With the Downbeat today reviewing Gordon Hayward's season and me currently being suspended by Google+, here's a bunch of links from around the web on the Jazz.

"Dnepr" close to signing a contract with Kirill Fesenko - Men - News - "Basketball club Dnipro"
Basketball Club "Dnipro" negotiating a contract with the pupil SDYUSSHOR number 5 pivot of the national team of Ukraine Kirill Fesenko.

FIBA – France, Russia overcome lockout insurance jam | FIBA.COM
Russia coach David Blatt has also confirmed to FIBA.com that NBA forward and EuroBasket 2007 MVP Andrei Kirilenko will be in Lithuania competing for the national team. "He'll be with us 100% when we go to our first training camp outside Russia," Blatt said, with Kirilenko having not featured for Russia since the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. "In less than a week he'll be joining us. "The insurance issue is something that I do not handle but our federation is completely on top of it and has taken care of that. "In Andrei's case, I believe it's already done."

Ready to 'refurbish, refresh' playground " Homepage " McLeansboro Times-Leader
The fire May 30 destroyed the east portion of Kids Kingdom, the playground which hundreds of community volunteers came together to build in June 2006 after receiving a $100,000 donation from McLeansboro native Jerry Sloan. A 13-year-old Franklin County boy was charged with setting the fire. Phase I of the rebuild project — which will include repainting all existing structures, fencing and the newly reconstructed portions of the "Tot Lot" destroyed in the recent fire — will begin Monday, Aug. 1, the committee announced Friday.

Terry Cummings talks trash about Karl Malone after the jump

Continue reading this post »

To get you through the next hour...

Ty Corbin, Utah Jazz may have no other choice but to rebuild - Chris Mannix - SI.com
No, the real problem in Utah is more rooted. The Jazz are a team divided. There are members of the old guard, veterans like Paul Millsap, Andrei Kirilenko and Mehmet Okur. These players are used to playing one way and having success doing it. But the team's future rests with its youth, namely two rookies in 19-year-old power forward Favors and 20-year-old swingman Gordon Hayward, who must be developed before they can make a significant impact. Balancing the two agendas, Corbin acknowledges, can be a tricky process. "We're trying to develop them as we go," Corbin said. "The most important thing right now is to play as well as we can as a group. Different guys are going to get minutes on the floor in different situations."

Karl Malone weighs in on the current lockout situation | ESPN
Karl Malone and Gary Payton, who were part of the last lockout, were also present at ESPN The Weekend and gave a bit of insight on what might be going on behind closed doors in negotiations. "It's not a hell of a lot of people doing a lot of talking in that meeting," Malone said. "It ain't but one person doing a whole lot of talking." Payton agreed. "And that's basically David Stern," Payton said.

YouTube - Karl Malone and Sage Steele Fishing at ESPN the Weekend
Another Karl Malone fishing video at ESPN the weekend.

Utah Jazz: Rookies make a pitstop for pasta in N.Y. | Deseret News
Hayward has been teased about this dining dilemma since he tweeted about it Sunday night. "I knew people were hating," the 20-year-old said, "but I don't know what's wrong with Olive Garden, to be honest." Nothing, perhaps, if you're in Sandy. But a meal there while in Manhattan? "It fit his budget," Jazz veteran guard Earl Watson said, chiming in while rubbing his fingers together and poking fun of his teammates.

Harris is getting used to his new offense | The Salt Lake Tribune
But while Harris has not earned a graduate degree in Utah’s complex offensive system, he has made significant strides. Part of the progress can be attributed to Corbin’s decision to streamline the Jazz’s sets, presenting Harris with less information and allowing him to put his veteran intuition to use. But much of Harris’ development simply comes down to the point guard’s basketball intelligence. "The things that we’ve been running in the games, I think he’s in pretty good shape," said Corbin, prior to Utah’s 109-102 overtime victory against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday at EnergySolutions Arena. "It’s just when we try and tweak it a little bit in different situations … if [an opponent] takes one thing away when we draw it up in the huddle, it kind of stagnates."

Now we know how to get Raja to shoot well | Deseret News
Bell, who has struggled with his shooting for much of the season, hit two clutch jumpers in overtime to help the Jazz to a 109-102 win over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night. Bell finished with 16 points, his highest total since Feb. 7, which was the last time the Jazz played the Kings. Afterward, Bell bolted out of the locker room, through the tunnel inside EnergySolutions Arena and to his car. He wasn't avoiding the media. He just had better things to do. "His wife and kids had a flight and had to be at the airport," said Jazz forward C.J. Miles. "Best believe we asked why he was getting out of here so fast."

