A Bittersweet Symphony - Utah Jazz Association

[JazzMan]

April 5th, 2013 -

The Utah Jazz have won 3 straight, and are looking to make it 4 straight against the New Orleans Hornets. A win here would be huge in getting Utah in the playoffs, as Dallas is 38-38 and LA is 37-39.

Alec Burks is making another appearance in the starting lineup tonight, following his 21 point outburst as a starter against Denver.

One should expect Utah to come out swinging early to try and rest up their starters the 2nd half.

Matchup Preview *|* April 5, 2013
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New Orleans Hornets (27-48, 10-26 Away)		Utah Jazz (39-37, 29-9 Home)
Stats Comparison 93.9 Points Per Game 98.1 .450 Field Goal % .451 .771 Free Throw % .768 .363 3-Point % .361 41.7 Rebounds 42.8 5.7 Blocks 6.3 6.4 Steals 8.2 13.7 Turnovers 14.4 Projected Starters Greivis Vasquez Point Guard Mo Williams Eric Gordon Shooting Guard Alec Burks Al-Farouq Aminu Small Forward Gordon Hayward Anthony Davis Power Forward Paul Millsap Robin Lopez Center Al Jefferson Injury Report No Injuries No Injuries

[JazzMan]

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Jazz win 4th straight, finish 4-game home-stand undefeated

April 5th, 2013 - The Utah Jazz have just picked up their 4th win in a row with their victory over the Hornets tonight, 108 to 97. Utah finishes their 4-game home-stand with a 4-0 record, with wins over Brooklyn, Portland, Denver, and now New Orleans. The Jazz improve to 40-37 on the season and are just a half-game behind the Houston Rockets, who hold the 7th seed in the playoffs.

Despite Anthony Davis' near-perfect game, the Jazz routed the Hornets at Energy Solutions Arena. Derrick Favors proved to be the "it-factor," as he and Enes Kanter combined for 31 points off the bench. Al Jefferson only scored 7 points, but it didn't matter for the Jazz, who shot an astounding 56% from the field.

When asked about their sudden surge, Jazz swingman Gordon Hayward said, "We've been getting open looks and we've been hitting those open looks. In a lot of games, especially after the All-Star Break, we were struggled to put the ball in the basket, but now those looks are falling for us, and our confidence has gone way up because of it."

Regarding teammate Alec Burks and his sudden increase in minutes and role, Hayward stated, "He's been getting it done in practice and his outside shot has improved nicely. Right now I don't think there is any reason as to why you wouldn't start Alec from here on out this season. He's been great for us the past 4 games."

It looks like the Jazz are ready for the playoffs, as long as they can finish the season strongly.

New Orleans Hornets at Utah Jazz
Apr 5, 2013	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
New Orleans (27-49)	24	17	25	31	97
Utah (40-37)	29	19	29	31	108

New Orleans Hornets
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
PG - Greivis Vasquez	38	8-12	0-1	0-0	7	8	1	0	4	16
SG - Eric Gordon	37	7-27	2-9	2-3	1	7	1	0	3	18
SF - Al-Farouq Aminu	35	3-5	0-0	6-6	6	1	2	0	2	12
PF - Anthony Davis	34	9-10	0-0	1-3	8	2	2	1	0	19
C - Robin Lopez	25	2-5	0-0	2-2	4	0	0	0	2	6
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Ryan Anderson	20	4-5	2-2	0-0	6	0	2	1	2	10
Jason Smith	10	3-6	0-0	0-0	2	0	2	0	1	6
Roger Mason	11	2-3	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	4
Lance Thomas	8	1-5	0-1	1-2	0	0	0	0	0	3
Austin Rivers	8	1-4	0-1	0-0	0	3	1	0	2	2
Xavier Henry	14	0-0	0-0	1-2	2	0	1	0	0	1
Louis Amundson	6	0-0	0-0	0-0	1	0	0	0	1	0
Brian Roberts	DNP	Inactive	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Darius Miller	DNP	Inactive	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
TEAM TOTALS		40/82 (48%)	4/14 (28%)	13/18 (72%)	37	21	12	2	17	97

