SLC Dunk - NBA Regular Season: Utah Jazz at Denver Nuggets -- Game 6Our Team Is On The Floorhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/29190/slc-redunk-fv.jpg2012-11-10T00:59:37-07:00http://www.slcdunk.com/rss/stream/33887252012-11-10T00:59:37-07:002012-11-10T00:59:37-07:00Jazz @ Nuggets -- Immediate Post Game Reaction Vid
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<figcaption>Doug Pensinger</figcaption>
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<p>Participants: @DianaAllen @AndyBLarsen @TheShums @UtahJazzPodcast @AllThatAmar</p> <h3>NBA Regular Season 2012-2013, Game 6:</h3>
<h3>
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.slcdunk.com/">Utah Jazz</a> 84 @ <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/">Denver Nuggets</a> 104</h3>
<p><font color="white">x</font></p>
<p>These are getting more entertaining. *<i>ding</i>*</p>
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https://www.slcdunk.com/videos-podcasts/2012/11/10/3626332/nba-regular-season-utah-jazz-84-denver-nuggets-104-immediate-postAllThatAmar2012-11-09T23:08:52-07:002012-11-09T23:08:52-07:00Jazz @ Nuggets -- Final Score: UTA 84, DEN 104
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<h3>NBA Regular Season 2012-2013, Game 6:</h3>
<h3>Final Score: Utah jazz 84 @ <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/">Denver Nuggets</a> 104<br>
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https://www.slcdunk.com/jazz-game-streams/2012/11/9/3626172/nba-regular-season-final-score-utah-jazz-84-at-denver-nuggets-104AllThatAmar2012-11-09T22:35:33-07:002012-11-09T22:35:33-07:00Jazz @ Nuggets -- After three: UTA 57, DEN 73
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<h3>NBA Regular Season 2012-2013, Game 3:</h3>
<h3>After Three Utah Jazz 57 @ Denver Nuggets 73<br>
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https://www.slcdunk.com/jazz-game-streams/2012/11/9/3626010/nba-regular-season-after-three-utah-jazz-57-at-denver-nuggets-73AllThatAmar2012-11-09T21:49:18-07:002012-11-09T21:49:18-07:00Jazz @ Nuggets -- Halftime Score: UTA 38 @ DEN 53
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<h3>NBA Regular Season 2012-2013, Game 6:</h3>
<h3>Halftime Update: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.slcdunk.com/">Utah Jazz</a> 38 @ <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/">Denver Nuggets</a> 53<br>
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https://www.slcdunk.com/jazz-game-streams/2012/11/9/3625968/nba-regular-season-halftime-update-utah-jazz-38-at-denver-nuggets-53AllThatAmar2012-11-09T19:00:38-07:002012-11-09T19:00:38-07:00Jazz @ Nuggets - Game Thread
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<figcaption>Russ Isabella-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>Game #6 • Pepsi Center • Denver November 9, 2012 • 8:30 p.m. (MT) • TV: ESPN, ROOT Sports RADIO: 1280 AM/97.5 FM</p> <h3>NBA Regular Season 2012-2013, Game 6:</h3>
<h3> <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Utah Jazz</a> (2-3) @ <a href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Denver Nuggets</a> (2-3)</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.slcdunk.com/jazz-game-streams/2012/11/9/3624684/nba-regular-season-utah-jazz-at-denver-nuggets-game-6"><strong>Full #UTAatDEN Game Stream</strong></a><strong> -- </strong><a href="http://www.denverstiffs.com/"><strong>Denver Stiffs</strong></a><strong> -- </strong><span><strong>Jazz vs Nuggets coverage</strong></span></p>
<p><font color="white">.</font></p>
<p>These two teams seem to be almost forever linked now. Both are in the same division, and are neighbors. Both states have pissing contests over who had the better snow for skiing. And both states feel like their bball team is better. The Jazz and Nuggets also started rebuilding the same season when <span>Deron Williams</span> and <span>Carmelo Anthony</span> were both sent East. Somehow they both made the playoffs last year. And now, well, we have the same record this year.</p>
<p>The Nuggets are young and good. We're older, but apparently "less good". Both teams have crazy depth.</p>
<p>So far this season the Nuggets are scoring 96.4 ppg (18th), and have an offensive rating of 102.6 (17th). The Jazz are at 97.6 ppg (11th), and have an offensive rating of 104.4 (9th). So, uh, we're playing a more high octane game than they are? Or something? Both teams leave a lot of room for improvement on defense.</p>
<p>That doesn't mean I am advocating playing some throwback 1980s fast break hyper-ball though. We both can score, but we score more effectively. We both have poor defenses; so the strategy should be to put the pressure on scoring by making it a slower game. When we've needed him <span>Al Jefferson</span> has been good. We know we have that advantage over them. We also have better bigs, so what it is worth. If we run we make it easier for them to get easy buckets on counter attacks.</p>
