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Utah Jazz: Stumble in fourth quarter, fall to Rockets

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Anonymous | 9:47 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009
And they tried to tell us their defense was different this year. HA! It's actually worse than last year. It must be that "20 pounds of muscle" that Andrei gained over the summer, he can't move anymore he's so burly. Again, HA! The Jazz are in trouble...no need to worry about New York's lottery pick, let's start thinking about our own!
Disappointed | 9:47 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009
Absolutely terrible. In all my years of attending Jazz games, I have never left that early. When you quit trying is when I quit cheering. Say what you want about other guys having off nights, but Boozer was terrible. You know it's bad when the fans cheer when he leaves the floor. The Jazz were outhustled, outsmarted, and outplayed. And it only gets worse with a back-to-back at Dallas tomorrow, followed by the Spurs on Thursday.
Payson | 9:48 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009
Very pathetic. Why can't we get some guys on the team who can shoot the ball consistently.
Comments continue below
Why bother? | 9:49 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009
Time to boycott the Energy Solutions Arena.

22 million wasted dollars on Boozer and Millsap. A coach who may need to step down just to fire up the team. A supposed star point guard who couldn't defend his grandmother.

The only silver lining may be that Houston wins here on a regular basis.

Blowout loss tomorrow.

Lazy. Lazy. Lazy.
the Mailman | 9:52 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009
We stink!!

Just for a change a no name rookie has a career night against the Jazz.

Talk about no plan B, this guy is a relic from the past. He's been a great servant but this team desperately needs some new ideas.

Your time is up Jerry. (has been for 2 seasons now)
Anonymous | 9:57 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009
At this rate the jazz will get the first two picks in the lottery.
tank | 9:59 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009
tank the rest of the season jazz and that will double your chance for the first pick in the draft. The jazz look HORRIBLE!
Allen Iverson? | 9:59 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009
Williams took 20 shots how Allen Iverson of him. D will please less shots more assists. The point guard is not supposed to lead the team in shot attempts.
Jerry we couldn't try to go with a small line up? They were killing us with their small line up. You have to be flexible. You knew exactly what Houton was going to do but you had no answer for it.
Pringle  | 10:03 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009
Where has this team gotten better over the mediocre team of last year? This team in incapable of playing a full game. They play 2.5 quarters of competitive ball and if the other team plays 3 quarters the Jazz loose. Mental errors, lazy plays, and bumbling defense. It's early in the season, but so far, this looks like it will be a dissappointing season comparable to last year's let down. Mentally feeble and vulnerable.
Rick | 10:04 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009
Could be a double lottery pick
Jazz Fan | 10:05 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009
Second largest payroll in the league, and THIS IS ALL WE CAN DO, lose to the Rockets who were without Yao and TMac!!!. Come Miller, blow the team and start over, keep Williams and whomever else you see is worthy, but at least then when we lose we could say we are rebuilding, not paying the second largest payroll in the league and lose to the lowly Rockets. That's terrible.
I will be first !!!! | 10:13 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009
GREG MILLER IS OPEN TO RESIGNING BOOZER!!!!!!!Well how about that headline ! Boozer is undependable and flat out frustrates the fans....GREG, HEAR US...please let him go...HE IS BAD NEWS FOR US. I wonder how the team feels when he flat out fails to play ball. WE need to grade up. Does Jerry also feel this way. Seems like he has began to coast as a coach. He should be downright mad at some of these guys the way they played tonight. Jerry, are you mad at some of these guys who failed to show up in the last quarter??????? You should climb up their frames. Find a way to motivate them maybe or bench them. That is what good coaches do.
mark | 10:25 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009
This is just more from last season. And the front office didn't seem to think moves were necessary. I hope they are happy with their own product. Makes you think the real problem is in the front office
jbra80 | 10:25 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009
Wow...we're only 3 games in. Let's not hit the panic button just yet.
todd from santa ana part 2 | 10:32 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009
Boys and Girls lets go over some stats:

Houston 50 percent shooting
10-19 3S (5 OF THOSE IN THE 4TH)

Boards 46-38 offensive (hustle) 15-8
29-18 assists
14-19 turnovers
outscored us by 21 from 3 point line

I thought in the 2nd quarter Millsap and Price were at least instrumental in changing the game with theyre energy and defense

In the 2nd half no one did amything but make bonehead plays. Now Dallas and SPurs

Is there a reason Fez is on the bench? Funny a dunk within seconds. Okur scored a ton but was a -26

We all know Houston shoots 3s

I mentioned Battier and Buddinger live on 3s

Sure they were slumping but a tough man to man and all these open 3s do not go up

Brooks and Ariza do not even need monster games/ Ariza did his damage early. The role players..

