-Wolves tomorrow night for the last game before the All-Star break. Let’s just hope they don’t pull a classic Jazz letdown act and lose to a bad team right after beating a good one.
Jazz player of the game: DeMarre Carroll
Replies: 27
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27 Responses
Great win! Weve now beaten the spurs, heat and thunder..the entire team played well, but id give player of the game to burks. His offense production in the 2nd half was key. Good win, it was fun to watch.
#KDisnotnice
KD and Westbrook are some sore losers man
This is why you need players like Burks and Carroll on the team. Burks has said in the past “I ain’t scared of nobody man.” And he ain’t.. This is where playground basketball comes in to play. After KD got a flagrant on Burks Carroll comes to his aid with a earful to KD. Carroll was just coming to the aid of his teammate which is right. But as NBA does both got a “T.” I would give Carroll a good pay raise next year. The guy is a keeper..Jazz can play and beat any team when they want to.
When I see this team play hard and with purpose against teams like OKC, The Heat, San Antonio and the Nuggets its all the more frustrating to see the same team play within themselves against New Orleans and the Kings, and get blown away out of the game by GSW. I just hope they keep up the intensity against the Timberwolves.
The Jazz got a little bit of luck yesterday, some key players for OKC missed some key shots at key times, which is very unlike them. However the Jazz deserved the luck, and if they played like that against every team, they would get a bit more luck, and a few more victories.
Tinsley gets destroyed on the defensive end on a nightly basis. People just run past him. Watson at least starts the defending way up on the other end of the floor, which allows his team to get into better defensive positions. Thats something that isn’t in the stat sheet, defenders out of position because a PG can’t defend. Which brings me to the Chicago game, I never understood a why Tinsley when he couldn’t defend the Point all night, and he couldn’t shoot fish in a barrel, he had as many minutes before Corbin replaced him. Even if Burks hadn’t been any better at defending he could have at least had the ability to trade a few buckets. 3 or 4 extra buckets that night might have given the Jazz the opportunity to win the game.
I hope the Jazz don’t let Carroll slip away in the summer by concentrating too much on getting new players to the team. He adds so much to this team, greater than the sum of his parts. If there is any danger in running out of cap space to keep him next season, Evans has to be traded away and Carroll offered that money.
What was the deal with Kevin Durant and Westbrook being such tools? Usually they seem to have more class than most in the league but I guess that’s only when they’re winning? KD is becoming more and more of a dirty player this year which is sad because he played the game with so much respect up until now. I wonder if someone in the offseason told him he needed to be more passionate in order to win a title.
Anyway, I was very happy the Jazz put them through the ringer last night because we never can beat the Thunder. Very refreshing to see our guys deliver the beat down.
I was at this game last night. Here’s some things that don’t happen every day that made this win possible:
Jefferson gave effort on D.
Burks played very well, hitting some contested threes.
Tinsley hit back-to-back threes.
Watson hit a driving layup and a shot off a curl.
Team forced LOTS of turnovers and had very active hands and basically frustrated the Thunder.
The whole team decided to play defense. I think it starts there. Our front court did what it should and outplayed Perkins, Ibaka and Collison. We got solid D from our back court and great contributions from them on offense. Tinsley two threes, Carrol shot well, Foye hit good shots, Burks hit shots, Watson hit shots. When you get good play from everybody like we did, the Jazz can win games.
WOW! This is probably the best game Ive seen the Jazz play all year, not stylistically, but in terms of heart and effort.
OKC is a finesse team, and the Jazz punched them in the mouth and they looked like they didn’t know what to do, haha! I love seeing the Jazz get into confrontations! Side note: did anyone else notice that Westbrook stayed under the rim while all the players from both teams were mixing it up?!
Burks has swagger!! You need guys like that to be competitive and make you believe that you can beat anyone. And a guy like DC that invades space and irritates the heck out of other players! Those are the intangibles that Rodman had, DC has those. You need that in playoffs.
Jazz better annihilate the sorry trash TWolves!!!
Oh so that’s what ‘intangibles’ means, hustle plays and presence on the court. Thanks Omar every day you learn something hehe
And yes this was an exciting game to watch. I’d add the chemistry a player brings into the team. I mean yes, Tinsley and Watson aren’t the best PG’s there is, but they have a very particular and different style each one of them. I think the rest of the guys like the challenge of having to adapt to each one’s play if that makes sense.
It still doesn’t mean that we don’t need a good PG bad, specially one we can rely on in the future. But as a whole, I think there’s really good chemistry in the team and that works wonders some games.
DMC and Watson have brought a ‘dog combo attitude’ late in games that’s just contagious to the rest of the players.
incredible win, the Jazz looked awesome. The Jazz really need to resign Demarre Carroll… I am perplexed that he hasn’t already been offered a contract extension. I only wish he was starting and playing 35 minutes every night at the SF spot, he is just better than Marvin, and he needs to feel wanted by the team…more so than Marvin.
