Jazz 105 – Pistons 90

March 12th, 2012 | by Evan Hall
Detroit Pistons 90 Final

Recap | Box Score

 105 Utah Jazz
Josh Howard, SF 25 MIN | 4-8 FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 2 AST | 9 PTS | -1Josh Howard barely avoids a “C” because of his effective shooting (50% from the field), but this was not a good game for him. He had a few ugly turnovers, and his defense was suspect at its best and nonexistent at its worst.
Paul Millsap, PF 34 MIN | 4-11 FG | 4-6 FT | 10 REB | 5 AST | 12 PTS | +22Paul Millsap’s scoring binge in the first third of the season may have raised expectations for his offensive game, but Millsap can still assert himself on the floor even when he’s not shooting well. His 5 steals were a season high, and his +19 was the best +/- number from both teams.
Al Jefferson, C 36 MIN | 14-18 FG | 4-4 FT | 12 REB | 1 AST | 33 PTS | +15This one was for his grandma, and Big Al made it count. He was a white-hot 14-18 from the floor, including a beautiful 18-footer that he bounced high off the glass. Big Al was methodical, smart, and efficient. Even his defense was on point: he helped hold Greg Monroe, a virtual lock for a double-double, to 14 points and 5 boards.
Raja Bell, SG 27 MIN | 0-2 FG | 1-2 FT | 4 REB | 0 AST | 1 PTS | +16After a loud weekend from Raja, he produced a very quiet box score. He received big minutes, but he failed to do anything remarkable with them. He didn’t really hurt the team, but he didn’t help either.
Devin Harris, PG 30 MIN | 4-10 FG | 9-10 FT | 3 REB | 8 AST | 19 PTS | +14The Devin Harris tear continues. Tonight, Harris was especially effective in drawing fouls. He attacked the rim whenever he had a lane, which helped him produce offensively on a mediocre shooting night. His bail-out threes were also spark plugs for the Jazz during some dead offensive stretches.
Earl Watson, PG 18 MIN | 0-2 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 4 AST | 0 PTS | +1This was a typical game for Earl Watson: scrappy defense, good control of the offense, and zero offensive production. With veterans like Watson, you know what you’re going to get night in and night out, but it would still be refreshing to see Watson punish defenses for lagging way off of him.
C.J. Miles, SF 23 MIN | 5-7 FG | 2-2 FT | 1 REB | 3 AST | 15 PTS | +16This is everything C.J. Miles should be. 15 points in only 23 minutes on very efficient shooting. The difference between Good C.J. and Bad C.J. isn’t complicated: Good C.J. only shoots threes when he’s set, on spot-ups and kick-outs; otherwise he’s driving, dishing, and generally functioning within the flow of the offense. Tonight we saw Good C.J.
Gordon Hayward, SG 21 MIN | 4-8 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 1 AST | 8 PTS | -1Gordon Hayward didn’t really assert himself on offense tonight, but this might have been harder with fewer minutes than he’s used to. His defense, though, was outstanding. When he guarded Stuckey, who was on fire tonight, Hayward completely shut him down.
Derrick Favors, FC 16 MIN | 3-4 FG | 0-2 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 6 PTS | -4In limited minutes, Favors impressed with a more expansive offensive game. He had a beautiful spin move in the first half as well as a nice jumper from the outside that left me wanting more. Still, in 16 minutes Favors should at least register a few rebounds.

Four Things We Saw

  1. Most Valuable Player: After missing shootaround upon learning of his grandmother’s passing, Al Jefferson decided to play in her honor—and scored an inspired 33 points on 14-18 shooting.
  2. Defining Moment: Al Jefferson’s three-point shot as the final buzzer sounded was the first of his career and was a beautiful finish to an emotional performance. He also scored nine points over the final four minutes to put the game away.
  3. X-Factor: Rodney Stuckey seemed poised to be the latest quick guard to terrorize the Jazz. He ended with 29 points after putting up 21 in the first half. Instead CJ Miles sealed the game for the Jazz with his third three of the game.
  4. That Was… Emotional: The day started with a closed-door meeting between Raja Bell, Coach Corbin, and GM Kevin O’Connor to resolve an internal matter. Al Jefferson was doubtful to play, also. In the end, the Jazz found a way to put differences aside and picked up an important win.

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