The Dribble: Game Three Grades

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Last night was demoralizing.

Heartbreaking.

Frustrating.

Awful.

The Clippers came into Salt Lake and snagged a 111-106 victory. The game highlighted the life of a Tortured Fan, as it provided the highest highs and the lowest lows.

1st Quarter: A+ Baby and then Some

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Prior to the game, I wrote the Jazz needed to stop the initial Clipper attack that doomed them in game two and come out with some urgency of their own. They sure did.

The first quarter of playoff basketball in Salt Lake City was the loudest sporting event I have gone to. The energy and passion and madness were off the charts, and it only increased with each Hayward bucket and Jazz stop. We were rising and flying and cruising and killing and and it was so electric. Their was such a buzz in the arena before tip off and then the buzz became a hum with anticipation as the game started, but by the end of the first it was a full on roar. G-Time had 21 (Jazz had 34) and the Clippers had 21.

It was everything you could hope for. And then, it all went away.

Gordon Hayward: A, yup an A

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Going into the game, all Jazz fans were clamoring for Hayward to step up offensively and give the Jazz a lift on that side of that ball. Friday night, he did not disappoint.

G finished with 40, including four threes, on a hot 13-21 shooting. He was curling tight off screens, shaking defenders with pump fakes and spins, and making some tough jumpers. Best of all, he was looking to score. The play of the game occurred when DeAndre Jordan switched onto him outside of the three point line. Jordan seemed to be taunting, asking him to bring it on, and bring it on he did.

Hayward crossed over, drove hard left, and then rose up for a two handed jam on top of Jordan, and other Clippers too. And-one.

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsHayward played his heart out last night. While it would be easy to look at his five turnovers, or the pass out of bounds that pretty much sealed the loss, I think Hayward needs some love for playing like the All-Star we needed. He showed so much grit and played the game of his life. I doubt we get another performance like this out of him this round, which makes the loss all the more discouraging in that we couldn’t take advantage of it. Instead of arriving on ESPN and columns next week on the breakout performance, Chris Paul gets all the attention instead because he got the W.

Performances like this are magical, something to be treasured and a reminder of how special Hayward is, and can be. With all the great history connected to the Utah Jazz and the playoffs, Hayward’s 21 first quarter points was a franchise playoff record for most point in a quarter.

Without Hayward, we don’t have a chance and are probably fighting to even make the playoffs. With him, we are competing at a high level, with raised expectations. He showed he can deliver on a big stage, yet it will be tainted by the loss. It had to be tough knowing you gave it your all, but came up empty instead.

Derrick Favors: a flat-footed F

Oh, D-Favs. You know we love you, but last night you were awful. Offensively, defensively, didn’t matter. Across the board, you were awful.

You can’t be our starting center and finish with six rebounds. You can’t play 38 minutes and finish with three shot attempts and one bucket, two points. You can’t use up five of your fouls, yet DJ still gets 17 points and 13 rebounds. And with the game on the line, you can’t miss both of your free throws. With Favors on the floor, the Jazz were -17.

And I feel so bad that I have to write this and give him an F because he is trying to play tough with big minutes and a limited body. But frankly, we needed more last night.

The performance was unacceptable, but who are you going to throw in to replace him? Boris Diaw played 24 minutes and gave the Jazz a unique look when he played the five position and we spread the floor around him. But Diaw is probably worse defensively against Jordan which, sadly, is saying something. Withey was a no-show (maybe because of the domestic assault allegations leveled against him?) and Joel Bolomboy is from Weber State. We’re thin down low and it’s showing.

The Refs: Expelled

I’m not one to blame a game on the refs or be a sore loser, I’m really not. The players make plays, the coaches do what coaches do, and they should determine the outcome of the game. Things don’t bounce your way when it comes to the officials in stripes but that’s expected and part of the game. There are always bad calls and missed moments.

But.

Last night was ridiculous. I wondered if I was even watching the same game as those guys as they were calling so many ticky-tack fouls on the Jazz but ignoring (what seemed like) everything on the Clippers. Chris Paul basically hugged (or mauled?) Hayward with both of his arms across Hayward and there was a no call. Quin Snyder was so upset on a Shelvin Mack layup attempt with contact, he quickly stepped onto the floor and was quickly assessed a technical. Sadly for him, he should have saved that technical for the third quarter when the officiating got out of hand. The Clippers were in the bonus with about seven minutes to go so they relentless (and rightly so) attacked the paint time and time again.

During the 3rd, the game fell apart. The Clippers shot free throws (I’m curious to know how many exactly in the 3rd) and the Jazz did not. The game went the Clippers direction and the fans were ready to riot with each subjective call. Call after call after call and the tension began to build and spill over all 19,911 new t-shirts.

Like this.

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All told, the Jazz had three players with five fouls each (Favors, Hill, and Joe Johnson) and two more with four fouls each (Ingles and Hayward). That’s not a joke.

The Clippers shot 29 total FT to our 23, but the discrepancy felt bigger than that. Even if the Jazz did get to the line a few more times, it probably wouldn’t have matter: they shot 66% from the line which is equally ridiculous.

It was frustrating to watch the refs hand the Clippers extra opportunities. I’m not saying it decided the game, but it certainly had a hand in shifting the momentum.

What I’m Choosing to Not Focus On:

I do not want to talk about Chris Paul or his epic performance, both in points scored and disgusting antics. I do not want to talk about the Jazz going scoreless for half of the fourth quarter. I do not want to talk about 0 fast break points (a consequence for playing slow). I do not want to talk about George Hill trotting up the court, running a one-on-one for himself, Joe Johnson, or Hayward on multiple possessions in a run when guarded by Paul Piece who is 80 years old or Jamal Crawford who can’t play defense either and we end up taking a fade-away with a second left on the shot clock. I do no want to talk about Snyder’s brilliant late game play and Hill’s clutch three with seven seconds left. I do not want to talk about Joe Ingles and his amazing defense and attitude, especially when up against Chris Paul. I do not want to talk about Joe Ingles missing million threes that looked wide open but then drilling one in Jordan’s eye from the corner late in the shot clock. I do not want to talk about Raul Neto coming in cold and making two buckets in the fourth to give the Jazz life. I do not want to talk about any of it. I just want Sunday to come so we can try again.

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