<p>That said, <span>Andre Iguodala</span> lived at a low pace game, and he's never had problems torching us . . . so . . . it's still going to be an interesting game at any speed.</p>
<p><font color="white">.</font></p>
<h4>Probable Starters:</h4>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1713973/G6_UTA_at_DEN.PNG" target="_blank"><img class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1713973/G6_UTA_at_DEN.PNG" alt="G6_uta_at_den"></a> <br id="1352506790464"></p>
<p>The thing that jumps out to me here is how all the Denver starters do their part on the glass. The other thing is that <span>Kenneth Faried</span> is like a young/unrefined version of <span>Paul Millsap</span> having career lows in efficiency. So, yeah. Bravo Zulu. They have speed up the wazoo though, so we can't fall in love with / fall into the trap of trying to run with them. Our strength is their precise weakness. Hope our team plays to our strength tonight.</p>
<p><font color="white">.</font></p>
<h3>GO JAZZ GO!</h3>
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<legend>Poll</legend>
<h5 class="poll-title">Who is going to win tonight?</h5>
<div id="poll_container_155159_207343417" class="poll_container">
<div class="poll_option clearfix">
<div class="poll_option_percentage" style="display:none">67%</div>
<div class="poll_option_result">
<h5>The Mighty Utah Jazz</h5>
<div class="poll_option_bar"><span class="vote_count">12</span> votes</div>
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<div class="poll_option clearfix">
<div class="poll_option_percentage" style="display:none">33%</div>
<div class="poll_option_result">
<h5>The Denver Nuggets</h5>
<div class="poll_option_bar"><span class="vote_count">6</span> votes</div>
</div>
</div>
<p class="poll-total-votes"><strong>18</strong> votes
| <span class="poll-has-closed">Poll has closed</span>
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https://www.slcdunk.com/2012/11/9/3625092/nba-regular-season-utah-jazz-at-denver-nuggets-game-threadAllThatAmar2012-11-09T17:05:37-07:002012-11-09T17:05:37-07:00Jazz @ Nuggets -- Player Focus: Paul Millsap
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<figcaption>Ezra Shaw</figcaption>
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<h3>NBA Regular Season 2012-2013, Game 6:</h3>
<h3>
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.slcdunk.com/">Utah Jazz</a> (2-3) @ <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/">Denver Nuggets</a> (2-3)</h3>
<h4>Player Focus: <span>Paul Millsap</span>
</h4>
<p><font color="white">x</font></p>
<p><span>Kenneth Faried</span>. Yes. The first sentence in this article about Paul Millsap is Kenneth Faried. Everyone is on this guy's jock right now. The "Manimal" is so freeking awesome. He's so athletic, he has energy all day, and no one can out hustle him. Faried is a good young player, with some nice numbers. He's a beast on the glass (20.6 offensive rebounding % this year, career of 19.8 total rebound % -- this means that for every five misses when he's on the floor, he's getting one of them). He shoots a crazy good percentage from the floor (56.9 fg%). He is super active and gets steals, blocks, and deflections. And he can run the floor and finish plays with ferocity.</p>
<p>Isn't this guy just what Paul Millsap *used* to be? If you look at what Faried is doing now (age 23) and what Sap did at that age you see that they are pretty much the same dude. Faried is just playing more.</p>
<p>But everyone loves him -- but where was the national love when Millsap was doing it? I guess I'm being a hipster here -- I liked Kenneth Faried back when he was called Paul Millsap. But whatever, it is true. Faried is an energy guy who is playing well, who doesn't take bad shots, and has a very limited set of skills. The Manimal is shooting 27.3 ft% right now, and doesn't have three point range. He doesn't dime to anyone. And he doesn't have ball handling skills.</p>
<p>So in a way, he's a worse version of what Paul Millsap is today. Not just a younger version.</p>
<p>Millsap needs to be up to this challenge though. He's battled quite a bit in his career and seems to be less of an energy guy. And seems to be less efficient. (Seems to . . . we all know that he's still the dude getting clutch offensive rebound put-back dunks with time running out, like he did vs. Dallas last year in that double OT game) So far this season Paul isn't playing as well as we would want him to. Not because we have unrealistic expectations for him; no. But because we know how good he is because we've seen him work on his game to have very few weaknesses.</p>
