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NBA Regular Season 2012-2013, Game 76:
Denver Nuggets 113 at Utah Jazz 96
IF THE KOOF IS MERCIFUL -- WE SHALL PREVAIL
.
Welp...
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The Jazz showed no urgency, or desire to play defense; and the Nuggets literally ran away with this game. Remember when we played in their gym early this year and they embarrassed us because they -- honestly -- just went up the court faster than us and got easy dunks and layups? That happened, but it happened IN OUR COURT, when their fastest player missed the game due to injury (Ty Lawson). Utah looked good when they slowed the tempo and worked the ball around for open looks. However, not playing defense and 'taking what the defense gives you' a winning strategy does not make. The Jazz became over-reliant upon jump shots, and when they go in they help you. When they don't they cause long rebounds and fast break points going the other way.
I'm not even going to bother with numbers.
That's how upsetting this game was. It made me feel so bad about how performance and our urgency level, made me feel so disappointed in our team, that I wouldn't even bother using NUMBERS in a blog post.
ME!
We didn't take care of our glass. We were sloppy with the ball. And at time, it looked like our entire team (including coaches) didn't have any ducks to give.
The only solace I have is that LAST year we pooped the bed late in April before our playoff push 5 game streak with a loss to the Hornets. Maybe THIS game was that Hornets game from last season, a good wake up call, that motivates us to get it together.
That's really the only solace this type of loss gives -- the hope that it wakes us up. We can't play struggling teams without their best players every night. Tonight was one of those nights.