Game 4: San Antonio Spurs (3-0) @ Utah Jazz (0-3)
Jazz have heart.
If you are an old timey Jazz fan you may remember the accusation levied at the Utah Jazz years ago when they first made the playoffs. Frank Layden was the coach then, and our team of one way players, youth, and castaways were not expected to win. They were apparently a team without "heart". Frank Layden was an unconventional, charismatic coach. He loved to lighten the mood. He wasn't the rigid disciplinarian like Jerry Sloan (one of his assistants), or the old school Xs and Os coach like Phil Johnson (another assistant). Layden was a big picture guy, and an old school leader. He did not overlook things like morale, and what the media was saying.
The Jazz players were accused of not having a heart. So you know what he did? He brought in an artificial heart into the locker room before a game and said "well, I guess they can stop saying we don't have heart now." (Not a direct quote) This Jazz team needs to show some heart tonight.
A win would be great. But even if they don't win tonight -- they can still play with heart. We know they have it, because it took a lot of heart to finish the season with 9 wins in their last 13 games. The Jazz have heart. They don't have to win the series. Or even win this game. They just need to play with heart for 48 minutes (and/or also for 5 over times).
And they will.
Starters:
Spurs | @ | Jazz |
Tony Parker | PG | Devin Harris |
Danny Green | SG | Gordon Hayward |
Kawhi Leonard (?) | SF | Paul Millsap |
Boris Diaw (?) | PF | Derrick Favors |
Tim Duncan | C | Al Jefferson |
Yes, we're going big. I don't know what Gregg Popovich will do.
Liner Notes:
- No one on the San Antonio Spurs are hurt
- C.J. Miles (UTA) is still out; which sucks
- Earl Watson (UTA) is out
- Spurs vs Jazz coverage
- Spurs vs Jazz preview
- Pounding The Rock