Like Steven said, if it comes down to trading Evans to keep Carroll it has to be done … The title conteders must be licking their chops at the idea of signing DMC in the offseason.
Love the real fan spirit today. I guess we have reason to cheer when the team plays like it should. Remember we are still without our starting pg and 6th man.
I know that Hayward has been marked untouchable as he should have, but this team needs to make 1st priority to build around Carroll, Burks, Kanter, and Favors. I would also actually love to have Watson as an assistant coach next year. Those guys are beyond great teammates, they treat their team like family. Especially Demarre, if he signs somewhere else this season I’m gonna be really disappointed.
Yesterday Dennis Lindsey said that Burks has real pnr potential, and then Burks comes out and plays incredible in the pnr. That is how you gain trust. Great game.
Jazz played great i don’t know why were still starting Marvin i think Carroll would help get the starters going fast in the first of the game he plays the end why not the first
what a game… best one this season.
Finally we found the basket, and have safe baskets.
Player of the game: Carroll – Millsap
Special mention: Jefferson – Favors
PS: Who we trade now?
DeMarre Carroll is a Spurs type of player, those who need to win rings, the perfect team player…….
Smart move that we pick their GM this summer
Win or lose, the young guys are just more fun to watch. They play with so much more intensity and heart. It seems like every game they’re getting into the other teams heads and frustrating them.
First of all Evans does not make enough to do without his contract.Especially with so many free agents. Carroll will be a UFA but the Jazz have his bird rights. He wants to stay so it should not be a problem. His contract will be in the Evans range. But still will be much more than he is making now. I think he plays better in the second unit. Could still get plenty of minutes and might be one that could finish games as well.
Carroll is really amazing, im glad to see him on Jazz uniform…. exactly French Dude is a Spurs type of player, he combat every ball, is a warrior on d, happy for him, my dear Jerry would be so in love with him XD
@Guido: “PS: Who we trade now?”
Still Jefferson, no doubt. He’s played with effort like this before, the problem is he either can’t or won’t sustain it for consistent periods of time.
Plus, between this game and the Bulls game, his stock is up. We should sell high now while we have the chance.
This was a nice game! It actually got me a little more optimistic about the future( more than I have been recently). Al can play good D when he wants to. But I think its only because of the more negative-national press he is getting closer to the trade deadline. It just makes me think he is just extremely lazy even more! Think how good this team will be when he is traded and we get any other pg besides Tinsley and Watson…Then we fire are inferior coach… We play killer D, run p&r, and push the tempo. C’mon FO get on it dont dissapoint!
C4, Foye, DC have all showed they deserve to be resigned when their contracts are up and for more money. So still from a practical standpoint, Jazz cannot afford to keep Al AND Millsap—one has to go, at least. Millsap is cheaper and overall better imo. Jazz cant let them walk for nothing. So either its resigning or trading.
I’m wanting a trade to see the C4 get more minutes. But i don’t think we will see one. Keven O’Connor was on tv the other and said when every one says you need to trade that is when you probably shouldn’t make one. Were not going to take a bad contract back to make a deal work. IMO the suns trade dose not help us were trying get get ride of a big to Favors & Kanter more minutes i would like there 1st round pick unprotected but i dont see the jazz making a trade this year .
Carroll isn’t just an energy guy anymore, he is making shots and getting it done on the defensive end. In my opinion, he and Foye are guys we need to resign in the offseason. Foye has shot better from the 3-point land than any other Jazz player in history and we have sure appreciated that while he’s been here. Sure he doesn’t play the greatest defense (partially due to his size) but he is a great guy, super humble and the kind of player we want on our team. He won’t cost much and he is really committed to the Jazz. He WANTS to stay here. I don’t know what we should do about Mo Williams … Is he in or out? I honestly can’t say at this point. He’s not pass first but he is an offensive threat and he’s a good guy who likes Utah… Everyone else (with the exclusion of Millsap) I think we should let go.
I’m still praying for a Kemba Walker and Tyrus Thomas for Al Jefferson trade!!!! Then in my opinion we drop Marvin Williams, Tinsley, Watson via FA and sign Foye, Carroll, and Millsap! Maybe grap another 3 or something…then let the team grow and kick butt
Makes you wonder about Mo. By the time the season is done he will have missed at least a third of the season. He won’t like not starting but at best he should be the backup. That would be a strong core..The key is still AL and what pieces could be obtained. One more week and trade talk will be done..
Hopefully GSW drops a ton of games—not too much tho!! I might consider draft two PGs and just play the odds that one becomes something special.
I like Mo for a Back up!
Will Mo be comfortable with a backup PG role? I think he would but guys surprise you in this league…
Knowing the Jazz, Demarre Carroll will be gone next year and Marvin Williams will be in the starting lineup still.