<p>This season he's shooting a career low from the field (43.1 fg%) which is a far cry from his career averages of 52.1 fg%. He's also taken a step back from the FT line, making only 72.2 ft% this year, after shooting 80% for most of last season. He is shooting the long ball more this year though, so that could play into both problems -- and he's gone 5/7 in five games so far.</p>
<p>But it's not just more offense we want to see. (He showed us in the last game that he's fine on offense, and can find ways to contribute beyond shooting the ball -- he has a way better BBALL IQ than he is given credit for) We want to see more of that ferocity on defense as well. He was our best defender in the post <span>Andrei Kirilenko</span> years. Now it looks like we're ready to give that title to <span>Derrick Favors</span>. The old Sap was asked to guard everyone from <span>Carmelo Anthony</span> to <span>Kevin Garnett</span>. Tonight he'll be stretched even more as he'll have to deal with their slew of tall SFs who can stretch the floor and put the ball on it. (<span>Danilo Gallinari</span>, <span>Wilson Chandler</span> primarily)</p>
<p>Tonight has the possibility to be a big game for Paul. And for his sake, I hope he brings it. If the last few games against Denver are any indication, we're probably going to be in for a big night from him.</p>
<p>And at least for one night, the NBA Hype Machine will recognize that Thrillsap >>> The Manimal.</p>
https://www.slcdunk.com/2012/11/9/3624648/nba-regular-season-utah-jazz-at-denver-nuggets-player-focus-paulAllThatAmar2012-11-09T16:24:17-07:002012-11-09T16:24:17-07:00Jazz @ Nuggets -- Injury Updates
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<figcaption>Jim O'Connor-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<h3>NBA Regular Season 2012-2013, Game 6:</h3>
<h3>
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.slcdunk.com/">Utah Jazz</a> (2-3) @ <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/">Denver Nuggets</a> (2-3)</h3>
<p><i>Injury Update:</i></p>
<p><font color="white">x</font></p>
<h4>Nuggets Injuries --</h4>
<ul>
<li>
<span>Timofey Mozgov</span> (C) Day-To-Day -- Dude has a strained left knee, but is probably for tonight.</li>
<li>
<span>Julyan Stone</span> (PG?) OUT -- Stone is out indefinitely after hip surgery</li>
</ul>
<p><font color="white">x</font></p>
<h4>Jazz Injuries --</h4>
<ul>
<li> <span>Earl Watson</span> (PG) OUT -- Earl is still out, which sucks -- because we really could have used him tonight against <span>Ty Lawson</span>.<br>
</li>
<li> <span>Raja Bell</span> (SG) OUT -- Raja Bell right now is busy trying to fix the internet connectivity at his time share in the Virgin Islands right now.</li>
</ul>
<p><font color="white">x</font></p>
<h4>Advantage --</h4>
<p>Nuggets have the advantage here -- but with how great we've been doing defending guards it's not going to be a huge deal. <i>Oh Wait . . . </i></p>
https://www.slcdunk.com/jazz-game-streams/2012/11/9/3624646/nba-regular-season-utah-jazz-at-denver-nuggets-injury-updatesAllThatAmar2012-11-09T16:15:17-07:002012-11-09T16:15:17-07:00Jazz @ Nuggets -- Game Preview
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<figcaption>Marc Piscotty</figcaption>
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<p>Game #6 • Pepsi Center • Denver November 9, 2012 • 8:30 p.m. (MT) • TV: ROOT Sports RADIO: 1280 AM/97.5 FM</p> <h3>NBA Regular Season 2012-2013, Game 6:</h3>
<h3>
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.slcdunk.com/">Utah Jazz</a> (2-3) @ <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/">Denver Nuggets</a> (2-3)</h3>
<p><font color="white">.</font></p>
<p> </p>
<h4>The Basics:</h4>
<p>This is a rivalry game for sure. I don't think our two teams like each other much; and our fans don't like each other either. We don't like their players. They don't like ours. There was that whole "Melo's people of Utah thing". There was the whole "our owner getting in a Fist fight in the stands" thing. There was the whole <span>Andrei Kirilenko</span> being an All-Star before Carmelo Antony thing. So many technical fouls. So many playoff games. And the whole "Jazz don't have heart" deal from the 80s.</p>
<p>And it's the surprising matchup between two teams that made the playoffs in the Western Conference -- despite both trading away their franchise player recently.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcwQOKLCvZc">What a country!</a></p>
<p>Both of these teams are 2-3 right now, and trying to make a name of themselves early on this year. Both have talent, depth, youth, and strange foreign players.</p>
<p><font color="white">.</font></p>
<p><font color="white">.</font></p>
<h4>History:</h4>