Does Jerry and players not know Scola, Hayes and Landry attack the rim?

You only play them 3-4 times a year, that is all.


Same ol Jerry

The Boos were great.

Should have been more





just another loss | 10:47 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009
i wont be surprised if they win their next 15 straight games and get a winning streak going. tonight is a good example of the utah jazz players simply punching the time clock, watching the rockets play a basketball game, and then heading home for the night.

now you see how blazers fans feel with portland losing to the rockets just a day or two ago, and portland is just as good as the utah jazz are.
Iowa Jazz Fan 2 | 10:49 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009
Looks like a repeat of the opener at Denver -- total collapse in the fourth quarter.

And why did Fes and Koufos play only two minutes?
KK` | 11:15 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009
Big props to Houston. They showed what a team of "no namers" can do when they work together as a team and play with all their heart. Maybe the Jazz should step back and see how Houston approached the game. I know the Jazz can be a great team, if not an awesome team, if they actually put some effort into the game. The talent is there, but it wasn't used to the best of their ability tonight, not by a long shot. I feel bad my nephew had to see that game in person. I bet he left feeling a little short-changed. Too bad, he looks up to those guys for inspiration on the court. Come on Jazz!!! Show us the love you had when you went to the Conf. finals!!!!
Is anyone surprised by this | 11:18 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009
This train wreck could be seen coming a hundred miles away and now it's here. The front office did a pathetic job this summer of just sitting on their hands instead of working to find us players who have heart and play defense. I would rather lose fighting, then just get it handed to us without even trying which is what this team has become. The organization has become so apathetic that it absolutely stinks. I am a seething Jazz fan right now, because everybody and their dog knew that this team needed to be changed after last year and all they did was sit on their hands all off season, hoping their problems would magically disappear. Well, they won't and while the rest of the Western Conference got better, we stayed the same-which is mediocre, because we have no guts or heart. Thanks KOC for nothing. I won't be watching many games this season because the aggravation is not worth it. Maybe next season we will have a team that wants to compete instead of just a bunch of overpaid, heartless millionares.
The Jazz did not stumble | 11:20 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009
They got beat by a superior team with a superior coach and coaching philosophy.

How does the continuity Kool Aid taste now? What do you think SA will do to the Jazz? How about Dallas?

Boozer looks like he is afraid of getting hurt. I don't I blame him. He is rebounding but his offensive game is not there. Koufos can do what Boozer is doing for about a 1/10th the cost. Millsap also disappeared.

Houston is not big. They are quick (something the Jazz are not). Houston also uses the outside and 3 point shot in spite of no real bigs and they win with it. They play defense though physically over matched.

They are a superior team with a superior coaching philosophy. That was evident in last years playoffs. This years HOU team may be better than last years.

Resign Boozer and extend Sloan and watch the stands empty. I watched the first few minutes and decided I had much better things to do. I came back at the start of the 4th and went to check my stocks when HOU went on the 7/0 run which.

I refuse to watch this garbage.
The Jazz could have gotten  | 11:32 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009
Buddinger in the second round instead of the PF/C they wasted a pick on. But then the Jazz really don't want or need outside shooters do they.

I do not have anything against Boozer but he is not really helping this team a lot right now. Millsap is not much better.

AK carried the team and Okur really tried and did pretty well on 1 and 1/2 legs.

I really think the problem is in the coaching philosophy, the bias against getting outside shooters and using the 3 as a weapon. Wings who can shoot. The Jazz could of and should of corrected that a year ago. Ditto with the lack of speed for perimeter defense.

This goes right back to Sloan/KOC etc who are selecting the players and failing to make changes that need to be made (continuity).

Look at the changes the Jazz made. They drafted Maynor who will eventually by an average PG. That kind of solved a problem. They did nothing to get a tall athletic defending PF. They did not address the wings who can't shoot.

Sloan can't run his own system. Adleman is a much better coach.
Continuity will kill you | 11:41 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009
if you are perpetuating a broken system. The NBA has moved beyond Sloan's system as he tries to employ it. His biases are killing this team with draft selections and his refusing to make trades and changes that have to be made and insisting that continuity will make it all better.

Continuity is going to bankrupt the Jazz.

There is a difference between Sloan stubbornness and continuity that will produce an extra 5 wins.

