The final four - NBA style is set. In the West we have the upstart Utah Jazz and the methodical yet effective San Antonio Spurs.

These teams split their four meetings during the regular season, however, as we have learned thus far in the post season - the regular season means nothing.

Duncan should have a huge series IMO, avg about 25 ppg, 12 rpg, with a few blocks per. Ginobili finding his game is also bad news for the Jazz.

Utah will not lay down, Sloan will have them ready to play but I don`t see them overcoming the Spurs in a seven game series.

Spurs in 5.

I predict Jazz in 6.

I had The Spurs beating Dallas but I actually like the way Utah matches up with San Antonio, so I'm picking the upset here.

They changed the rules and still got the margue matchups in the 2nd round. This was supposed to be Dallas/SAN.

I don't see this series being very close.

Jazz are Jazzed up for this series........Still, I expect the Spurs to win the series in 6 games. Parker lookin good against these guys........

Spurs have too much depth and too much mental toughness to succumb to an upset. If Utah had HCA, I'd say they have a shot. Spurs in 6. But I'll be rooting for the Jazz.

Who is going to stop Duncan? Okur? They'll have to double him and that will open it up for the Spurs. Seems like Timmy passes out of the double team just fine.

I think this series may be closer than expected. The Jazz have a fast, mobile frontcourt that can really shoot. I'm really looking forward to the AK vs. Bowen matchup. Andrei has had a bit of a playoff resurgence, so it will be interesting to see if he can keep Manu from laying down on the court.



Experience and talent should probably prevail. Spurs in 6.

WCF aka Eurofest 2007

The refs will have a tough time calling this one with floppers flopping against each other, perhaps even simultaneously.

If Deron Williams can't pressure Tony Pizzle, this one is over fast.

It's up to boozer to get duncan in foul trouble. Spurs in 6

Purrs in 7.

Now that Manu seems to have gotten back on track the Spurs seem that much more dangerous.

Duncan should have a huge series IMO, avg about 25 ppg, 12 rpg, with a few blocks per. Ginobili finding his game is also bad news for the Jazz.


Spurs in 5.

One thing I did get wrong, well two. Duncan only got 10 rebounds, and I will take the Spurs in 4 games...................

One thing I did get wrong, well two. Duncan only got 10 rebounds, and I will take the Spurs in 4 games...................

Yeah, but he had 27 points so it kind of evened out.

Memo sucked...3-15. The whole game could have been different if the big fella had shown up. I'm pulling for Utah.

I'm pulling for Utah.

Yeah, me too. Let's see what kind of adjustments Jerry can come up with.

reading the reviews of the game, it didn't sound as close as the final score. and how does Boozer not get any shots within the offense until the 4th quarter (according to the Yahoo recap, I think)? I just think the Spurs have too much experience for this Jazz team, and will probably win the series in 5 games.

Utah is too green and too soft. They have depth, but their most courageous player is Williams although that hideous haircut is really holding him back.

Utah is missing the one element they need to compete with a team like the Spurs, who at this point are a finely tuned machine.

There is nothing dangerous about Utah. No X-Factor in the bench, and Boozer is great against guys his own size, but against Timmy, he's the 2nd or even 3rd best player on the court.

Sports talk radio during one of their sessions today was talking about the Spurs, their new identity as a dirty team and if they meet the Pistons in the Finals, a bench clearing brawl might be in order.

I dont agree with that, however, if Bowen tries something against the Pistons, he might regret it and it could get ugly.

Imo, Bowen knows exactly what he is doing and to whom he is doing it to. He also knows that he could be playing with fire to entice Sheed, Dale Davis, Maxiel and McDyess into a physical fiasco.

Hell, Flip may even send Nazr in as an enforcer.

I predict Jazz in 6.

I had The Spurs beating Dallas but I actually like the way Utah matches up with San Antonio, so I'm picking the upset here.

Alright, I may have been predicting with my heart rather than my mind, I'll admit. :)

I want Detroit to have home court advantage in the finals.

I watched this video and it gave me a whole new perspective on Tim Duncan...


YouTube - Playa's Delight Tim Duncan (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcZwVU9l_z0)

Alright, I may have been predicting with my heart rather than my mind, I'll admit. :)

I want Detroit to have home court advantage in the finals.

Isn't our record like 1-7 vs these 2 teams over the last 2 years in the reg season?

:doh:

Kirelinko absolutely owns Rip/Tay.

Regular season record means nothing right now. I don't think it is a very good predictor of playoff matchups particularly with this team, that has shown that they don't value the regular season as much as other teams.

Regular season record means nothing right now. I don't think it is a very good predictor of playoff matchups particularly with this team, that has shown that they don't value the regular season as much as other teams.

Not what you/we would be saying if we were 7-1 vs them.

All teams slack off during the regular season and all teams have injuries.

SAS waxed the stones after getting Webber @tPalace, on a back to back and 4 in 5 nights, when Detroit had a night off the day before.


But I guess that doesn't matter. :tape:

Regular season record means nothing right now. I don't think it is a very good predictor of playoff matchups particularly with this team, that has shown that they don't value the regular season as much as other teams.