Utah Jazz
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
PG - Mo Williams	28	7-9	2-3	2-2	3	3	1	0	7	18
SG - Alec Burks	32	5-7	2-3	0-0	8	4	3	0	1	12
SF - Gordon Hayward	34	2-8	1-4	4-5	3	6	2	0	0	9
PF - Paul Millsap	27	6-9	0-1	2-3	2	0	1	0	2	14
C - Al Jefferson	24	2-6	0-0	3-4	7	3	0	0	2	7
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Derrick Favors	22	7-10	0-0	3-3	2	1	1	0	1	17
Enes Kanter	21	3-5	0-0	8-10	6	1	1	0	1	14
Randy Foye	12	2-4	1-2	0-0	2	0	0	0	1	5
Jamaal Tinsley	16	2-3	1-2	0-0	0	4	1	0	2	5
Demarre Carroll	14	0-2	0-1	0-0	1	1	0	0	0	0
Marvin Williams	11	2-3	1-2	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	5
Kevin Murphy	4	1-3	0-2	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	2
Earl Watson	DNP	Inactive	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Jeremy Evans	DNP	Inactive	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
TEAM TOTALS		39/69 (56%)	8/20 (40%)	22/27 (81%)	35	23	10	0	17	108

[JazzMan]

NBA STANDINGS AS OF APR. 6TH, 2013

NBA Standings - Updated: Apr 6, 2013
ATLANTIC	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
x - Knicks	49	27	- -	10-6	32-14
x - Nets	45	31	4.0	9-4	31-15
x - Celtics	39	38	10.5	7-7	25-22
76ers	31	45	18.0	7-8	19-27
Raptors	29	48	20.5	3-11	18-29
CENTRAL	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
x - Pacers	47	30	- -	12-3	31-16
x - Bulls	44	32	2.5	10-6	32-14
Bucks	36	40	10.5	7-9	23-25
Pistons	26	52	21.5	6-9	22-26
Cavaliers	23	53	23.5	3-11	17-29
SOUTHEAST	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
z - Heat	57	19	- -	13-1	34-12
x - Hawks	44	34	14.0	11-5	29-19
Wizards	28	49	29.5	5-10	14-33
Magic	21	57	37.0	3-12	10-38
Bobcats	18	59	39.5	6-10	15-33
EAST PLAYOFF RACE	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
1st. z - Heat	57	19	- -	13-1	34-12
2nd. x - Knicks	49	27	8.0	10-6	32-14
3rd. x - Pacers	47	30	10.5	12-3	31-16
4th. x - Nets	45	31	12.0	9-4	31-15
5th. x - Bulls	44	32	13.0	10-6	32-14
6th. x - Hawks	44	34	14.0	11-5	29-19
7th. x - Celtics	39	38	18.5	7-7	25-22
8th. Bucks	36	40	21.0	7-9	23-25
76ers	31	45	26.0	7-8	19-27
Raptors	29	48	28.5	3-11	18-29
Wizards	28	49	29.5	5-10	14-33
Pistons	26	52	32.0	6-9	22-26
Cavaliers	23	53	34.0	3-11	17-29
Magic	21	57	37.0	3-12	10-38
Bobcats	18	59	39.5	6-10	15-33
NORTHWEST	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
y - Thunder	57	20	- -	9-5	36-12
x - Nuggets	49	28	8.0	9-6	32-16
Jazz	40	37	17.0	7-6	23-24
Trail Blazers	36	40	20.5	7-7	21-25
Timberwolves	30	46	26.5	3-11	15-31
PACIFIC	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
y - Clippers	51	26	- -	8-7	29-18
Warriors	44	32	6.5	9-6	25-21
Lakers	38	39	13.0	7-8	21-26
Kings	29	48	22.0	8-7	15-32
Suns	25	51	25.5	6-10	16-30
SOUTHWEST	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
y - Spurs	58	19	- -	13-3	32-15
x - Grizzlies	50	27	8.0	7-7	29-19
Rockets	41	36	17.0	6-9	21-26
Mavericks	38	38	19.5	5-8	22-24
Hornets	27	49	30.5	5-9	14-32
WEST PLAYOFF RACE	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
1st. y - Spurs	58	19	- -	13-3	32-15
2nd. y - Thunder	57	20	1.0	9-5	36-12
3rd. y - Clippers	51	26	7.0	8-7	29-18
4th. x - Grizzlies	50	27	8.0	7-7	29-19
5th. x - Nuggets	49	28	9.0	9-6	32-16
6th. Warriors	44	32	13.5	9-6	25-21
7th. Rockets	41	36	17.0	6-9	21-26
8th. Jazz	40	37	18.0	7-6	23-24
Mavericks	38	38	19.5	5-8	22-24
Lakers	38	39	20.0	7-8	21-26
Trail Blazers	36	40	21.5	7-7	21-25
Timberwolves	30	46	27.5	3-11	15-31
Kings	29	48	29.0	8-7	15-32
Hornets	27	49	30.5	5-9	14-32
Suns	25	51	32.5	6-10	16-30