A Stockton Leads Gonzaga, Again - NYTimes.com
It appears there is a new rising point guard on the Gonzaga horizon, with a very familiar last name. Redshirt freshman David Stockton, the son of N.B.A. Hall of Famer John Stockton, is beginning to write his own history as a player. David helped the Zags (24-9) win the West Coast Conference tournament Monday night, beating St. Mary’s, 75-63, to automatically advance into the N.C.A.A. Tournament. David contributed seven points and three assists in 28 minutes off the bench.

Dwight Howard setting himself up to be NBA villain like LeBron James – Sentinel Sports Now – Orlando Sentinel
I chatted with NBA Hall of Fame post Karl Malone during ESPN the Weekend and he offered this advice to Dwight Howard about free agency. "Don’t even talk about it now. Just play and when it’s over with, don’t draw it out, just do what you want to do. Because you can see how if it gets drawn out, you’re the villain. So if I was him, I wouldn’t say a word. Just play the game and all of that will take care of itself," Malone said.

Five Jazz players sit out practice due to injuries | Utah Jazz Notes | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah coach Tyrone Corbin said that he is contemplating a lineup change to help spark the struggling Jazz, who were blown out 131-109 by the New York Knicks on Monday. But with the loss still fresh in Corbin's mind and Utah dealing with a variety of key injuries, he is more focused on the long-term picture.

Report: New Jersey Nets' star Deron Williams out for birth of child - ESPN New York
The New Jersey Nets anticipate that point guard Deron Williams will miss the next two games, head coach Avery Johnson told the Bergen (N.J.) Record after Tuesday's practice. Williams is in Dallas with his wife for the birth of their fourth child.

Ticket punched: Famous bloodlines help push Zags to WCC crown - The Dagger - NCAAB  - Yahoo! Sports
Stockton's numbers at the Orleans Arena in the championship tilt — seven points, three assists and no turnovers in 28 minutes — looked modest. But there was no question about the impact several of his plays had on the game's outcome — especially in the second half.

It's the return of TBLIATWIATNIATU.   It's a collection of the best links around the NBA for the Jazz.  It's been a while because The Downbeat took a lot of the link that I had for the day but there's a lot out there right now.  So this won't be a daily thing, though it could if there's enough out there, it should be making a more regular appearance.

Also, after the All-star break, we'll get a return of While You Were Sleeping when we take a look at the last night's action and their impact on the Jazz.  Until then...

Video: Jeremy Evans' talent goes beyond hoops - ksl.com
The KSL.COM Website

Twitter / @C.J. Miles: Forgot I had to film this ...
"Forgot I had to film this frickin commercial lol ... Bout to get my milk mustache on lol" -Ronnie Brewer's chocolate milk mustache lives!

The Utah Jazz are preparing for life in the NBA without Jerry Sloan - The National
During the long coaching tenure of Jerry Sloan, the Utah Jazz were structured almost to a fault.

Assessing Sloan: Call Him Coach - NYTimes.com
Jerry Sloan, who retired abruptly on Thursday amid tributes and testimonials, had an intense coachin style. Sloan's public image, at least outside Utah, is one of intensity, ferocity, perhaps a touch of rage, all born of the courtside competitiveness that television cameras capture.

Sloan, Chicago were a perfect match - DailyHerald.com
When Jerry Sloan resigned last week after 23 years as Utah Jazz head coach, it was easy to forget how connected he is to the Bulls and the Chicago area.

Monson: Getting to know the Jazz’s new head man | The Salt Lake Tribune
There are things you have to know about the new head coach of the Utah Jazz, things you want to know and things that are

Emerson Lotzia - A wake up call for Deron Williams - ABC 4.com - Salt Lake City, Utah News
Deron Williams is getting a bad wrap following Jerry Sloan's resignation. Does he deserve it? I say he did it to himself.

Q&A with Jazzmen Deron Williams and CJ Miles
Deron and CJ talk about the Jimmer and who would win one on one.

