What they're writing …

A look at what California and national writers were writing after Sunday’s Game 1 of the Jazz-Los Angeles Lakers NBA Conference semifinal series:

‘It might have been in the form of forearm shivers, sharpened elbows or simply getting tossed to the floor, but the Los Angeles Lakers were handed a message along with their 109-98 victory against the Utah Jazz. ‘ This will not be easy. The Lakers’ beautiful brand of basketball, with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol flowing through their triangle offense, will have to contend with a beast in the Jazz, which hit the boards as eagerly as surfers here after a winter storm.”
– The New York Times’ Billy Witz

‘The game was choppy and slow. There were fouls and free throws and more fouls and more free throws. Defining moments were few and far between. Highlight reel-caliber plays were scarce. But the Lakers didn’t care about style points after defeating the Utah Jazz. ‘ They didn’t worry about the subtleties of their fifth straight postseason victory. They were content to win an ugly game.”
– The Los Angeles Daily News’ Elliott Teaford

‘Another team, another game, another double-digit win and the Lakers are on their way. That might be how it looks through a pretty purple-and-gold prism, but not so fast there, Skippy. The Utah Jazz is not the Denver Nuggets.”
– The Riverside (Calif.) Press Enterprise’s Gregg Patton

‘Are you sure we’re not still in Denver, Toto? The Utah Jazz, which was supposed to be much tougher than the Nuggets, arrived with something less than a thunderclap Sunday, watching the Lakers take an early 17-point lead and win. ‘ As NBA coaches like to say, it’s a make-or-miss game and the Jazz missed a lot Sunday.”
– The Los Angeles Times’ Mark Heisler

‘The Utah Jazz does not do harmony. Its musical genre is dissonance. Grinding and grating. Noisy and noxious. Imagine a soaring clarinet riff trying to compete with a clanging cowbell and you start to get a sense for Jerry Sloan’s brand of basketball.”
– The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Tim Sullivan

‘Utah let (Derek Fisher) out of his contract so he could play in a city that could afford his daughter better medical care. He chose Los Angeles, giving (Kobe) Bryant a trusted teammate and giving the Lakers another valued veteran voice in the locker room. On Sunday, Fisher thanked the Jazz by swiping six steals and helping harass (Deron) Williams into missing 13 of his 18 shots. ‘ Williams likely won’t shoot so poorly Wednesday, and that’s one reason this series is far from over.
– Yahoo! Sports’ Johnny Ludden

‘While the Jazz should shoot better than 38 percent as they recover from going from Game 6 (vs. Houston in the first round) to Game 1 in two days, the Lakers should win the series because they have more weapons.”
– ESPN.com’s J.A. Adande