ICYMI: Mavs squeak by Jazz 87-82

In a low scoring outing between the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz, none other than JJ Barea took it over. The back up point guard started in the place of the injured Rajon Rondo hung 22 points on the Jazz, along with 4 rebounds and 3 assists in 34 minutes of action. Both teams got out to a slow start. Not a single point was scored until four minutes in when Gordon Hayward hit a mid range jumper. It would be a slow quarter for the Jazz, who were down 22-9 at the end of the first.

The Jazz then took fire and kept the game close until the end when the obvious hurt Monta Ellis sealed their fate with a crucial steal. Monta ended only with 7 points, but he pulled his weight on the defensive end by racking up 7 steals.

Had the Jazz been able to hit free throws throughout the game, they would have gone back to Utah with the win. They shot only 52% from the line.

The All-Star break is upon is now, and it could be argued that the Mavericks needed it more than anyone with 3 of 5 starters banged up. Now they can all rest for the next week, except for Dirk Nowitzki, who was named to his 13th All-Star game after Anthony Davis withdrew due to injury.

When healthy, these Mavs are a force to be reckoned with down the stretch, especially if they add much needed bench depth like Jermaine O'Neal and Amar'e Stoudemire.

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The Utah Jazz have a star in Gordon Hayward

                                       

     This past summer, the Utah Jazz matched Gordon Hayward's 4 year, $63M offer sheet with the Charlotte Hornets, keeping him in Salt Lake City. While there was some speculation at the time about whether or not that was a good decision, there is little speculation now. Gordon Hayward is playing up to his contract in every way the Utah Jazz could have hoped, averaging 19.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He has fully embraced the role of being a star and is always more than willing to close games when given the opportunity.

     In a recent game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Hayward put the Timberwolves to sleep by scoring six points in the final two minutes with two of those points coming off of a steal. In that instance Gordon Hayward demonstrated why he is worth all the money by making a clutch play on defense as well as on offense.

     Standing at 6'8 and 207 lbs., Hayward has the quickness and hand-eye coordination of an elite tennis player, which is why he is such a threat on offense as well as defense. Due to his combination of size, speed, and skill there really isn't anything he can't do. He can shoot, pass, rebound, steal, and block shots, and the scary thing is he's only going to get better and more confident.

   There are still questions about what the Jazz have in the rest of their talented young players, but there is little question now of as to what they have in Gordon Hayward. He's transforming into a legitimate all-star right before our eyes and is the first sure piece the Utah Jazz have to build around for the coming seasons. Hopefully they can get the right pieces around him to keep him in a Jazz uniform for life.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord 

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Bulls Shoot 33%, Fall to Utah by 20 At Home, 97-77

There are good losses and bad losses. A good loss is when the team does something well, even though it lost the game. There might have been a comeback that just fell short, or the team defense was better in part of the game.  Then, there are the bad losses.  In these games, nothing seems to go right, a team plays flat, and looks two steps slower. Players fumble and stumble around, and guys shoot airballs.

The Chicago Bulls had perhaps their worst loss of the season, certainly, an off-night at the United Center.  Maybe their dramatic rally over Houston on Monday night, took something out of them.  Because Wednesday tonight, they didn't have it.

Chicago shot 33% from the floor, and scored just 32 points in the first half, to fall to visiting Utah, 97-77.  Actually, the Bulls trailed the Jazz 49-46 in the third, after a brief flurry by Derrick Rose, only to see the Jazz assert itself and take control of the game.

Rose went 3-15 and had 7 points.  Jimmy Butler led the Bulls with 16 points and 11 boards.  Pau Gasol, who has been torrid of late, only scored 13 points.  Taj Gibson tallied 15 off the bench.

Utah got a fine game from Derrick Favors who had 20 points/11 rebounds. Gordon Hayward had 18 for the Jazz.  Utah led by as many as 26 in the fourth quarter however it wasn't a good night for the Bulls or their loyal fans.

Coach Tom Thibodeau doesn't take these kinds of defeats lightly, and it will be interesting to see how the Bulls play in their next game.