[JazzMan]

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Center Enes Kanter comes down with flu, ruled out for tonight's game

April 7th, 2013 -

Enes Kanter, the back-up big man for Utah, has been diagnosed with a minor flu and will not play tonight against Golden State. The Jazz are hopeful that he can return Tuesday night on the 9th against Oklahoma City.

The Jazz are in a competitive race with the Lakers and Mavs for the 8th seed in the West, and are even catching up to the Rockets for the 7th seed. Kanter has been great all season and has been one of the top options while on the floor for the Jazz. It'd be a heavy blow if he can't return against OKC on Tuesday, as the Jazz will need all the help they can get.

For Golden State, Klay Thompson will be sitting out tonight's game due to a sore foot, as he's still recovering from a sprain from 2 weeks ago. Kent Bazemore is also out due to a broken toe.

Matchup Preview *|* April 7, 2013
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Utah Jazz (40-37, 10-28 Away)		Golden State Warriors (44-32, 26-11 Home)
Stats Comparison 98.2 Points Per Game 101.1 .453 Field Goal % .456 .769 Free Throw % .793 .362 3-Point % .399 42.7 Rebounds 45.0 6.2 Blocks 5.2 8.2 Steals 6.8 14.4 Turnovers 14.7 Projected Starters Mo Williams Point Guard Stephen Curry Alec Burks Shooting Guard Jarrett Jack Gordon Hayward Small Forward Harrison Barnes Paul Millsap Power Forward David Lee Al Jefferson Center Andrew Bogut Injury Report Enes Kanter - Flu 1-2 weeks Klay Thompson - Sore Foot 1-2 weeks Kent Bazemore - Broken Toe 4-6 weeks

Breaking News: Utah Jazz sign Center Hamady N'Diaye to a 10 day contract.

It has been announced that former Rutgers product Hamady N'Diaye has signed a 10-day contract with the Utah Jazz. This is more than likely to allow Enes Kanter to rest for tonight's game and potentially Tuesday's game against OKC.

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N'Diaye will be on the active roster tonight against Golden State.

[JazzMan]

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Warriors cruise to victory, clinch playoff berth

April 7th, 2013
In a game where 4 Warriors players scored over 20 points each, Golden State defeats the Utah Jazz, 122 to 101. The game was a back-and-forth competition until the 3rd quarter, where Utah's offense stalled when Paul Millsap picked up his 4th and 5th fouls in the game. Utah was outscored in the 3rd 31 to 16.

Despite Al Jefferson's 28 point game and Mo Williams' 19 point game, the Jazz had a rough time getting much offense until the 4th quarter. Jazz swingman Gordon Hayward had probably his worst shooting performance of the year, as he shot just 2 for 18 from the field. However, he made up for his shooting woes with 9 assists and 0 turnovers.

Utah was outrebounded 45 to 35. Just goes to show how much of a force Enes Kanter is coming off the bench, and when he's out, Utah can find themselves in big trouble. Here's hoping that Kanter can return against OKC on Tuesday.

Utah Jazz at Golden State Warriors
Apr 7, 2013	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Utah (40-38)	24	30	16	31	101
Golden State (45-32)	28	32	31	31	122