Amen...........

Spurs up by 21 halfway through the 3rd Q.............

Can anyone say.............:sweep:

Spurs up by 21 halfway through the 3rd Q.............

Can anyone say.............:sweep:

Jazz could grab game 3, but if they don't wake up it could be a sweep as you are suggestiing. If the Pistons go the distance with the Cavs, the Spurs could sweep through the rest of the playoffs as I don't think we will have anything left in the tank...:stirthepot:


Either way the Spurs will prohibitive favorites in the finals and the stage will be set for another Piston upset ala 2004. :MusicBigGrin:

Ginobili has come alive!!!!!!


Uh Oh..................

Jazz need to man up and win Game 3 to at least make the Spurs play 5 games in this series. I don't relish the thought of the Pistons facing a really well rested Spurs team for the NBA title (assuming, of course, that the Pistons advance --- don't want to get ahead of myself).

AK47's sole job in Game 3 should be to figure out a way to contain Ginobli.

New series in Sault Lake. Dumars effect takes hold---
The Turkish Terror.

I hope the Jazz can win game three, because if they don`t it will be over in 4. Trust me, the Spurs will not play around if they smell blood.

In the meantime, only God knows what will transpire in game three in Cleveland.

Hopefully, both of these series will be over in no more than five games!

I don't think it is possible for Memo to look more useless out there. He's missed 3 shots in 3.5 minutes, and he can't defend anyone.

More thuggery from the Spurs. Game is over, and Matt Bonner flattens Deron Williams.

I didn`t see anything wrong with that screen Roscoe. Whatever happened, Williams is close to shedding some tears a-la-D-Wade.......

Williams played amazing. If he keeps this up, I will be able to forgive his terrible haircut, which is easily one of the worst of any millionaire including Donald Trump.

I didn`t see anything wrong with that screen Roscoe. Whatever happened, Williams is close to shedding some tears a-la-D-Wade.......
Dude got nailed.

The game was over. It's just more cheap thuggery from the Spurs.

Yeah, Williams was out of this world tonight. And the Jazz outscored the Spurs by the incredible margin of 66 to 36 in the second half. When the Jazz are firing on all cylinders, as they often do at home (but rarely do on the road), I think they are the best offensive team in the NBA. They proved they can play with the Spurs tonight.

This decisive win by the Jazz is a positive for the Pistons in their title run. As others have pointed out, a San Antonio win tonight would have meant a very short WCF series -- and a lot of rest for the Spurs going into the finals (a luxury the Pistons may not have, depending on whether we can at least gain a split in Cleveland). Of course, what would really help in this regard is another win by the Jazz in game 4.

Jazz route the Spurs despite a zero point game by Babyfats. This series is not as over as people have been predicting.

I've been a supporter of DW for a while and man that was one gratifying game. Deron broke Jaques Vaughns ankles crossing over to the hoop. That pick and roll serieseses with boozer in the 4th was great.

This game will heighten detroits play. The cavs are hoping on luck.

Memo had no offense tonight, but he did a pretty solid job containing Duncan. He blocked a shot and tipped away numerous balls while Duncan was trying to get set up.

Duncan being in foul trouble throughout the second quarter and the third quarter really helped the Jazz build a lead that they could work with in the 4th quarter.

Now the Pistons need to avoid the same trap and step on the Cavs' neck in game 3...

sounds like Pistons DNA to me 4Webb.

Dude got nailed.

The game was over. It's just more cheap thuggery from the Spurs.

On the other hand, weren't you thinking that Sloan should take out Williams with a twenty-point lead? I was, just before he got nailed. Stupid move by Sloan, who was a headhunter as a player and should have known better.

Agree 100%. You take him out to avoid accidental injury.

That still doesn't excuse Bonner's cheap shot, which wasn't the end of the world, but part of an emerging trend for the Spurs.

I like Bad Boy basketball. When both teams are playing it, and the league is allowing it.

Anyone notice when Bowen got his 4th (?) they showed a replay of him tripping Williams, and the 3 man crew of announcers all got very quiet. Anyone who saw it, plain as day, he's trying to take his man down and not making a play on the ball.

Yeah, there's a little self interest here. If we get to play the Spurs, my team doesn't have the cool heads to play through this stuff.

Plain as day. I'm wondering if he'll get fined.
Sloan's pick and roll offense is just as smooth as all get out when done right.

WHY WHY WHY can't anyone seem to stop that baseline 3 from the Spurs? Is it one of those so hard to defend shots that you just give it up and try to defend other places? Is it a tactical choice for the defending team and coach? I've been watching Finley, Bowen, Horry and god knows who else (Parker?) get that shot easily forever. That baseline three (you know the one I'm talking about) always goes in and it's always an open look. Now I know it's not that those shooters are incredibly fast. It shouldn't be that easy for them to knock those down like it's Shootaround.

It was great to see the Jazz win a game in this Series. And great to see Deron leading the charge. Go Jazz!!!!

Oh I also wanted to say that Memo did great defensively and that someone had to take that job on for them to win. So I can live with that, and won't declare his career dead yet, and won't even say he choked offensively. He had a big job and he did it. We are always making the same point about Tay.

