Preview - Utah Jazz @ San Antonio Spurs

by Basketball John on Nov 19, 2009 4:57 PM MST in Game Previews Comment 1 comment

We all partied like it was 1999 when the Jazz last won in SA. I've written this before, but at this point I want the win just so we don't have to talk/hear about it anymore. The actual win itself would be secondary.

The Spurs are giving us one of the better chances we've had because both Tony Parker and Manu will be out with injuries. I'd like to say that beating them with those two playing would bring more satisfaction, but it won't. I just want a win in SA before the 00s close out.'

It's already been over ten years since we won there with that win coming in Feb of 1999. We played them again in May and lost, starting the current streak.

If you take a look at the roster the last time we won, it's of course completely turned over. Nobody on the current team has ever won in SA.

It was also the strike-shortened year. The Jazz were 11-2 at that point despite it being in February. The key to that win was that they played some great D. Duncan got his, but nobody else had a good game. They held the Spurs to 41% shooting and forced 17 turnovers.

Let's hope that it's the same case tonight. Even with Parker and Manu out, it's important not to let someone like Richard Jefferson have a career night or for George Hill to hit another 45 three-pointers.

I have to say I've been swayed a bit by the team's recent play on the road. I don't know why I keep getting my hopes up. But just going on feeling and emotion alone, the team doesn't seem to have that look of despair about them right now.

In fact, are they, GULP, having fun as Boozer states,

Carlos Boozer punctuated Wednesday's victory by slapping the backboard after his follow-up dunk with 2:53 remaining, drawing an immediate (and automatic) technical foul. He joked after the game about last trying such a move when he was 17.

"It’s worth it, though," Boozer said of the technical. "I’m having fun out there. My teammates are having fun. It got my teammates hyped, it got the crowd hyped. That’s part of basketball. I mean, you get T’s like that, that’s the fun part of basketball."

Both teams are coming off a game last night so that should factor in evenly for them. The Jazz really have some momentum right now and this could be the a huge kicker for them if they are able to pull out a win tonight.

Game Thread @ 6

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