Jazz beat "Dairy Queen" Lakers, 120-96
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by CRS-ONE
No Carlos Boozer and Memo Okur usually means no win for the Utah Jazz. Boy, was I wrong.
The Utah Jazz beat the Los Angeles Lakers 120-96 to a sold out crowd of 19,911 at the Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City.
Both teams were coming off strong victories, but the Jazz edged out the Lakers.
With Boozer out, Deron Williams lead the Jazz in scoring, dropping a career high 35 points on Los Angeles. He had 3 assists.
I know what your thinking. Williams, the future best point guard in the league only had three assists on the night. How did the offense work so well?
AK-47.
Andrei Kirilenko took over. He posted a triple double--20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Kirilenko was setting up people left and right with no look and tricky passes--and no turnovers!
"We tried to outplay - not outscore - but outplay the Lakers," said Kirilenko. He was a block away from the much fabled NBA 5 by 5 (earning a minimum of 5 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals and 5 blocks), adding 6 steals and 4 blocks. The only players in the history of the league to put up a 5 by 5 are him and Hakeem Olajuwon.
Ronnie Brewer added 20 points and 6 assists on the night. He and Kirilenko did an admirable job holding Kobe Bryant to only 28 points on the night. That sounds like they weren't trying, but remember that Kobe scores at least 40 at least once a week.
The Lakers really didn't get much from anyone else. Point guard Jordan Farmar got 21 on the night, but that's mostly to Williams leaving him to cover Kobe.
"One of my coaches said we were as soft as Dairy Queen ice cream tonight," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said.
Paul Millsap worked his way into the Jazz's starting lineup, socring 20 and getting 9 rebounds.
Everyone else on the Jazz bench, save for Ronnie Price and rookie Morris Almond, got a chance to score. Matt Harpring lead the second unit with 12 points and 8 rebounds.
The surprise of surprises came from rookie center Kyrylo Fesenko, who was an emergency call up from Utah's Developmental League affiliate. He made his NBA debut last night, scoring 6 points and 6 rebounds in his first ten minutes in the league. Kyrylo left in the second half to get stitches over his right and came back.
ESPN commentator Hubie Brown was very amused by Kry's playing style, which resembles a bulldozer. He was knocking people around left and right. From this day forward, I've nicknamed him "The Ukranian Monster". Please help spread this. I'm really glad the Jazz picked him up in a draft night trade.
The Jazz had thirteen turnovers on the night, only turning over the ball twice during the first half of the game.
The worst part of the game was the home crowd, who booed Lakers point guard Derek Fisher.
Last season, Fisher was with the Jazz. His daughter is suffering from retnoblastoma, a rare eye cancer. Over the summer, he asked Jazz management if he could move to a city that has better medical treatment offers for his child. He moved back to LA.
Being a concerned parent doesn't make you a villain, and those who were booing should be ashamed. When Fisher left, he volunteered to have his contract voided and signed a less lucrative deal with the Lakers. It's not like he ransomed the Jazz.
Derek Fisher deserved to be treated better than that.
The Jazz have the weekend off and take on the Miami Heat at home on Monday.
