The Downbeat #2075: The Utah Jazz Home Playoff Game Edition

It’s here! Its finally here! The Utah Jazz are playing in their first home playoff game in five years. (And who really counts that Spurs series, so 7 years since a meaningful home playoff game)

Kurt Kragthorpe from the Salt Lake Tribune wrote an article about what home games mean now in the playoffs compared to in the past. He talks about how the 2007-2009 Carols Boozer and Deron Williams team went 37-4 at home. Compared to this team which is deeper went only 29-12. Granted this years team is a much stronger road team. Here is what Kurt says:

The 2007-08 Jazz team of Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer went 37-4 at home in the regular season. But home-court dominance has diminished leaguewide this season, with home teams winning 57.5 percent of games. That's an all-time low, according to ESPN The Magazine's recent analytics report.

The magazine extensively studied the issue, with NBA sources suggesting that players becoming more committed to health and fitness, better travel accommodations and even dating apps — making romantic pursuits more convenient — contributing to the road teams' success.

Kudos to the Jazz for making an effort to make home games count:

In any case, the franchise is responding to the playoff opportunity and doing its part to reward the fans' interest. Some devotees will show up looking like Gobert or Hayward in hairstyle, with the Jazz promising to pay for designer cuts at selected shops Thursday and Friday.

The Jazz will distribute T-shirts and towels with the season's theme of "Take Note" to every fan, and a banner stretching across three sections of the lower bowl will be unfurled before tipoff. A theater-style searchlight will flash on the arena plaza, framing pregame activities.

From our unofficial Jazz historian, expert, Coach Phil:

I love the playoffs! I have only been to an handful of playoff games but there are nothing like them. There is an energy and excitement that you can’t get during the regular season.

The Jazz are doing a fun promotion where fans can get free haircuts. There is a catch however, it has to be a Rudy Gobert or Gordon Hayward haircut.

Have any of taken advantage of this promotion? Our twitter friend Garret Pierce did!

Looking good Garret!

Another promotion from the Jazz- very useful if you are attending the game tonight:

Thank you Jazz! Thank you for doing useful promotions. Thank you for such fun and unique promotions!

LOVE!

Be careful Jazz fans

From Fox 13:

SALT LAKE CITY -- Buyer beware! The Utah Jazz organization is warning fans about bogus ticket sales.

Frank Zang, a Jazz spokesman, said he has received reports of fans calling and complaining about fake tickets they found online.

“At this juncture it truly is a precautionary measure,” Zang said. “We had a couple minor questions about tickets that we had to clarify for people, just buyer beware, do not be scammed in a potential situation of people trying to take advantage of fans who are anxious to buy tickets for a Jazz playoff game.”