If the fans knew for sure that the organization would actually go get the wings, the defense and the PF that they have to have to win then the fans might be patient while management works on the timing of the trades.

However, all we hear is continuity will fix everything. We know better and frankly could run the franchise better than it is being run. That is what frustrates the fans. We know we are not basketball geniuses yet we and just about everyone else in the country can see what needs to happen for Utah to win. But it never happens.

All we ever get is continuity.
After the Jazz get totally  | 11:51 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009
embarrassed by Dallas and SA maybe ESA will be half empty and Jazz management will finally be forced to do something.

It is not unreasonable to say this team as it is currently constituted is not a winner and will not be a winner. CJ and Korver are not going to make enough difference.

If the PF's don't or can't play then sit them. Put Koufos in he at least tries and is cheap. He will get better. Boozer and Millsap have enough experience to know how to play if they decide they want to play.

How did the Jazz get out rebounded?

Where is the defensive genius who knows how to stop the outside game (have not seen that for years in Utah). The Jazz got beat inside.

Any great thoughts on how to beat HOU? How about any other outside shooting team?

It is just time to at least stop talking about continuity and start working on making some meaningful changes.

You might start with a coach like Adelman if you can find one. He at least can make changes and adapt with what he has.

Sloan is a one trick broken pony.
Obvious problems | 12:01 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
Defense, no outside shooting, Boozer is not performing.

If you look at the Jazz, who can shoot the ball from the outside?
Deron Williams, Kyle Korver,Memo, and sometimes CJ Miles. They are horrendous at defense, and who can slash to the hoop other than Deron?

Houston had no business winning this game. Jazz are not an elite team, they just look bad right now.
j from porkopolis | 12:12 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
To be fair I am willing to give Sloan credit where credit is deserved, he has been known for tearing down rookies and not developing them early, all that has changed, however, last night proved it. If only those rookies played for the Jazz. Last night was proof that Sloan's offense and philosophical scheme is stale and absolutely ineffective. It is time for change. As for people like "jbra80," "we are only three games in, blah, blah, blah..." I can't stand comments like that homey, are you dilusional? Last night is simply an example that this season is an extension of last season and nothing more. Same problems, same lack of passion, fire and swagger. It should be there from the beginning not sometime later on in the season. There are many people to blame for the Jazz woes (Sloan, Boozer, A.K., etc.) but for me, right now, its Greg Miller. Mr. Miller's offensive announcement at the beginning of the Clippers game took the cake for me, way to insult every Jazz fan's intelligence Miller.
todd from santa ana | 12:14 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
It is too bad the Houston Rockets of the last even 3 years are not the body of what is playing nightly at the ESA instead of what we have.

That is because you can trust the coach and the players they will give it everything they have every moment...Win or Lose
B.R. | 12:26 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
Thank you Kevin O' Conner for nothing. That is a true statement. I paid 300 dollars for our court side seats to watch that mess. I got ripped off. Where was Fes, where was Koufos, where in the heck was Jerry Sloan? Not on this planet. Get him out of here.
Name | 12:27 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
I know a lot of fans have decided to hate Boozer. I know he played poorly in this game. But check the game log. He went to the bench at the end of the 3rd quarter. By the time he got back in the game the Jazz were down 12. There is a lot of blame to go around in this one, and during the "turning point," or perhaps we should say the collapse at the start of the 4th, he was firmly planted on the bench.
Greg | 12:30 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
We stink really bad.
Sammy | 12:34 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
Everyone rips Booze, but Paul hasn't done anything either.
NBA FAN | 12:42 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
Shameful Game. Been a Jazz fan since 1987 when I got my first real job, tonight was pitiful, this must be what Lion fans feel like in Detroit. We kept Frank Layden to long as coach,someone needs to tell Jerry his time is up. The Miller Family needs to use its business sense and play hardball with the players. Can I have my old seats back, sick of sitting with the Jr Jazz & watching a D league team?
Russ | 12:43 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
The Millers are getting ripped off. So are we. Where was Fes? Where was Koufos? Where was Jerry? Where is Kevin? Why do we have to watch Boozer blow the team? Change.
Greg  | 1:18 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
We want some defense. We don't want boozer, Sloan or Kevin O Conner. We'll buy the tickets, we always have. Just make the adjustments.
Jazz Org. | 1:24 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
Quit cramming Boozer down our throats and into his pocketbook.
Me | 1:47 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
After paying to see that half hearted performance tonight, especially the coaching. I'm not that hyped about wasting time and energy on this WAY over priced product.
re: just another loss | 1:57 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
portland is just as good as the Jazz are....

really? you think so? Portland is a far superior of a team than the jazz are and I'm a Jazz fan. Portland is expected to finish 2nd or third in the west and the Jazz anywhere from 6-8. I have to agree with the others and looks like these chumps will be sitting on the sidelines come late april

This team barely beat the other LA team the other night otherwise they would have started 0-5 because there is no way they will go and beat dallas on the road back-to-back and to san antonio.