<p>Last season these two teams played three times last season, with the Jazz getting blitzed in the first game (our second of the season) on their court; then coming back and winning the next two (one at home, one in their gym).</p>
<ul>
<li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201112280DEN.html">Dec 28th, UTA 100 @ DEN 117</a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201201150DEN.html">Jan 15th, UTA 106 @ DEN 96</a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201203230UTA.html">Mar 23rd, DEN 102 @ UTA 121</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Of course, this was the series that brought us "The Hug, Part 1".</p>
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<p align="center">ShandonFan is awesome. <i>Or crazy</i>. Oh wait, that just means she's a Jazz fan.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There was a reason for that video. And that reason is that our bigs kill Denver. In <b>Game 1</b> PAL JEFFERSAP had 32 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists. In <b>Game 2</b> they had 44 points, 24 rebounds, and 4 assists. And in Game 3 they had 37 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists. They didn't dominate, but they did quite enough to win the paint from last seasons' Nuggets bigs.</p>
<p><font color="white">.</font></p>
<p><font color="white">.</font></p>
<h4>The Game:</h4>
<p>First game against the Nuggets. We have a game tomorrow night at home against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/">Phoenix Suns</a>. The Nuggets also play tomorrow night, on the road against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Golden State Warriors</a>. Both teams have a tough test tonight that they can't afford to look beyond.</p>
<p>It's going to be a battle of contrasts and I'm worried. Denver usually kills us by running in the first game of the season series. We need to slow it down and pound it. They aren't as big as us. They aren't as talented as us in the paint. Even while we are trying to run more, and take more threes, the path to victory tonight has to be through our bigs. If they get us in an up and down game, we may never catch up.</p>
<p>We've seen it before. I don't want to see it tonight.</p>
<p><font color="white">.</font></p>
<p><font color="white">.</font></p>
<h4>Word from the Badguys:</h4>
<p>I know there are a ton of great Nuggets fans -- but to me no guy is more honest and willing to be honest about his team than J.R. You know him on twitter as @<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Smooth_Operatah">Smooth_Operatah</a> , or the guy being unreasonably yelled at by Matt Moore.You can <a target="_blank" href="http://smoothshoops.wordpress.com/">read his work here at Smooth's Hoops</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Smooth_Operatah/status/267016054390272000"><img alt="Gm_6_--_badguys_1" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1713843/GM_6_--_Badguys_1.PNG"></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Smooth_Operatah/status/267016054390272000"><img alt="Gm_6_--_badguys_2" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1713851/GM_6_--_Badguys_2.PNG"></a></p>
<p>I really think the team that is able to establish the pace of play will win tonight. He fears our bigs. I fear their speed. The other unsaid thing beyond fear is that we both respect each other's teams.</p>
<p><font color="white">.</font></p>
<p><font color="white">.</font></p>
<h4>X-Factors:</h4>
<p>C'Mon. It's gotta be <span>Alec Burks</span>. He's went to school there and he really goes nuts on them. Out of all the teams in the NBA, Burks scores the most against the Nuggets: 13.3 ppg, 11 FTA in 3 games, and shooting 61.5 fg%. (1.54 PPS because you know I was going to do that calculation) And he's doing this is only 15.6 MPG. He's playing way more MPG against some other teams, but he's not going for the jugular there.</p>
<p>Against the Nuggets -- in DEN -- yeah, he turns it on.</p>
<p><font color="white">.</font></p>
<p><font color="white">.</font></p>
<h4>As an aside:</h4>
<p><span>Ty Lawson</span> and <span>Andre Iguodala</span> are two guys many Jazz fans have wanted for a long time. We'll see them up close and personal tonight.</p>
<p><font color="white">.</font></p>
<p><font color="white">.</font></p>
<h4>Fearless Prediction:</h4>
<p>Jazz win. Why? Because it's a rivalry game against the hated Nuggets. We need to build some momentum, and after beating the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Los Angeles Lakers</a> -- we'd put the L on notice with a win in Denver. We have a lot of road games this month, and we are still looking for our first W outside of the 'Solution. It has to start tonight.</p>
https://www.slcdunk.com/2012/11/9/3624642/nba-regular-season-utah-jazz-at-denver-nuggets-game-previewAllThatAmar