Game 32 Final Score: Minnesota Timberwolves 100 - Utah Jazz 98 -- Post Game Thread

by AllThatJazzBasketball on Feb 22, 2012 8:42 PM MST in Game Recaps

Wow! The Minnesota Timberwolves fight back from a big deficit to beat the Utah Jazz when ~~Frodo Baggins~~ Luke Ridnour sank a buzzer beater against our "much improved" defense. The Jazz were up by 9 points with 5:58 remaining and then Head Coach Rick Adelman took a time out. The Wolves never looked back as they managed to win one, despite missing a few free throws down the stretch.

Paul Millsap had 25 and 9, but missed some important shots. Big Al had 18 and 11, with 3 steals. Josh Howard started in place of injured Raja Bell, and rang up 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists. Devin Harris almost had a double double, going 10 and 8. There was no bench production to talk about, most likely because the bench played, as a whole, 69 minutes -- the bench is 9 guys. Do the math. Tyrone Corbin, in win now mode, rode the starters -- and we STILL lost. How is that possible? I thought the starters were invincible . . . ?

J.J. Barea had 22 (*cough* OFF THE BENCH *cough*) for Minny, and they got double doubles from Kevin Love (10/10) and Nikola Pekovic (15/12). Ricky Rubio and Luke Ridnour both had 6 assists.

Minny went 11/22 from deep, and we went 1/7. They also went to the line 38 times to our 24, but we were in fouling mode at the end of the game so a lot of those were on purpose. And we lost.

To the Timberwolves.

Happy All-Star Break, Everyone.

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Comments

This is kinda what I mean:

And for the record, I always wanted Ridnour on the Jazz, and like the LOTR movies.

Jazz fan who lives in Detroit. Stats guy. Photoshop novice. Likes to make the pass to the guy who gets the assist. Questions? Comments? Concerns? Get at me:
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by AllThatJazzBasketball on Feb 22, 2012 8:52 PM MST reply actions

Do we even have a CAPTAIN for this team?

by KaBar6 on Feb 22, 2012 8:55 PM MST reply actions

That's a good point. Because we really need one right now.

by JazzMT on Feb 22, 2012 8:56 PM MST up reply actions

We needed one first week in to the season

this team is screwed

by KaBar6 on Feb 22, 2012 8:57 PM MST up reply actions

Who has stepped up to be that person?

Earl? Do you really want your backup pg to be your captain?

by hamfist on Feb 22, 2012 8:57 PM MST up reply actions

No one else has, and Earl and Raja are the hardest(expression wise) on this team

by KaBar6 on Feb 22, 2012 9:03 PM MST up reply actions

The only person that makes sense to me is Earl.

But at this point is it really worth it? I mean isn’t it more a motivational tool or symbol anyways? When Deron was named the sole captain I thought it was an effort to make him take more of a leadership role and push him to bring up his teammates to his level. And I believe (might be totally off base with this) that last year Miami named Udonis Haslem the captain to show team unity and picked him because they wanted to emulate his play style. Both of these were done to start the year, which makes me ask what do we gain by naming someone like Raja or Earl team captain at this juncture?

by hamfist on Feb 22, 2012 9:08 PM MST up reply actions

oh for sure it's too late now

This team is SCREWED.

by KaBar6 on Feb 22, 2012 9:38 PM MST via iPhone app up reply actions

Poll question..

Who wins more games by the end of the year? the Jazz or the Warriors?

by JazzMT on Feb 22, 2012 8:57 PM MST reply actions

no comment - koc

by AllThatJazzBasketball on Feb 22, 2012 8:58 PM MST up reply actions

Jazz.

I think a trade happens and the rosters and rotations come together more. The lack or roles on this team is alarming.

by hamfist on Feb 22, 2012 8:59 PM MST up reply actions

also love this capture by @jose3030

by AllThatJazzBasketball on Feb 22, 2012 8:58 PM MST reply actions

If this loss doesn't change some aspects of the coaching after the all star break...

…then I’m done watching this team. My wife is quite tired of me screaming f-bombs at the TV and, honestly, I’m tired of feeling as pissed off as I am right now at this whole organization. I know that it’s neither rational or healthy to react that way in regards to a damn basketball game but it frustrates me to no end to watch a game like I just did.

by LP Jazz on Feb 22, 2012 8:59 PM MST reply actions

My GF leaves the room, and takes a bath for 2 hours.

by hamfist on Feb 22, 2012 9:00 PM MST up reply actions

yeah, that approach has been used before, I'm quite loud in my displeasure however.

by LP Jazz on Feb 22, 2012 9:02 PM MST up reply actions

make ur a wife a jazz fan!

by Bryan Chang on Feb 22, 2012 9:02 PM MST up reply actions

Worst loss of the season?

