Utah Jazz: How to stop Carmelo Anthony?

DENVER — With Andrei Kirilenko and his strained calf out, the enormous challenge of containing the explosiveness of one of the NBA's elite scorers will still mostly fall on the shoulders of 23-year-olds C.J. Miles and Wesley Matthews.

Carmelo Anthony, flashing his trademark wide smile, recently told ESPN what he'd do if he were in a situation similar to the young Jazz players'.

"If I had to guard me," Melo said, "I would take the night off."

Even though the confident-for-good-reason Anthony had a huge Game 1 at their expense, Miles and Matthews don't plan on taking that easy way out.

"I got a rude awakening, a huge wake-up call in that regard, Carmelo, and just playing the Denver Nuggets on the road," a more seasoned-feeling Matthews said.

"But I'm excited for (tonight). I'm more excited for (tonight) than I was Saturday."

And you know Matt Harpring certainly wouldn't take the path of least resistance, either.

He loved, lived for and thrived on going up against — not to mention wiping the grins off of — stat-sheet-filling guys like Anthony, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.

That's why part of Harpring is aching right now, and it's not his creaky knees, his gimpy ankles or any other oft-ailing body part.

It's the competitive part of the ex-player's soul — the part aching to be on the court in these playoffs, no doubt — that had to be throbbing while watching Carmelo Anthony go off for 42 points in Game 1.

Harpring's playing days are done. The TV analyst and his brand of "toughness," which Jerry Sloan admitted Saturday the Jazz were missing even before their 126-113 loss, won't be available for the Game 2 rematch.

But don't be surprised if Miles and Matthews channel a bit of Harpring's physicality and feistiness as they try to turn Anthony's shooting percentage and smile upside down.

"I might have to talk to him tonight," Miles said, referring to Harpring.

With the team to do commentary for FSN broadcasts, Harpring knows what he'd do if he were still in the shoes of Matthews or Miles.

"When a guy's in rhythm like that," Harpring said, "you've got to do something to get him out of the rhythm."