Utah Jazz
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
PG - Mo Williams	31	8-11	2-3	1-1	1	6	3	0	2	19
SG - Alec Burks	29	3-5	0-1	4-5	3	1	0	0	1	10
SF - Gordon Hayward	36	2-18	0-5	2-2	2	9	0	1	0	6
PF - Paul Millsap	25	2-8	0-1	4-6	8	2	1	0	1	8
C - Al Jefferson	33	11-14	0-0	6-6	6	1	2	0	2	28
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Derrick Favors	28	6-8	0-0	4-6	7	1	0	0	1	16
Earl Watson	7	1-1	0-0	0-0	1	2	0	0	1	2
Randy Foye	17	2-8	1-6	0-0	2	1	0	0	1	5
Jamaal Tinsley	11	0-1	0-1	0-0	1	2	0	0	4	0
Demarre Carroll	10	1-4	0-2	0-0	1	1	0	0	0	2
Marvin Williams	11	2-3	1-1	0-0	2	0	0	0	0	5
Hamady N'diaye	7	0-1	0-0	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	0
Kevin Murphy	DNP	Inactive
Jeremy Evans	DNP	Inactive
Enes Kanter	DNP	Injured
TEAM TOTALS		38/82 (46%)	4/20 (20%)	21/26 (80%)	35	26	6	1	13	101

Golden State Warriors
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
PG - Steph Curry	39	7-13	1-5	5-5	7	8	4	0	4	20
SG - Jarrett Jack	34	8-12	1-1	7-7	4	7	2	1	6	24
SF - Harrison Barnes	38	9-16	2-5	0-0	6	3	2	1	0	20
PF - David Lee	35	11-16	0-0	7-8	8	0	0	0	0	29
C - Andrew Bogut	25	3-7	0-0	0-0	9	4	1	0	1	6
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Carl Landry	20	2-5	0-0	3-4	5	0	0	2	1	7
Richard Jefferson	13	3-7	0-1	2-2	1	1	0	0	0	8
Brandon Rush	15	0-5	0-1	0-0	0	1	0	0	0	0
Andris Biedrins	10	1-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	2
Draymond Green	10	2-3	0-0	0-0	3	0	0	0	0	4
Festus Ezeli	8	1-2	0-0	0-0	2	2	0	0	0	2
Klay Thompson	DNP	Injured
Kent Bazemore	DNP	Injured
TEAM TOTALS		47/87 (54%)	4/13 (30%)	24/26 (92%)	45	26	9	4	12	122

[JazzMan]

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Lakers resign superstar center Dwight Howard

April 7th, 2013
Following the Lakers' victory over the Clippers tonight, Dwight Howard sat down with Lakers management and decided that he wanted to stay in LA. The 2 parties worked out a new contract, and it's official; Dwight Howard will be a Laker through 2017.

The new deal is a 5 year, $105.43M contract extension that prevents Howard from fooling around with other teams in free agency this offseason.

Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni stated last night, "This gets a lot of pressure off our shoulders. We don't have to worry about Dwight's focus and determination, and we all can focus on the task at hand: making the playoffs."

Easier said than done: the Utah Jazz are currently in the 8th spot for the playoffs in the Western Conference, as they're sitting at 40-38. Dallas is right behind Utah at 39-38, and LA trails Dallas at 38-39.

All 3 teams are feeling the urgency to win, and even Houston isn't safe, yet, as they have yet to clinch a berth with their record at 42-36.

One thing's for sure, though; Dwight Howard is a long-term Laker.

[JazzMan]

April 9th, 2013
The Utah Jazz are set to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in Salt Lake City. The Jazz have fought their way back into the 8th spot in the West with just 4 games remaining on the season.

Meanwhile, OKC is fighting San Antonio for the top seed in the West, so this may actually end up being a first round match-up right here.

On a side note, Enes Kanter is returning to the lineup tonight after missing the game against Golden State 2 nights ago due to the flu.

Matchup Preview *|* April 9, 2013
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Oklahoma City Thunder (57-20, 24-14 Away)		Utah Jazz (40-38, 30-9 Home)
Stats Comparison 106.1 Points Per Game 98.2 .480 Field Goal % .453 .828 Free Throw % .769 .383 3-Point % .359 43.6 Rebounds 42.6 7.5 Blocks 6.2 8.4 Steals 8.2 14.8 Turnovers 14.4 Projected Starters Russell Westbrook Point Guard Mo Williams Thabo Sefolosha Shooting Guard Alec Burks Kevin Durant Small Forward Gordon Hayward Serge Ibaka Power Forward Paul Millsap Kendrick Perkins Center Al Jefferson Injury Report Enes Kanter/Flu Day-To-Day Game Notes Enes Kanter (flu) is likely to return to the lineup tonight and play limited minutes in place of Hamady N'Diaye.

