'D' in Dallas is for Defeat
DALLAS – Before the Jazz played at Dallas on Wednesday night, coach Jerry Sloan offered these two thoughts among many:
• “We need everybody to compete and do their job when they step on the floor. If they’re upset about something, then we’re probably not gonna have a chance;” and
• “(Power forward Carlos) Boozer, I think, is getting in better shape, and he’s able to have better performance because of it.”
As for the first, Sloan was spot-on.
The Jazz had fewer compete than not. They lost by 29 points, their largest margin of defeat this season. There’s no telling what, but maybe they really were upset about something. Because they never did give themselves a chance.
As for the second, mark it as a miss. Boozer did finish with a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double – his 18th over 33 games in a season shortened by arthroscopic knee surgery. But with Dallas’ Dirk Nowitizki scoring a game-high 31 on 12-for-18 field shooting, and Boozer assigned to him for much of the night, well, suffice it say his performance probably was not what Sloan was seeking.
X X X
A couple postgame Sloan quotes that make you go hmmmm:
• He said Dallas’ 27 points off 19 Jazz turnovers “kind of makes you wonder what’s going on.”
• And this: “Anything having to do with where there was any kind of pressure, they won every time. We didn’t seem to have much at all, and that’s not a good sign.”
X X X
Jazz point guard Deron Williams wasn’t buying the suggestion Utah was hurt by being off since last Sunday’s win at New Orleans.
“They (the Mavericks) had the same amount of days off,” he said. “They played the same day we did (Sunday), same amount of days off. Played at the same time (Wednesday), same arena. They were better than us.”
X X X
Wednesday’s game marked the start of a season-ending stretch with five games in seven nights for the Jazz, and Friday’s visit to San Antonio opens a span with four in five nights.
Even though his team has been torn apart by injuries for much of the season, Sloan feels that’s more than enough to tell all he needs to know about it heading into postseason play.
Who needs, he suggests, more time to bond?
“If you can’t get together and get ready to play now,” Sloan said, “then we’re just gonna be who we are.”
X X X
And finally: How confident were the Mavs after Wednesday’s win?
Dallas coach Rick Carlisle: “As I have been saying, I just feel like we have been getting and we are a good team. To beat us, you have to do a lot of things well.”
-30-