Corbin wants Jazz to stand taller | The Salt Lake Tribune
Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin spent 16 years and 1,065 games playing the small forward position in the NBA. Now, the heir to Jerry Sloan will

FIBA, the NBA and the looming lockout - CBSSports.com
Normally players with current contracts in the NBA couldn't play overseas but if there is a lockout, perhaps owners couldn't enforce current contracts.

David Berri: If Deron Williams Was Chris Paul, Maybe Jerry Sloan Would Have Stayed
Yeah, I'm sure that would have solved the problem.

Ex-Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan wasn't such a tough guy
We love the idea. But the trophy that goes to the Coach of the Year currently is named after Red Auerbach, and we're guessing the last thing Sloan would want would be to take Auerbach's name off. Instead, maybe the media, which votes on the award, should just leave it vacant this year. After all, if Jerry Sloan can't win it, then maybe nobody should.

Utah Jazz extra: A weird week in team history | Deseret News
Five things that made this past half-fortnight one of the weirdest weeks in Utah Jazz history:

With Sloan now gone, Jazz enter into a new era of change | NBA.com
Greg Miller didn't want to believe what he was hearing. No, that's wrong. He believed it. He just wanted to do something to change it.

Utah Jazz: Hornacek officially joins Corbin's staff | Deseret News
SALT LAKE CITY — It seemed to be just a formality and now the Utah Jazz have made it official — Jeff Hornacek will be an assistant for new

Assessing Sloan: Call Him Coach - NYTimes.com
Jerry Sloan, who retired abruptly on Thursday amid tributes and testimonials, had an intense coachin style. Sloan's public image, at least outside Utah, is one of intensity, ferocity, perhaps a touch of rage, all born of the courtside competitiveness that television cameras capture.

Hardwood Hype: Sloan Or No Sloan, The Utah Jazz Could Use A Backcourt Shakeup

Hoopdata | Signs Were There for Utah
We've talked a few times in recent days about the many anomolies with the Utah Jazz. Those all came to a head when Jerry Sloan resigned as head coach Thursday...

Let’s Not Be Sad For Jerry Sloan – The No-Look Pass
So really... while Coach Sloan IS a Utah Jazz institution... let's not wonder and lament on why he exited. Coach Sloan finally gets to go home and enjoy life without much worry. Maybe someday, he'll return. And if he doesn't, that's okay. So what if he never won an NBA championship? So what if he never won Coach of the Year? We all know what he's done for the Jazz and he got his guys to play hard every single time. And he has done more than enough for the game of basketball and he deserves to have this break more than anybody. It's like finally seeing your dad retire and tell war stories to all the kids that talk to him.

Truth About It " Reflections On Jerry Sloan: The D.C. Edition
My favorite Sloan interaction happened last year when the Jazz visited the Verizon Center. It just happened to be the day before his 68th birthday, and a reporter decided to ask him about how he felt: "Coach, tomorrow you turn 68. How do you feel?" the reporter asked. "I feel with my fingers," Sloan deadpanned.

• Giricek, "Something that would have been useful to me 5 years ago!"
  The new two-step traveling rule in the NBA

• JazzFanz.com • View topic - Here's your Green Jerseys!
  I hope they're not that short.

• Carlos Boozer, Paul Millsap surprisingly still together with Jazz
  As much as Millsap, 24, wants to be a starter, he isn't upset at Boozer, 27, for staying and keeping his spot. In fact, the two are good friends, sitting beside each other in the locker room and on the bench during timeouts. The two will also be on the court together this season, with Boozer capable of playing some center and Millsap versatile enough to slide to small forward against certain matchups. "We have fun together," Boozer said. "We're both strong, we're both really explosive and we can play defense pretty good together. ... The good thing is we have a deep team so we can mix up our lineups a little bit."

• FanHouse Preview: Jazz -- NBA FanHouse
  But whatever configuration of players Utah coach Jerry Sloan has, you better believe he'll coach the heck out of them. Sloan was named to the Hall of Fame last month, but Jazz officials will make sure Sloan, who hates it when somebody makes a fuss over him, won't be introduced before games as any sort of living legend.

• I'm loving the low predictions this year
  3. Utah Jazz During a long stretch of missed games due to injury last season, Millsap showed why the Jazz could do without Boozer. Now, Coach Jerry Sloan isn’t certain whom to start. Of course, if Boozer’s healthy, he’s the obvious choice. He is, after all, a former All-Star, who’s still in his prime. Another possibility is that Sloan plays Boozer at center some of the time, pairing him alongside Millsap at the four spot. One thing is certain, though, as long as the Jazz have Deron Williams running the show at point guard, they should be competitive. The Jazz should fight for the eighth seed in the West.