A) Blown 18 point lead @MIN
B) Blown 18 point lead TOR
C) @NOH
D) Any of the several blow-out losses thus far @LAL, @DEN, @SAS, @OKC, etc.
E) as bad as the above were, the worst is probably yet to come

by Waxmaster on Feb 22, 2012 9:27 PM MST reply actions

A) for sure

by Hestari on Feb 22, 2012 10:27 PM MST up reply actions

I actually hated the loss to LAL to start the seeason the worst honestly.

by hamfist on Feb 22, 2012 10:56 PM MST up reply actions

True.

I would rather lost to Minn (aka the whitest team in the NBA) 100 times before I lose once to the Lakers.

by JefeRojo on Feb 23, 2012 3:09 AM MST up reply actions

something has to change

it just has to I don’t get all these losses I can’t handle them.

Follow @dianaallen

by dianaallen on Feb 22, 2012 10:06 PM MST reply actions

I've never been more pissed off at Hayward.

When is he going to grow a pair and play like he’s capable(like memphis). Tonight 6’1 Ridnour guards 6’8 Hayward and he only takes 7 shots with a 7" height advantage! I can only remember him posting up on him once and when he got the ball he shot a FADE-AWAY. I was livid. I am one of Gordon’s biggest fans but he plays like he’s afraid to piss off the vets on our team by shooting. You’re killing me Gordo!

by Hestari on Feb 22, 2012 10:33 PM MST reply actions

he was just thinking about being with his girl all weekend long!

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by dianaallen on Feb 22, 2012 10:36 PM MST up reply actions

Are the Jazz coaching staff the only ones who don't realize that the Jazz starting 5 aren't the best team to have on the court at the end of the game?

It was eery tonight how the loss of the Jazz lead coincided with Corbin putting the starters back into the game.

And, on the last play of the game, why wasn’t Howard and Favors in the game instead of CJ and Millsap or Jefferson. The only objective for the Jazz on that last play was to get a stop, and Corbin had one of the Jazz’s worst defensive combinations in the game. Did Corbin forget the Jazz were on defense, not offense? That was truly bad coaching!

I’m hoping that Gordon Hayward doesn’t become Greg Ostertag. Does anyone remember how Shaq “bitchslapped” Ostertag at the end of a Jazz shootaround before a game between the Jazz and LA when Ostertag had been in the NBA 2-3 years, and Ostertag was never the same after that. Before that game, he was the only player in the league who could guard Shaq—afterward, not so much. He kind of lost his mojo.

Last year at the end of the season, when Hayward dominated Kobe in the last Laker game last year, I thought he might really become something. However, right now Hayward is acting like someone “bitchslapped” him, just like Shaq did to Ostertag.

by Fesenko for President on Feb 22, 2012 11:10 PM MST reply actions

It's funny that some of you even mention Hayward like he was the sole reason they choked like they did

THEY HAD AN 18 POINT LEAD IN THE 4th QUARTER!!!! Hayward scored all his points before the CHOKE JOB happened.

This team SUCKS!!! FO SUCKS!!! CORBIN BLOWS if he’s thinking of starting Howard over Hayward once Raja comes back. Hurry up and Trade one of the vet BIGS, and get this youth movement going before they catch this disease that the VETS are showing…ITS UGLY, TERRIBLE BASKETBALL.

Raja Bell at the scorer's table: "We consistently do dumb s---."

by EcERyda69 on Feb 22, 2012 11:40 PM MST reply actions

Locke said something about...

Corbin tweaking the starting lineup to the effect of:

Harris, Bell, Howard, Millsap & Jefferson

I’m not a fan of this; even if it somehow produces a few more wins than playing the kids quality minutes would, which is by no means certain, it doesn’t seem likely to get the Jazz into the playoffs & I don’t see how it does much positive for the team’s future either.

Not 1 of those 5 guys has more than 2 years left on contract.

Harris, Bell & Howard are all on the downward slopes of their careers.