This team is a joke. Us fans need to demand better!!!!!!!!!

And what's with the "this is only the third game business?"
seriously, the clippers game into our town and almost whipped our butts!!!

This start is the beginning of many bad things to come this year
Can't even sleep | 2:10 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
These guy's,(D Will included), are afraid of a man, terrified of a animal.
Ron | 2:42 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
I think that the time for Jerry to retire is here. It is evident that the game has been changing over the years and Jerry can't change with it. He insists on running his system which quite frankly is failing badly. I have been a Jerry supporter for many years but I think that the time has come to make coaching changes and it is also time to shake up this roster. It should have been done throughout the summer
Kev | 2:54 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
Do the Jazz even have an inside presence on offense or defense? Williams played poorly, but he can't keep carrying this team on his shoulders. We need to compliment him with a star inside player, no matter what the cost. Boozer is a cancer. The championship bulls had two incredible stars and a benchload of role players. Why can't we do the same?
Bright Side | 3:52 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
Look at the bright side: it looks like the Jazz aren't going to tease us this year.

You know that feeling that comes in February or so--"yes, this is our year! They're finally going to do it!"--when the Jazz are second or third in the conference, right before they perform a spectacular nosedive through April and the playoffs. They have broken my heart as a sports fan almost every year of my life, and like a dog returning to its vomit, I keep falling for it. Maybe it's a good thing if they don't trick us again this season.

I'd like the Jazz to be good, but if they're not, always look on the bright side of life!
I WANT A CHANGE! | 4:00 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
Enough said, Fire Sloan and Dump Boozer. Until, then we'll just keep getting this comment from Sloan: "I mean if you're not going to defend, it's pretty tough to have a chance to win."
Jazz Cop | 5:19 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
Go Jazz!! Let's get some production from the pf's. The jazz aren't going to be a good defensive team, so they better start scoring more, that means boozer; jazz can't compete if they aren't getting production from the pf's.
scodyshootfight (KC) | 6:01 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
We need to realize that what we have is garbage, and realize that if we're going to have a chance, we're going to have to move AK to the 4, play Paul at the 3, and Fes/Koufos at the 5. Combine that with Ronnie B, and now you have some defense! Forget about Loozer. Mark my words, if we keep the same lineup, we will lose. If we bench everyone who won't play D, we'll win.

By the way, my hats off to Rick Adelman. He is so underrated, and this proves he is the best coach in the game, and one of the best of all time
Sloan for President | 6:21 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
jerry Sloan is so done as a coach. He has no control of this team because he has no ideas that will work and no motivation skills whatsoever. I agree the players need to show heart even if they are playing for the most stubborn human in Utah. Looks like my season tickets are a waste again this year.
DWill was 6-20 | 6:54 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
He wasn't getting a lot of calls but he also was missing a lot of shots. So no good drives means the defense doesn't collapse which means 3s aren't open which means we miss 3s which means long rebounds and layups the other way which means the Rockets have time to get back which means more jump shots, etc... When one team shoots jump shots and the other team shoots layups, this is what happens
9-10 | 6:55 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
In the west!
Mak Ray Kris Jansen | 6:57 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
It's over! Jazz are worse than they have been for 4 years. Way to go Greg, Kevin & Jerry!
DONE  | 7:03 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
I am done with this SOFT team. Deron Williams is the only guy with fire and heart. Firesell the rest. I will not attend, watch, or listen to this sorry excuse of a team.

Greg Miller, your father would not allow a team to be this soft and neither should you.
Happy to see empty seats | 7:05 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
It was nice to see empty seats at ESA yesterday. And greg Miller is talking about extending Sloan and re-signing Boozer?
Long live to mediocrity. I hope the Jazz team goes on sale and find an aggressive owner.
Soon this team will become the laughingstock of the NBA. Glad to see some fans deserting the Jazz stand. I stopped believing in Sloan's system. It takes the team nowhere.
Anonymous | 7:33 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009
MAKE A TRADE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko goes up for a shot as the Utah Jazz and the Houston Rockets play at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City on Monday. The Rockets won, 113-96.

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