tinysands
2007-05-20, 02:22 PM
This time, veteran Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) meet upstart Jazz
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA052007.01X.BKNspurs.jazz.main.36226b4.html
Web Posted: 05/19/2007 11:00 PM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
This is what Tim Duncan (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tim_duncan) remembers from the last time he saw the Utah Jazz in the playoffs: He sprained his left ankle, tried to play on it the next game and it wasn't too much fun.
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) lost and Duncan left with a new target in his sights.
"They were our hump team," Duncan said. "They were the team that was great around that time and we knew we had to get past them to get where we wanted to get.
"I expected to see them for years to come."
It took nine years, but the Jazz will be standing in the Spurs' way again when the Western Conference finals open this afternoon at the AT&T Center.
Utah's shorts hang a little longer these days and most of the names have changed, as have the roles. Since the Jazz eliminated them in the second round of Duncan's rookie season, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) have reigned at or near the top of the league while winning three championships. Utah, meanwhile, has become a team of young party-crashers looking to break into the NBA Finals.
Karl Malone now runs a logging company in Arkansas. John Stockton is living out his retirement in Spokane, Wash. David Robinson will be in attendance today, but sitting across from the Spurs' bench, not on it.
Tony Parker (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tony_parker) has replaced Avery Johnson. Robert Horry (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/robert_horry) stopped beating the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) long enough to join them. The Stockton-to-Malone pick-and-roll is now run with nearly the same efficiency by Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer.
But it's still the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) and Jazz, and that's usually good enough to get everyone to sharpen their elbows.
"I expect it to be a big-time physical game," Bruce Bowen (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/bruce_bowen) said, "between two teams that know one another pretty well."
That's a good thing for the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) considering they had only a short film session and brief walk-through after completing their second-round series against Phoenix late Friday. In Gregg Popovich's mind, however, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) began preparing for the Jazz more than a decade ago.
"From the first time I came into the league I always felt watching all the teams, Utah executed better than anybody else," Popovich said. "Through my years in the league they've always been a team I've looked to as far as a group executing, night in and night out, at both ends of the court.
"On a consistent basis, I don't think there has been anybody better."
Utah knocked the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) out of the playoffs three times in a five-year span between 1994-98, winning 11 of the 15 games in those series. Popovich used the Jazz as his blueprint to build the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) into the championship contenders, seeking tough-minded players willing to embrace his defense-first philosophy.
It also didn't hurt that the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) landed Duncan, whose arrival signaled a change in the rivalry. Since the Jazz ended his rookie year, Duncan has led the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) to a 27-7 record against them that included an 18-game winning streak.
"We go down there with the mind-set that what happened before is behind us," Boozer said. "We're obviously a different team than a lot of those losses.
"We're looking forward to making some new history."
Boozer has helped lead Utah's renaissance after two injury-filled seasons. The Jazz also have drafted smart (Williams and Andrei Kirilenko) and made another key free-agent signing in center Mehmet Okur.
The lone constant has been coach Jerry Sloan, who continues to have the Jazz working hard and running efficiently.
"You look at their offense over the past 10 years and there has not been a change there," Bowen said. "Ever since Karl and John were there it's been the same.
"It's a continuance of bringing in new guys to filter in certain positions that other guys have left."
After enduring a five-game losing streak late in the regular season — and losing the first two games of their first-round series against Houston — Utah rallied to beat the Rockets in seven games before eliminating Golden State. Along the way, the Jazz proved capable of executing well in the halfcourt while also running the floor.
"If you watched the series against Golden State, it's not a slow-down team," Popovich said. "They push the pace. They really take it to you."
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) showed similar versatility in beating Denver and Phoenix. They also were accused by at least one member of the Suns of playing dirty, a label that clung to the Jazz after Malone knocked Robinson unconscious with an elbow to the head in 1998.
The Spurs, long criticized for being soft during their playoff battles with Utah, have embraced their new reputation.
"To win the championship, you have to play physical, you have to play a little bit dirty," Parker said. "You have to show you want it. To me, we're a little bit of everything. We like to compete."
The Jazz can say the same. Hungry and back in the playoffs, they're standing between the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) and the Finals.
