Game 5: Jazz 113 – Spurs 99

Featured on today’s Daily Dime:

The early-season trend of fourth-quarter collapses and career highs by opponents hasn’t done much to energize the Jazz fan base. Who could have predicted that the remedy would be a visit from the perennial Jazz killers, the San Antonio Spurs? Maybe the Jazz just need a national spotlight and a late tipoff for every game.

A win leaves everyone in a good mood, but it can’t drown out the recent cacophony of calls for the head of Carlos Boozer and the resignation of Jerry Sloan. Unless the Jazz can string together a few more games with solid effort, the anger amongst the fan base will turn into apathy. I’m not even sure they have to be wins. Most fans would be happy with nothing more than solid effort and a little teamwork, something that seems to disappear in the fourth quarter and on the road.

Before Thursday’s game, the Jazz radio broadcast man, David Locke, wrote on his blog that Boozer’s troubles on the court weren’t due to lack of effort, but from caring too much. He’s close enough to the players to know, but doesn’t that sound like the excuse an abusive boyfriend makes when he’s trying to convince his girlfriend to come back? “Baby, I only shoot those air balls and play poor defense because I love you too much.”

That being said, and at the risk of sounding like the battered wife, I’m ready to give up my Booz-bashing ways and give him another chance as soon as he and Deron Williams get the kinks worked out and start playing well consistently.

Also, the Wesley Matthews bandwagon is filling up fast so get your ticket now. Nothing puts a hop in my step quite like watching the Jazz run a play in crunch time against the Spurs for an undrafted rookie. This kid can play and it’s going to be fun to watch his progress this year.
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ESPN.com recap

Next up: Sacramento Kings in SLC on Saturday at 7:00pm

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UPDATE:
Just to be clear, domestic violence is a serious issue and hopefully the absurdity of my “battered wife” analogy was clearly hyperbole. Everyone take a deep breath.