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The Jazz have the assets to trade up for Jabari Parker

The Utah Jazz currently possess the #5, #23, and #35 pick in next week's draft and while they are happy to have a top 5 pick in this loaded draft, they will almost certainly not get the player they most want in the draft if they end up picking 5th. The player they covet is Jabari Parker, a freshman sensation out of Duke who plays the small forward position but handles the ball like he is a point guard and scores like he is a shooting guard. Parker is the most offensively polished player in this draft and probably the most NBA ready. It is no surprise that the Jazz want him based on his basketball skills alone. The fact that he is an active member of the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints suddenly makes him even more valuable to Utah because of how he would energize the fan base. It's obvious he is a perfect fit in Utah, but the question is can the Jazz get him? Upon looking at who the Jazz have under contract, they do have some options to trade up to get him. I will explore some of those options and also try to find the most likely scenario in which they draft him.

First off, if the Jazz are going to trade up to get Jabari Parker, that means the #5 pick and #23 pick in the draft will be packaged in a deal with one or two players. Which players might they be? Gordon Hayward immediately comes to mind because he is an impending restricted free agent and he plays the same position as Jabari Parker. Getting rid of Hayward and adding Parker would be an immediate upgrade for the Jazz at the small forward position. However, the Jazz will need more to entice either the Bucks (#2) or Cavaliers (#1) to give up their pick. That's where Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter come in. If the Jazz want to trade up to grab Jabari Parker, either Enes Kanter or Derrick Favors will have to go. According to InsideHoops.com, the Jazz see Derrick Favors as more of a center, which could pave the way for them to trade Enes Kanter. Either way, the Jazz will need to trade either Kanter or Favors, the #5 pick, #23 pick, and likely Gordon Hayward to pull off a trade for the #1 or #2 pick. The question now is what situation is most likely to result in the Jazz getting Jabari Parker?

The most straight up situation is to make a deal with Cleveland for the #1 pick and send them the #5 pick, the #23 pick,  Enes Kanter, and Gordon Hayward. Would Cleveland take the Jazz up on this offer? The revelations about Joel Embiid's fractured foot make things interesting.  Enes Kanter is a really talented young center who has proven he can play well in the NBA and Gordon Hayward is still a promising young small forward. Getting those two players plus the #5 and #23 pick could be pretty tempting for the Cavaliers. Especially if they want a quality big man and feel worried about Joel Embiid's back and foot.

Milwaukee to me is the most likely team to be willing to make a deal with the Jazz. They are the most desperate team picking in the top 3 and they need a lot of help. Getting Gordon Hayward, Enes Kanter, the #5 pick, and the #23 pick in exchange for the #2 pick might sound like a good deal to them. Maybe they get a front court of Noah Vonleh and Enes Kanter out of it and then they trade Larry Sanders for another piece. All of a sudden, boom! They have themselves a really nice core of guys to work with. Of course, if they think Jabari Parker is a franchise changing player who they can build around for years to come, then they are much less likely to be willing to make a deal like this. But if they have any reservations about Parker or if they really think Utah's offer makes them a lot better overall, then they might make a deal with the Jazz. It all depends on what Milwaukee thinks of Parker, but I think odds are decent for the Jazz that the Bucks would make this move.

As for the 76ers, they play a strange role in all of this. Let's say they want to trade for the #1 pick to get Andrew Wiggins. What does that mean for Utah? Well, what if the 76ers, Jazz, Bucks, and Cavaliers orchestrate a weird 4-way trade? E.g. The Jazz get the #1 pick from the Cavaliers; the Cavaliers get the #5 pick, Gordon Hayward, and Enes Kanter from the Jazz; the 76ers get the #2 pick from the Bucks,  and the Bucks get Thaddeus Young and the #3 pick from the 76ers plus the #23 pick from the Jazz. The Jazz get Jabari Parker with the #1 pick, the 76ers get Andrew Wiggins with the #2 pick, the Bucks get Joel Embiid with the #3 pick, Thaddeus Young, and another talented player with the #23 pick,  and the Cavaliers get Enes Kanter, Gordon Hayward, and the #5 pick. With the #5 pick, the Cavaliers could either draft Marcus Smart/Dante Exum, which makes Kyrie Irving expendable at the point guard position or they draft Noah Vonleh/Julius Randle to give Irving a quality pick and roll mate to go alongside Kanter.  The Cavaliers could walk out with three really quality pieces to work with that either keep Kyrie Irving happy or make his departure not such a big deal. I'm not sure Joel Embiid gets Kyrie Irving to stay in Cleveland and to be honest, I don't think Wiggins or Parker do, either.