Regardless of who wins this series, Duncan doesn't think he'll have to wait another nine years to see Utah again.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA052007.01X.BKNspurs.jazz.main.36226b4.html
Web Posted: 05/19/2007 11:00 PM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
This is what Tim Duncan (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tim_duncan) remembers from the last time he saw the Utah Jazz in the playoffs: He sprained his left ankle, tried to play on it the next game and it wasn't too much fun.
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) lost and Duncan left with a new target in his sights.
"They were our hump team," Duncan said. "They were the team that was great around that time and we knew we had to get past them to get where we wanted to get.
"I expected to see them for years to come."
It took nine years, but the Jazz will be standing in the Spurs' way again when the Western Conference finals open this afternoon at the AT&T Center.
Utah's shorts hang a little longer these days and most of the names have changed, as have the roles. Since the Jazz eliminated them in the second round of Duncan's rookie season, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) have reigned at or near the top of the league while winning three championships. Utah, meanwhile, has become a team of young party-crashers looking to break into the NBA Finals.
Karl Malone now runs a logging company in Arkansas. John Stockton is living out his retirement in Spokane, Wash. David Robinson will be in attendance today, but sitting across from the Spurs' bench, not on it.
Tony Parker (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tony_parker) has replaced Avery Johnson. Robert Horry (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/robert_horry) stopped beating the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) long enough to join them. The Stockton-to-Malone pick-and-roll is now run with nearly the same efficiency by Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer.
But it's still the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) and Jazz, and that's usually good enough to get everyone to sharpen their elbows.
"I expect it to be a big-time physical game," Bruce Bowen (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/bruce_bowen) said, "between two teams that know one another pretty well."
That's a good thing for the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) considering they had only a short film session and brief walk-through after completing their second-round series against Phoenix late Friday. In Gregg Popovich's mind, however, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) began preparing for the Jazz more than a decade ago.
"From the first time I came into the league I always felt watching all the teams, Utah executed better than anybody else," Popovich said. "Through my years in the league they've always been a team I've looked to as far as a group executing, night in and night out, at both ends of the court.
"On a consistent basis, I don't think there has been anybody better."
Utah knocked the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) out of the playoffs three times in a five-year span between 1994-98, winning 11 of the 15 games in those series. Popovich used the Jazz as his blueprint to build the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) into the championship contenders, seeking tough-minded players willing to embrace his defense-first philosophy.
It also didn't hurt that the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) landed Duncan, whose arrival signaled a change in the rivalry. Since the Jazz ended his rookie year, Duncan has led the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) to a 27-7 record against them that included an 18-game winning streak.
"We go down there with the mind-set that what happened before is behind us," Boozer said. "We're obviously a different team than a lot of those losses.
"We're looking forward to making some new history."
Boozer has helped lead Utah's renaissance after two injury-filled seasons. The Jazz also have drafted smart (Williams and Andrei Kirilenko) and made another key free-agent signing in center Mehmet Okur.
The lone constant has been coach Jerry Sloan, who continues to have the Jazz working hard and running efficiently.
"You look at their offense over the past 10 years and there has not been a change there," Bowen said. "Ever since Karl and John were there it's been the same.
"It's a continuance of bringing in new guys to filter in certain positions that other guys have left."
After enduring a five-game losing streak late in the regular season — and losing the first two games of their first-round series against Houston — Utah rallied to beat the Rockets in seven games before eliminating Golden State. Along the way, the Jazz proved capable of executing well in the halfcourt while also running the floor.
"If you watched the series against Golden State, it's not a slow-down team," Popovich said. "They push the pace. They really take it to you."
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) showed similar versatility in beating Denver and Phoenix. They also were accused by at least one member of the Suns of playing dirty, a label that clung to the Jazz after Malone knocked Robinson unconscious with an elbow to the head in 1998.
The Spurs, long criticized for being soft during their playoff battles with Utah, have embraced their new reputation.
"To win the championship, you have to play physical, you have to play a little bit dirty," Parker said. "You have to show you want it. To me, we're a little bit of everything. We like to compete."
The Jazz can say the same. Hungry and back in the playoffs, they're standing between the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) and the Finals.
Regardless of who wins this series, Duncan doesn't think he'll have to wait another nine years to see Utah again.