Millsap & Jefferson are both decent enough, but there are 2 #3 draft picks sitting increasingly longer amounts of time on the bench in need of development behind them.

by Waxmaster on Feb 23, 2012 1:16 AM MST up reply actions

I was not referring to this particular game, but rather, to how Hayward has been playing all season, except for on a couple of occasions, when he has flashed his tantilizing potential.

by Fesenko for President on Feb 23, 2012 5:17 AM MST up reply actions

I don't blame Hayward for losing the game. . .

I blame him for not winning THIS game. With a 7’’ height advantage he should have had 15-20 pts or around 10 assists. He should’ve taken over the game in the 1st quarter and didn’t.

by Hestari on Feb 23, 2012 10:00 AM MST up reply actions

Clearly, none of you know what you're talking about. *

If the Jazz conceded that they needed to rebuild we would lose the Jazz just like Seattle did after having three straight losing seasons in which fans decided to turn their attention to the 3 other professional sports teams in town… oh wait.

The Jamaal Tinsley of SLC Dunk
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by prodigal punk on Feb 23, 2012 1:12 AM MST reply actions

so you're saying that this is...

that soccer team’s fault

by Waxmaster on Feb 23, 2012 1:17 AM MST up reply actions

go Bees!

or I guess for me it would be go Orem Owlz!

Follow @dianaallen

by dianaallen on Feb 23, 2012 1:29 AM MST up reply actions

I don't think it takes a genius to figure out that Derrick Favors is a better matchup on Serge Ibaka than Paul Millsap, when the Jazz play OKC, for example.

Or, that Derrick Favors would probably defend the post better and rebound better than either Paul Millsap or Al Jefferson on a last second play when the only objective is to get a stop on the other team, so they do not make the game winning basket with 7 seconds left in the game.

by Fesenko for President on Feb 23, 2012 5:21 AM MST up reply actions

This game was painful

Anyone knows how many 3-pointers Minnesota hit when Hayward was on the court and how many when he wasn’t? Just curious about it. Anyone has access to hat kind of "stat’?

Following the Lightning from Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.
Let's. Go. BOLTS!

by Rafael Amarante on Feb 23, 2012 4:34 AM MST reply actions

The one thing that we as Jazz fans have going for us in this strike shortened season is that if Corbin continues to play the veterans big minutes, the young players are apt to get more minutes solely by attrition at some point in the season.

It has become clear over the past few seasons when Millsap has started and played big minutes (including the season where Boozer got injured and Millsap started 15-20 games in his place) that because of his lack of size Millsap does not have the endurance to play at a high level for the whole season, if he is getting big minutes.

In this season, with the games all clumped together, the wear and tear of the NBA season seems to be taking a toll on players much quicker. Therefore, unless the Jazz start bringing “veteran players” out of retirement as the current Jazz veterans wear out and get injured, the young players are going to get more minutes by default, if nothing else.

by Fesenko for President on Feb 23, 2012 5:30 AM MST reply actions

And hear I was hoping

That a win yesterday would somewhat alleviate the pain of having an early morning root canal. No such luck. Boo.

by All that Jazz on Feb 23, 2012 5:38 AM MST via mobile reply actions

More like "here" I was hoping...

by All that Jazz on Feb 23, 2012 5:39 AM MST via mobile reply actions

Gordon Hayward is a wuss(to put it lightly)

He didn’t get in Barea’s face. Watson and Bell would have. Oh noes a 1 game suspension and a little fine! It would have been well worth it to knock that ahole on his ass.

by KaBar6 on Feb 23, 2012 6:17 AM MST via iPhone app reply actions

that pissed me off

by handlogten on Feb 23, 2012 7:15 AM MST up reply actions

Sounds like it was a good game to (involuntarily) miss.

Let me know when Coach stops being a fool, & I’ll start watching again.

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by SurlyMae on Feb 23, 2012 6:57 AM MST via Android app reply actions

is big al the only guy with the balls to take a late shot?

to me, this is the problem we have, we dont have a guy to close the game, al is doing his best to be that guy but we need another.

we cant hold on to a lead no matter how big, i had a feeling after we got up that the lead would eventually be lost. why is it that we can never get the bench and the starters playing well at the same time?

CJ miles, sub of the game, 2/6 for 6 points. we need more bench production.

i love howard as a starter, he’s bringing it. bottom line is we’ll be ok, we’re not ready to compete this year, just be content with missing the playoffs and hopefully building on this season into next. life rolls on guys.

by handlogten on Feb 23, 2012 7:23 AM MST reply actions