• I would be very surprised.
  The Jazz have a couple of interesting rookies in their camp. Paul Harris from Syracuse and Wesley Matthews from Marquette; Harris is a Jerry Sloan type player, he won't take bad shots and he plays very physical defense. Wesley Matthews is a great shooter who can spread the court. They only have 13 players under contract and it wouldn't surprise me if they kept both of them.

• Another Jazz season preview
  Of course, the reason the Jazz are so eager to part with Boozer is because they have Paul Millsap waiting in the wings to replace him. Millsap isn’t as good as Boozer, but he’s not much worse, and he is much younger and much cheaper. The best way to describe Millsap is "bull in a china shop". He’s not a guy you’d call "skilled," but he’s really strong, and is constantly in motion. He gets most of his points in the flow of the offense, off of cuts or offensive rebounds, which means you don’t have to call a lot of plays for him. When he does get the ball, there’s nothing fancy going on. He’s going to bull his way to the rim and look for contact. Defensively, he has a similar approach. He’s strong enough to push guys out of post position, and he’s very aggressive going for steals and blocks. That aggressive play helps him make up for his size disadvantage, but it also tends to get him in foul trouble (he had the second-highest foul rate among players who played at least 2000 minutes), and he’s going to have to be a bit more careful if he’s going to be the starting power forward in the future.

• Is this a copy and paste from last season?
  Matt Harpring is a tough as nails type player that gives his all at both ends of the floor but is out indefinitely after undergoing what was thought to be routine surgery to remove bone spurs over the summer. The swingman suffered an infection that forced him to be hospitalized for four days and treated with intravenous antibiotics for a month.

• Sloan Reflects as Career Enters Twilight
  SALT LAKE CITY -- Jerry Sloan was in his fourth season as Utah's coach and had just one playoff series win to show for it. So when Sloan's Jazz prepared to play the deciding Game 5 of a first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers in May 1992, there was some uneasiness. via BDL "[The series] was 2-2 and going back to Salt Lake,'' said Charlotte coach Larry Brown, then coach of the Clippers. "Before the game, Jerry told me, if he loses, he might not be the coach next year. "That was 18 years ago.'' We'll never know what might have happened had the Jazz lost. Utah won 98-89 to take the series. The Jazz went on to defeat Seattle 4-1 in the second round before losing to Portland 4-2 in the Western Conference finals. By then, Sloan's job was secure. (via BDL)

• Boozer changing his number to Se7en?

• What the comment? Of course it's not Stockton and Malone, but I would say the Jazz have more total talent now then they've ever had.
  I love Jerry Sloan. He’s as classy as they come and is one of the NBA’s top all-time coaches. Unfortunately he hasn’t had a ton of talent to work with since Karl Malone and John Stockton retired.

• The Baseline Sees All: Utah Jazz - Bethlehem Shoals
  Why else you should care: Because at this point, the Jazz are no longer strictly Sloan-ball. Internal conundrums aside, this team is, in its own quiet way, pushing toward the future, and nurturing at least one of the league's most scintillating young stars. We might be on the verge of one of those spells where the Jazz put Utah on the national map. Really, is there any pro franchise that can so totally affect the way outsiders see a city or state?

• Utah Jazz - It's A Jazz Thing
  These aren't the Utah Jazz you're thinking about

Wait, we didn't annex Canada?
Several of the Jazz players are already looking forward to catching another sporting event considerably closer to British hearts. Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko could hardly contain their excitement when talking about a planned outing to a Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Liverpool.

Several of the Bulls, including Deng are also going. As for the basketball game, Jazz guard Deron Williams considers it a recruiting possibility. The Jazz already have a strong following in Turkey (Okur) and Russia (Kirilenko).

The exposure in The O2 Arena may help convert a few new English followers. "It'll be a chance for fans in another country to see the Utah Jazz play," Williams said. And for some NBA players to do the same. "I've never been out of this country," Jazz forward Paul Millsap said. With respect to Canada, cheers.

So why wasn't the game broadcast when we they obviously had all of the video coverage? They couldn't even put it on NBA.tv?
Highlights of the Jazz/Nuggets Game.