I don't know why some of us have such a hard time being gracious about ex-Pistons. My latest theory is that it is either an unconscious abandonment issue or some kind of tribal proof of allegiance. Anyway, do we really have to add Memo to the list of ex-Pistons that require being run into the ground when we aren't even playing them?

By the way, is anybody else surprised by the absolute lack of buzz about the Williams-Bonner play?

I know we have a persecution complex, but if that happened in our series it would be headlining above the Indy 500 on sports sites nationwide.

Jazz getting abused on the boards in the first half of game 4, but are somehow only down 9 to this point with 2 minutes left in the first half.

Finley with 11 in the first half.

Edit: Jazz down 8 at the end of this half, which isn't too bad, but Jarron Collins didn't really help the Jazz cause by missing 3 of 4 free throw attempts in the final three minutes of the second quarter.

Mark Jackson is an idiot. He just said he will take good offense over good defense anytime...............

He must be one of Stern`s cronies!!!!!!

Nah. Mark always wanted to be Jordache.

Tell me the NBA is not rigged. 25 free throws for Spurs in the 4th quarter. That's more than 2 per minute. Zebras got their hands on this one alright. 2 starters for Jazz foul out, the most on Spurs team a played had was 3. Fouls are 27-17. Free throws are 41-20.

Dominant 4th quarter for the Spurs in this one, as the Jazz melt down in the final stretch. Looks like this series is going to end in 5.

Tell me the NBA is not rigged. 25 free throws for Spurs in the 4th quarter. That's more than 2 per minute. Zebras got their hands on this one alright.

I was only intermittently paying attention to the game, so I don't know how good or bad most of the calls were. But after what happened with the Suns' suspensions, and now this, explain to me again exactly why the league is rigging things for the Spurs to get to the finals?

Gregg Popovich has photos of David Stern auditioning for Lord of The Rings.

I was only intermittently paying attention to the game, so I don't know how good or bad most of the calls were. But after what happened with the Suns' suspensions, and now this, explain to me again exactly why the league is rigging things for the Spurs to get to the finals?

They were both. There were good calls, weak calls, bad calls, nothing was called against Spurs. Javie was throwing techs and people out right and left. Fisher had a tech for accidentally bumping into Manu, then he fouled him hard and got another tech for staring him down.
I am not saying that NBA is necessarily rigged, that was just a reference to the older thread, but it didn't look right. I only watched the 4th quarter, but it looked ugly. All Duncan did was drive into someone and he was going to the free throw line every time. I don't know what Sloan said, but he got thrown out on one tech.

If and when the Pistons get to the finals, Bowen will kick and Genobli will flop. That's what they do . They will be aggressive enough to get as many calls as possible. If we don't do the same, then they will beat us at the FT line in at least two games....no rigging involved they just know how to win and who ever gets there with them Pistons or Cavs have to keep up with their antics without falling apart to win.

Like it or not NBA, this thing is over Wednesday night. Looks like the Spurs will get about 8 days rest.

The Pistons need to take care of business on Tuesday and Thursday, then they can enjoy a week off.

The Finals are scheduled to start on June 7th.

My guess is that the Pistons match the Western Conference in games played. That means we must win game 3. Figure the Pistons to finish their series one day after the Spurs. Spurs play like an Eastern Conference team. That's why it's ok to play them in the finals. Teams like Cleveland and Chicago are a good warm up for the Spurs. Hopefully, the Pistons agree and finish off these pretenders.

Everyone watch how the Spurs handle their business.

They are up 17..........IN THE FIRST QUARTER.......

Everyone watch how the Spurs handle their business.

They are up 17..........IN THE FIRST QUARTER.......



You are right Dlev, maybe Stern shows up and gives them the Lawrence O'brien trophy tonight. Neither the Pistons or Cavs look as if they can compete with these guys. But then again it all about matchups...ask Kobe and Shaq:)

Everyone watch how the Spurs handle their business.

They are up 17..........IN THE FIRST QUARTER.......



Yup. Looks like they are taking Utah to the woodshed. Funny how their stars never seem to tire of winning, even after 3 championships.

Yup. Looks like they are taking Utah to the woodshed. Funny how their stars never seem to tire of winning, even after 3 championships.

The hunger is still there and the Spurs has the coach who feeds it. The Pistons may have lost the hunger after they won it the first time and then assumed that it was theirs to lose afterwards. Of course our coach is hungry, but he can't seem to cook the right meal for his players to get excited about.:hungry:

The The Pistons may have lost the hunger after they won it the first time and then assumed that it was theirs to lose afterwards.


Spot on.

The hunger is still there and the Spurs has the coach who feeds it. The Pistons may have lost the hunger after they won it the first time and then assumed that it was theirs to lose afterwards. Of course our coach is hungry, but he can't seem to cook the right meal for his players to get excited about.:hungry:
Our coach ain't hungry, he's full of all that pre-game KFC........

Tribune Blogs -- Jazz Notes: Ross Siler and Steve Luhm (http://blogs.sltrib.com/jazz/)

Great article about player mentality in Game 5.