[JazzMan]

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Hayward drops career high 41 in win over Thunder

Apr. 9, 2013
After Gordon Hayward's 2-18 performance against Golden State 2 days ago, many figured that Hayward would be ultra-passive and reluctant to shoot against the Thunder. Instead, he did the opposite, and shot the ball 28 times, getting the shot to fall 14 times.

Matched up against Kevin Durant throughout most of the game, Hayward was forced to utilize his quickness against the bigger forward. Most of the time, Hayward ran the pick and roll with one of the bigs or just came off screens for jumpers. It seemed to work, considering Hayward hit 5 of 10 threes and 14 of 28 shots from the field while also racking up 8 assists. Definitely the most impressive game from Gordon Hayward in his short career thus far.

A 3rd quarter outburst by the Jazz allowed them to get a comfortable lead in the 4th, but OKC came fighting back, riding on Durant down the stretch. Even though Durant nearly had a double-double and finished with 27 points, OKC couldn't overcome Hayward's hot hand, as the Jazz pick up the much-needed victory 112-104.

When asked about how he kept his confidence so high after the Golden State game, Hayward said, "I just kept my head up and kept playing. Coach Corbin talked to me during shootaround this morning and told me to stay aggressive and shoot if I had a good look, which I did, and it really payed off for us."

If Hayward can keep shooting like this, Utah should clinch a playoff berth against Minnesota in either of their 2 games this week.

Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder
Apr 9, 2013	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Utah (41-38)	24	21	38	29	112
Oklahoma City (57-21)	17	25	28	34	104

Utah Jazz
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
PG - Mo Williams	34	5-6	5-6	0-0	3	6	2	0	1	15
SG - Alec Burks	31	1-8	0-3	0-0	3	1	0	0	0	2
SF - Gordon Hayward	40	14-28	5-10	8-8	2	8	0	1	4	41
PF - Paul Millsap	30	4-9	0-0	4-6	7	3	0	2	1	12
C - Al Jefferson	32	4-8	0-0	1-2	14	3	0	0	2	9
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Derrick Favors	22	5-9	0-0	0-0	5	0	0	0	0	10
Enes Kanter	12	3-4	0-1	0-0	5	0	0	2	0	6
Randy Foye	16	1-3	1-3	0-0	3	1	0	0	1	3
Jamaal Tinsley	10	2-6	1-4	0-0	2	2	0	0	0	5
Demarre Carroll	9	1-3	0-0	5-6	1	2	0	0	0	7
Marvin Williams	7	1-3	0-1	0-0	4	0	0	0	0	2
Earl Watson	4	0-2	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Kevin Murphy	DNP	Inactive
Jeremy Evans	DNP	Inactive
Hamady N'Diaye	DNP	Inactive
TEAM TOTALS		41/89 (46%)	12/28 (42%)	18/22 (81%)	49	26	2	5	9	112

Oklahoma City Thunder
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
PG - Russell Westbrook	36	5-15	1-2	5-5	2	8	1	1	4	16
SG - Thabo Sefolosha	37	6-12	3-6	2-2	2	3	3	0	1	17
SF - Kevin Durant	38	10-21	2-4	5-5	9	3	0	0	1	27
PF - Serge Ibaka	37	2-10	0-0	1-2	11	1	1	1	0	5
C - Kendrick Perkins	26	1-4	0-0	2-2	9	2	1	1	1	4
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Kevin Martin	19	6-12	2-5	2-2	5	0	0	2	0	16
Nick Collison	11	2-3	0-0	0-0	1	0	0	1	0	4
Jeremy Lamb	10	2-4	0-1	0-0	4	0	0	0	0	4
Ronnie Brewer	10	1-1	0-0	0-0	1	2	0	1	2	2
Reggie Jackson	8	2-5	0-2	0-0	0	3	0	0	0	4
Derek Fisher	7	1-1	0-0	0-0	3	1	0	0	3	2
Perry Jones	6	1-1	0-0	1-1	0	0	0	0	0	3
Deandre Liggins	DNP	Inactive
Hasheem Thabeet	DNP	Inactive
Daniel Orton	DNP	Inactive
TEAM TOTALS		39/89 (43%)	8/20 (40%)	18/19 (94%)	47	23	6	7	12	104