Never trust a big butt and a smile...
Chalk up Andrei Kirilenko as one guy who wants no part of the Cleveland Cavaliers this year. That's because the Utah Jazz forward called the Cavs' combo a "poison union" in a telephone interview with the Associated Press on Tuesday: "That's the poison union. I mean poison in a good way. They're going to poison the rest of us...Shaq's definitely going to be a huge motivation, not only for LeBron but for the team...I just don't know how they're going to find time for Zydrunas [Ilgauskas]...But that's not my problem, that's coach [Mike] Brown's problem."

Memo down for Turkey
SALT LAKE CITY (2010 FIBA World Championship) - Mehmet Okur says there has been no fallout between himself and Turkey coach Bogdan Tanjevic and insists that he is committed to playing for the national team on home soil at the FIBA World Championship next year.

Okur did not play for his country at this summer's EuroBasket amid reports of a major breakdown in communications with Tanjevic, but the Utah Jazz center is adamant the only issue was an injury. "I wasn't able to play at the end of the season because I got hurt," he said to FIBA.com. "I wasn't able to go out there and help my team. I had to take some time off and I missed Poland, but I'm looking forward to playing Turkey in 2010. "I have no problem with anyone. I just couldn't play because I was hurt."

We owe everything to Milt.
"Milt Palacio, he helped me out a lot," Williams said. "He'd been in the league for six or seven years, played on a lot of teams. He helped me out a lot." At that, someone joked that Williams was so appreciative he took Palacio's job midway through the season. And with another smile, Williams added: "Maybe I don't need to be helping Eric out."

Guess the league is hurting for cash if they need to do this. And what's immediately? Is there an official with a stop watch timing these things? If it's a 1-point game with :20 left, are they allowed to stand?
The League also informed teams that they’ll start issuing fines this season for players who stand up in front of the bench — because they’re blocking the view of fans sitting in those pricey front-row seats. No lie, the official memo actually said players were allowed to stand up to "spontaneously react to a notable play," but then "immediately" had to sit back down.

Until I get something else up, here are some more links to tide you over

A quickie with...Deron Williams - Telegraph
Are you better than Chris Paul? "Yes. I believe I am."  Fixed that for you Deron.

He's everywhereBoozer headed to Africa

Kind of a coincidence that Bosh will be accompanying him on the trip.

Deron Williams Sign
Also on Monday night, the city unveiled a new sign being posted around town honoring hometown hero and NBA basketball player Deron Williams, who won a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 with Team USA. "There was an accomplishment made last year that gave folks in The Colony a new reason to feel hometown pride, something that hasn’t been accomplished by one of our own before, and something that was broadcast and viewed by millions of people all around the world," said Pam Nelson, community services director for the city. "Tonight we want to take a moment to recognize the accomplishment of a man named Deron Williams … who began an outstanding basketball career at The Colony High School." In attendance were Williams’ mother, Denise Smith, his grandmother, and his agent and former coach Tommy Thomas. "You did an outstanding job raising Deron," Nelson told Smith. "He’s been a great role model for this community. Every now and then when he comes to town he shoots at the high school with the kids, and we appreciate the fact we’ve been able to honor him in this way and create this sense of pride because of what he’s accomplished as a member of this community." Smith said Williams is currently in Madrid on a promotional tour for the NBA. One sign has been placed northbound on Blair Oaks near Memorial Drive. The other would be northbound on Main Street, close to State Highway 121 where it will be visible to people coming in to the city. A third sign will be installed at the recreation center, which was one of Williams’ hangouts when he lived in The Colony.

Kirk Snyder - Kind of a sad interview giving his current predicament.

The TrueHoop Stat Geek Smackdown Community Leaderboard
Not bad if I say so myself.

ESPN NBA analyst looks at free-agent market | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press

On whether Carlos Boozer's agent was starting a rumor about the Utah forward landing in Detroit: "If Boozer opts out, you can take it to the bank that he thinks he has a deal somewhere. The Pistons are the only team with the room to sign him who are interested. Other teams like the Nets would have to do something via sign-and-trade."

Deseret News | Interested in Boozer? Be careful
I wasn't surprised when I read that Carlos Boozer is reportedly seeking employment with a team other than the Utah Jazz, even though he recently said he prefers to stay with the Jazz.

