The 4th and final playoff battle is the one closest to home (both literally and figuratively.) The Utah Jazz, after stumbling into the playoffs, have collided with another stumbler, the Denver Nuggets. Each team had high ambitions and looked as if it would actually live up to them (see: my prediction that the Jazz would finish 2nd in the West.) Unfortunately, each team also fell prey to injuries and has essentially been ignored (probably correctly) as a serious contender. Martin's injury gained a lot of speculation on a national level. He is Denver's best defender, rebounds the ball well, and scores a decent amount of points. Although he is probably a better player (or has a larger impact) then Kirilenko, no one seemed to notice (except for Jazz fans) just how much Utah suffered with AK out. This injury deserves just as much what-if style analysis as any other going into the playoffs. Now that Okur is also out for the season, this match up does not look all too good for us Jazz fans.
Interesting stories:
Deron Williams will probably continue his gnarly basketball shredding of any defense that has to stop him. It is truly a pleasure to watch him play. It will be interesting to see what happens with this Denver team in the playoffs also. Last year, everyone made a big deal about Billup's ability to calm an otherwise volatile team and bring out the best in the players around him. It now appears to me at least that Denver's natural pre-disposition to being a bunch of punks is outshining Chauncey's brilliant leadership. Will they melt down again or will the gain resolve? Only one way to find out and the ball don't lie.
Prediction:
Nuggets in 5 (Game 1, Game 2, Game 4, Game 5)
Despite all odds, the Jazz were able to steal a victory in Denver. I still like the Nuggets to win, but now I think that it will be in 6 as opposed to the predicted 5. With Williams dominating on the national level, I thought yesterday was arguably the game of the year for this Utah squad.
ReplyDeleteThe Jazz have rolled the Nuggets for the second straight game. They now join 189 teams in NBA history that have possessed a 3-1 lead in a playoff series. 181 of the aforementioned teams went on to the next round. According to our statistics department, that gives the Jazz roughly a 95% chance of meeting whoever wins in the 1-8 matchup (Lakers.) Besides the ridiculous fouls that Utah committed tonight, I must admit that I am really proud of this team, and if they can manage to hang on and win this series, I will post about how this year was a smashing success.
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