Xs and Os from Boozer

Some Xs and Os, and other thoughts, in advance of tonight’s Game 3 in the Jazz-Nuggets first-round playoff series, courtesy of power forward Carlos Boozer:
“Throughout the course of a series, both teams are going to make adjustments. We’ve made some already, and that’s why we won Game 2. They’re gonna make some to try to win Game 3; we’re gonna make some too to try to combat that.
“We’ve got to be consistent on defense. That’s our biggest thing. We’re not worried about points. We’re gonna score. For the most part, we’ll have a chance to score the ball every time we come down. But our defense has to continue to be consistent. We’ve got to continue to do a good job on ‘Melo (Carmelo Anthony), Chauncey (Billups), Nene – their three big guys.
“The other key people haven’t talked about is (in Game 2) we did a good job on J.R. (Smith). He had a monster Game 1, especially late in the game, the fourth quarter.
“If somebody (from the Jazz) has the ball, don’t just stand there and let your defender help out on the guys who has the ball. Cut, make him stay on you.
“What they do (on defense) is they load the front side, the ball side. So when they see me and (Jazz point) Deron (Williams) going to a pick-and-roll, they bring at least one and maybe two guys from the weakside all the way over to our side, which makes us have to use our second, third, fourth options on whatever play we’re doing. So we almost have to swing the ball to the weakside to get a free shot. Otherwise, they’re either gonna box Deron, they’re gonna put Carmelo on top or bring an extra big guy. Sometimes Carmelo a couple times will come all the way over and try to make Wesley (Matthews, the Jazz rookie) be a scorer to stop our pick-and-roll or our initial play. That’s how (C.J. Miles) got two quick dunks (in Game 2).”
Added Boozer: “It’s fun to able to think the game.”

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And for whatever it’s worth …
Tonight’s ESPN2 broadcast crew includes ex-NBA shooting guard Tim Legler, who played all of five minutes over three games for the Jazz before being waived less than a month into the 1992-93 season.

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