From Deseret News archives:

Determined big men make large contribution

Published: Thursday, May 10, 2007 12:09 a.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
Golden State's advantage over bigger teams — and at times this season over the Utah Jazz — has been its smallness, its quickness. The Warriors cause match-up problems all over the place for normal-size NBA front-liners.

But what players in Utah's 127-117 overtime victory in Game 2 of the NBA Playoffs second round at EnergySolutions Arena played the most minutes per man for the Utah Jazz and got a huge amount done?

It was the big guys.

Center Mehmet Okur, power forward Carlos Boozer and small forward/two-guard/emergency point guard Andrei Kirilenko played about 42 minutes apiece, scored a total of 72 points and dragged down a combined 40 rebounds in Utah's third straight never-say-die playoff win.

"We're determined," said Boozer of a team that was down five with less than 53 seconds left. "That's what we do. We give it everything we've got every time we're out there. In that position, we just stay confident and try to execute, we try to do a good job on defense and we basically just believe that we can come back."

Boozer came back from Game 1, in which the Warriors sagged in on him and he only had 17 points on 6-for-15 shooting to work what he called even tougher double- and triple-teams on Wednesday night for 30 points with 9-for-14 shooting, plus 13 rebounds. He had six points and three boards in the overtime.

Story continues below
The boards were shy of the 21 he had Monday. But his last one, with 52.9 seconds left when he helped defend Warrior Matt Barnes into missing a layup and then snagged the board, helped Utah not just hold off Golden State but add to the margin as Barnes fouled him and he made the free throws.

Utah center Okur was the game's biggest board-man with 18 , and he put in 23 points, including a much-needed 21-footer from the right corner to cut a three-point Golden State lead to 112-111 with :09.8 left in regulation play following a rebound of a Warrior free-throw miss. That made it possible for Deron Williams' runner to tie the score with two seconds left and force the overtime.

Kirilenko had a season-high 20 points plus nine rebounds, six blocked shots and five assists, fouling out after 41:17 minutes of play, the least of the three big guys.

Boozer said the Jazz big men gave up some offensive rebounds they shouldn't have in the fourth quarter but otherwise did a decent job in leading Utah to a 60-32 advantage on the glass. "Guys were crashing the boards, and it was another focus point for us. If we have more rebounds, we get more possessions, and that gives us a good chance to win."

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

Image

Golden State's Stephen Jackson buckles under the pressure of Utah's Andrei Kirilenko in Wednesday's Jazz win.

previousnext

Latest comments

Those discounting global warming are the same people who voted for Bush...

Senate to confront abortion in debate

The AARP has a history of being in bed with the Democrats. What else would...

To those who ask for climate truth - and I'll call you skeptics in the most...

Kirilenko sits, Miles improves

How frustrating!!! Loosing to a 2-17 team!!! My son's high school team could...

Last time I checked Boise State lost to the #2 Mountain West team (TCU) in a...

Just like the 1st time the Utes cracked the BCS; there needs to be a 4 team...

THE BEST EAGLES THAT FLY HIGHER AND FASTER COME FROM EAGLE PARENTS WHO MAKE...

Science +1 Ignorant Utahns 0

Do not sell Boise State short. This is going to be a good game. TCU may be...

You've got to hand it to the BCS cowards to match up two non-BCS schools...

Advertisements