This crazy four-team trade idea comes off as insane but it is possible. Especially since all teams involved benefit.  The Jazz get the guy they want in Parker and the 76ers get the guy they want in Andrew Wiggins. Plus, I've heard that the Bucks like Joel Embiid so they may end up getting the guy who they want most in this draft. Now I will say that the revelation about Joel Embiid's stress fracture in his right foot does complicate things. But I think it's possible that this four way trade still goes down, but we simply substitute Joel Embiid's name with either Marcus Smart or Dante Exum who are both the  top point guards in this draft.

As I have demonstrated, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, Gordon Hayward, and maybe even Alec Burks and Trey Burke are legit guys who the Jazz can use as trade chips to move up to grab Jabari Parker. I am confident that the Utah Jazz front office is scheming a way to make these trade chips work so as to get what they want.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord 

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Knicks End West Coast Trip On High Note, Defeat Jazz

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Monday, March 31^st, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Utah Jazz

Post Game Recap

The New York Knicks were able to handle business Monday night, beating the Utah Jazz 92-83. The Knicks knew before halftime that they needed a victory tonight to keep pace with the Atlanta Hawks, who defeated the Philadelphia 76ers earlier in the night. The Knicks were able to do so, and will head back home with a 3-2 west coast trip and one game behind the Hawks for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. It was also only the second time this season the Knicks picked up a victory after trailing at halftime. Things will get difficult from here on out for the Knicks, as the remaining opponents on their schedule all hold records above .500. They will get back on the court Wednesday night to take on the cross town rival Brooklyn Nets.

Player of the Game: Carmelo Anthony

Rick Bowmer/AP Photo

Amar’e Stoudemire was unable to go tonight because of a scheduled day off, so Anthony knew he had to carry the scoring load. Carry the load he did, as he poured in 34 points on 11-19 from the field. Anthony had his jump shot going throughout the evening, knocking down 4-7 from beyond the three point line and sinking all eight of his free throw attempts. Anthony also grabbed eight rebounds to go with three assists, three steals and one block.

-Positives

For the second consecutive night, the Knicks defense is what drove them to victory. Last night they were able to hold the high-scoring Golden State Warriors to only 18 points in the fourth quarter, tonight they one upped that, giving up only 14 to the Jazz. On the night the Jazz shot only 38.8 percent from the field, and 33.3 from the three point line. The scoring output for the Jazz declined in every quarter from the first on.

Without Stoudemire in the lineup, other players had to step up scoring tonight for the Knicks and that is exactly what they did. In addition to Anthony, the Knicks had four other players score in double-figures; Tyson Chandler had 15, Raymond Felton had 12, J.R. Smith had 13 and Tim Hardaway Jr. had 10 off the bench.

Rick Bowmer/AP Photo

The balanced scoring was huge for the Knicks tonight, as they were playing in the second night of a back-to-back. They were able to play efficiently on the offensive end, making 47.1 percent of their shots. They also turned the ball over only nine times, not allowing the Jazz to get into transition. The Knicks tonight looked like a team that wants to make the playoffs. With less than four minutes remaining in the third quarter, the game was tied at 67. From there, the Knicks took over, outscoring the Jazz 25-16 the remainder of the game.

-Negative

Hardaway Jr. appeared to injure his ankle in the waning seconds of the game. With the outcome already decided, he looked to land awkwardly and be in real pain. He was helped to the locker room by Anthony as he was unable to put any pressure on it. He will be taken for x-rays and tests, but was seen being taken out of the arena in a wheelchair. If Hardaway Jr. is unable to go Wednesday, it will be a big blow for the Knicks. Hardaway Jr. has emerged as the only scoring option off the bench with Smith and Stoudemire being inserted into the starting lineup. 

