From Deseret News archives:
Kirilenko becoming a force again for Jazz
Andrei Kirilenko is doing things he didn't do last spring in the playoffs.
"(Kirilenko) did a great job," said the San Antonio Spurs' multi-time All-Star forward.
"He was part of the reason we got some turnovers in a row there.
"On top of that, he goes out and shoots 9-for-10, and a lot of those were not the regular shots we expect from him, being the 19-footers and outside of that."
Utah's once-unhappy forward is as big a part of the Jazz team and its five-game win streak as anyone, and Monday's game may have been even better than the outstanding performance he had Friday night in the win over Sacramento, when he scored his season-high of 25 points, making 6 -of-8 shots and 3-for-4 on threes, or Sunday's effort, when he scored 17.
Monday against the defending NBA champions in EnergySolutions Arena, Kirilenko missed just one shot including free throws on the way to 23 points.
"Well, in the beginning of the game, I got air ball from the postup," Kirilenko said.
"It wasn't really shot. I was thinking too much, like, 'Pass or shot, pass or shot.' Finally, I like airballed.'
"This may be his best basketball that I've seen him play in a long time because of all the things that he does anyway," said Jazz coach Jerry Sloan.
Those steals, four of them, made differences, especially since three of them came against Duncan.
"I've been trying to get a gap and help on Duncan," Kirilenko explained, "and a couple times he was in position, he wants to pass, and I just kind of jumped back, and he was uncomfortable position to throw the ball."
Two of them came after Kirilenko had made baskets himself, helping to widen Utah leads.
And perhaps the biggest thing, what he's always been known for, was his defense, particularly against Manu Ginobili.
Ginobili had a game-high 29, but every time Kirilenko guarded other players like Michael Finley, or when he was out of the game, Ginobili was able to take advantage, and Sloan was soon putting Kirilenko back on Ginobili.
"We weren't having much luck (guarding Ginobili)," Sloan said. "He's a tough guy to guard. Andrei is just a little bit longer, and hopefully he can make him shoot up over the top of him.
"Ginobili is a terrific player, a tremendous competitor, and I just thought the more we could make him work coming down the stretch, maybe he'd miss some."
Recent comments
PEOPLE!!!! How many times must you be told??? LHM can sign D-Will...
Moto X | Jan. 31, 2008 at 1:41 p.m.
Why concern yourself about who can pay who? You sound as if your the...
re: re: collin | Jan. 30, 2008 at 3:33 p.m.
If AK47 can keep it up....
I say we keep him until we can trade for...
AK47 | Jan. 30, 2008 at 12:43 p.m.
- Today on TV 12:49 a.m.
- Wanted: Bank robber with bad breath 12:40 a.m.
- Philippine police clash with clan 12:28 a.m.
- Officer responding to call killed 12:28 a.m.
- Editorial: Fine-tune state workweek 12:18 a.m.
- Let's keep energy money in the U.S. 12:18 a.m.
- How to pay for the war 12:17 a.m.
- Feast of Guadalupe nourishes soul 12:17 a.m.
- Obama's strategy is a road map 12:17 a.m.
- Letters: 'Political priestcraft' 12:17 a.m.
- BYU and Utah's bowl games
- Y., U. to learn bowl destinations
- BYU professor remembered
- The forgotten ship: USS Utah
- Branch president without a congregation
- Utahns want health care reform bills
- BYU basketball: Cougars crush Dons
- Kurt Bestor: Joy for the world
- Jazz upset by Wolves
- Urn of baby rests with sailors
- Letters: Liberal because LDS
257 - Y. profs: Beck not all-knowing
214 - Hate not limited to 1 in-state rivalry
189 - Aggies shoot past Cougars
179 - N.Y. Senate rejects gay marriage
130 - George lost in rivalry hatefest
113 - TCU to play Boise in Fiesta Bowl
110 - Unbeaten BYU takes trip to Logan
105 - Ed Smart 'appalled' at testimony
97 - Harpring's NBA career is over
95
The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting (perhaps speculating) that Utah...
I got some e-mail from Aggie fans regarding a column I wrote last week...
Sorry earlier I meant to say that tracks seems to travel at 35 miles an hour...
'Peter Frumhoff, the director of science and policy at the Union of...
The Non-BCS crowd ought to create their own title game...their own brand, and...
That's the whole of your defense of GOP resistance to badly-needed ethics...
Your criticism should hardly be focused on Bennett alone. What about all the...
'Wired's Threat Level blog reported on November 20 that Gavin Schmidt, a...
The reality of climate change is supported by multiple lines of evidence and...
I had the priviledge of staying in the LeBaron home on severl occasions as I...
So the unemployment rate has dropped to "just" 10%, huh? I wonder what that...
Ahh for the love of money...what money can buy!!!