Deseret News | Utah Jazz: Williams isn't too worried about Boozer speculation
Deron Williams doesn't know what to make of the latest Carlos Boozer rumors — and has no idea if the two-time NBA All-Star and fellow gold medal-winning United States Olympian will be with the Jazz when they open their 2009 preseason schedule with exhibition games in London and Madrid.

Things for the other teams in the NBA start picking back up in June with all of the pre-draft workouts, the draft itself, rumors, etc.  So time to start getting TBLIATWIATNIATU going again.

Conspicuously absent is anything on Carlos Boozer.  A much more in-depth post on that coming later.  Until then...

Utah Jazz bring draft-day party back

As reported here first...  Some more details though:
Doors for the Jazz's June 25 draft-day party will open at 4:30 p.m. — a half hour before the NBA begins its ESPN-telecast from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Jazz have yet to announce all the details for the party, but the organization will present a highlight video from the 2008-09 season

Byron Russell Chat on ESPN.com
brandon, las vegas: How does it feel to see "the shot" over and over again? SportsNation Bryon Russell: That's the most memorable play of his life and my life. It shows me that someone really had to push me to beat me [laughs]. If you know basketball you know it's a pushoff. It just shows someone had to cheat me to beat me. ... And it was a hell of a shot.

Who's in the Finals?
This is from Yahoo! Answers, so take it for what it's worth (if you've browsed YA, you'll know what I'm talking about)

NBA player Williams wishes India luck
"I am excited to be at the home of cricket here at Lord's and I wish the reigning world champions India and the other teams the very best," Williams said in an ICC statement. -Somehow this sounds like a Saddam Hussein-type forced statement.

Deron hearts LA?
[Their success] is built around Kobe but he's doing a better job of getting everybody involved. "You've got Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom and the shooters that surround them - Trevor Ariza is playing great. "It's going to be tough to stop them in a seven-game series."

Jazz v. Real

Not the local soccer team though.

NBA star Deron Williams meets Raina and Ojha at Lord’s
I am excited to be at the home of cricket here at Lord's and I wish the reigning world champions India and the other teams the very best. -Seems like a Saddam Hussein-type prepared statement.

And Finally...

The FanPost Editor Goes WideScreen

In case you haven't made a FanPost/FanShot lately, you wouldn't have noticed the changes made to the editors lately.  And judging by the number of FPs lately, I would say a majority of you haven't.

SBN made some changes to the editor over the weekend to add some cool stuff.  Some highlights:

• Widescreen text area.  No more typing in that narrow column.
• Movable jump line.  If you have a long FP, there's an "after the jump" line built in.  You can drag this to the spot where you want to cut things off at.  This replaces the old way of splitting a post in half (or 1/3 & 2/3 or 1/4 and 3/4 or 4/15 and 11/15).
• Autosave
• Auto-tagger.  This adds any relevant tags automatically.  This is mainly a huge benegit to SBN because it is used to link to the player and team pages.  You can run Autotagger when you're doing things or it will run it for you when you publish.  You can uncheck anything you don't want tagged.
• Twitter.  If recent poll results are to be believed, then most won't care about this.  But now, you can associate your SBN account with your Twitter account and Tweet your FPs and FSs to Twitter.  Awesome, right?  You can selectively publish which posts you want to go to Twitter as well.
• The above link goes into more detail on the new additions.
  
  If you won't be posting any time soon, or are too lazy to create a new FP, here's an image of what the new FanPost page looks like (clicking makes things bigger):
  
  
  

Just a few links before the Jazz take on the Wolves tonight.  They may be few in number, but they're high in quality.

• Remember, you can click on any of the AP photos that I put in posts to see more.  Click on either of the sad mugs above.
• Was the Denver game rigged?  I don't think it was, but there were a couple of fouls on both teams that were weird.  The one that stood out to me was when they called one on Deron at half court after Billups had stolen the ball.  In fact, Deron looked like he was trying to move his hands out of the way so that he wouldn't foul. (via Ball Don't Lie)
• Good news?  You win the fly-away contest to go see the Jazz play in Denver.  The bad news?  You win the fly-away contest to go see the Jazz play in Denver for this game.
• And finally, here's your new Jazz stalker tool.  I found out what plane the Jazz use for their flights.  Now you can track the flight and see if there are any delays, layovers, etc.  With their record, plane rides must suck even worse.  Note, the Jazz share the plane with the Padres of the MLB.