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Nets Start Off Second Half Strong in Utah

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

February 19th, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. Utah Jazz Post Game Recap

Final Score: Nets 105 Jazz 99

The Brooklyn Nets were able to start of the second half of the season on a positive note with a nice win in Utah against the Jazz. The 105-99 win moves the Nets to (25-27) on the season, as they have moved into the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, and are three games back of the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

Player of the Game: Joe Johnson

The Nets lone All-Star Joe Johnson may have not been deserving of the nod for the trip to New Orleans, but on Wednesday he played like an All-Star. Johnson led all scorers with 27 points on 10 for 16 shooting, which included him going four for seven from three-point range. Johnson also had two season-highs, as he dished out six assists, and had three steals to go along with his great scoring. It was a very good sign for the Nets to see a game like this for Johnson, who was struggling heading into the break, as the last time he scored 20 or more points was on Martin Luther King Day against the Knicks.

nydailynews.com

Positives-

Andray Blatche was a major force for the Nets off the bench, as he was right behind Johnson in scoring with 25 points of his own. Blatche wasn’t as efficient as Johnson from the field, but still shot over 50%, as he was 11 for 20 from the field. Blatche rounded out his game with six rebounds, one assist, one block, and one steal in 31 excellent minutes off the bench.

Shaun Livingston continued his all-around great play for the Nets on Wednesday, as he turned in another good game. In 40 minutes Livingston scored nine points on three for seven shooting, he also had seven assists, five rebounds, and one block.

The turnover battle was a huge victory for the Nets, as if it wasn’t for having a +12 in the turnover category the Nets would have more than likely lost this game. The Jazz bench struggled to protect the ball, as Alec Burks and Diante Garrett each had four turnovers. Rudy Gobert added two turnovers and Brandon Rush had one, as the bench for the Jazz combined for 11 turnovers compared to just one for the Nets bench.

Negatives-

Utah’s Center Enes Kanter was a handful for the Nets small lineup, as he was able to get himself a nice double-double. Kanter scored 18 points on eight for 14 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds, six of which were on the offensive glass. Rebounding in general was a problem for the Nets, as they were out rebounded by the Jazz 46-33.

Deron Williams did get his first win in Utah since being traded to the Nets, but it was a tough night for Williams. Williams scored 19 points, but with wrap on his shooting hand only shot six of 15 from the field. Williams got banged up pretty good in the game as well, as he was hit in the groin, and took an elbow to the head late in the game, but was able to play.

Next up for the Nets will be a few days off before they will be in Golden State playing the Warriors, where newly acquired Marcus Thornton will be making his debut with the team.

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W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs Utah Jazz 2-19

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

February 19th, 2014

W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs. Utah Jazz

The Brooklyn Nets will be in Utah for their first game after the All-Star break, as they continue their circus road-trip, which started off with a loss against the Chicago Bulls last Thursday. Brooklyn will be starting the second half of the season with a (24-27) record, and they are four games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division. 

- Back To Where It Started

Point Guard Deron Williams will be heading back to Utah, the team the drafted him, and also the team that traded him to the then New Jersey Nets. Playing against his former team in Utah, Williams is (0-2). Williams has been banged up so far this season, and his level of play is well down from previous years, so Brooklyn will be hoping that the All-Star break will have helped Williams get a little bit healthy for the second half of the season. Andrei Kirilenko will also be playing the Jazz for the third time in Utah since leaving them after 10 seasons, and like Williams has been unsuccessful trying to get a win in his first two tries.

barclayscenter.com

- Circus in Town

The Barclays Center has been taken over by the circus for the next few weeks, which will be sending the Nets on the road until March 3rd against the Bulls. The beginning of the road-trip was tough for Brooklyn, as they were handled easily by the Bulls, and the rest of the road-trip will have six more road games in store for them. The strength of the Nets opponents isn’t very tough, but road games are never easy, as the Nets are (8-16) on the road this season. The rest of the road-trip after Utah will be games against, the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trailblazers, Denver Nuggets, and then the Milwaukee Bucks.

- Young Core

Since trading Williams, the Jazz have been building through the draft, and now have a nice young core of players that have won their last three games. Gordon Hayward is their leading scorer with 16.3 points per game. Excluding Hayward, the Jazz have six players averaging double-digit points, so the Nets have to be prepared for a balanced attack on Wednesday night. Former Nets Derrick Favors and Richard Jefferson are two of those players averaging double-digit points, but for Wednesdays game are both questionable, as Favors has been dealing with a hip injury, and Jefferson has a stomach bug.

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