Jazz season ends

Deron Williams said the front office needs to "make some moves."

The Utah Jazz fell short again. True, it was the second round this time. Last year, it was the first round, but both times it was by the Lakers. And the front office is paying attention to what D-Will says. They know if the team's not winning and he's not happy in two years, he'll bolt for greener pastures in a bigger market where he feels like he has a better chance of winning.

Free agents: Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, Wesley Matthews, Kyrylo Fesenko, Sundiata Gaines, Othella Jeffers.

Last year of contracts: Andrei Kirilenko, Ronnie Price.

Next step is to see if their #9 ping-pong ball lands in the Top 3. Odds are against it. Then they focus on the draft, then they focus on who they want to bring back, who they can re-sign, who they want to trade, who can they get...

Crucial, crucial summer. Last year they decided the team had been riddled with injuries, so let's bring them all back to give it one more shot. They traded away Eric Maynor and Ronnie Brewer, had key injuries at the end of the season to Kirilenko and Mehmet Okur, and here they are again.

Jazz down 3-0 in second round

Well, there wasn't much time to celebrate the Jazz getting to the second round. They had to go right into L.A., plastic surgery capital of the world, to face the defending champs sans two starters. They played hard, they came up short. Sure they lost by single digits each time, they were right there, but stuff just went the Lakers' way in the last couple minutes of each game.

Game 3 back in Utah. Andrei Kirilenko's back. Awesome. Time to get this series to 2-2. Dick Bavetta's reffing. Noooooooo!

Seriously, NBA. This guy should never ref in SLC again. What are you doing to us?

I didn't have a problem with how the game was called, minus the non-call when Fisher hacked Boozer with seven seconds left in the game. For those who want to complain there may have been a non-call with Fisher hitting the ground at four seconds, maybe they were doing a make-up non-call there, but it wouldn't have been an issue if they'd called the obvious hack-across-the-arm under the basket.

Regardles, regardless, they had a chance. The Jazz were right there. Deron Williams had been shooting with confidence, and he barely missed the 20-footer he launched, and still they had a chance if Wes Matthews, who had a horrible shooting night, had just tipped the ball five degrees to the left.

The Jazz, in their current form, cannot match up to the size, length and payroll of the L.A. Lakers. Even with their starting center Mehmet Okur, they would have been underdogs. But their two seven-footers, Kyrylo Fesenko and Kosta Koufos, are barely in the NBA. They have the almost 6-9 Boozer and the almost 6-8 Millsap and a just-returning Andrei Kirilenko. I think if AK had been healthy all along, it'd be a 2-1 series right now. Maybe even 2-1 Jazz. But too much happened. For the second season in a row, Jazz crumble down the stretch with injuries. For the third year in a row, it's going to be the Lakers who oust them.

There's still a chance. I still think the Jazz will win Game 4, and then go back to L.A. for a Game 5. But realistically, the next thing Jazz fans can hope for is if their #9 pick from New York turns into a Top 3 pick when the lottery happens.

Thoughts on last night's games

Was LeBron complimentary of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah after the Cavs eliminated the Bulls because Chicago is on his short-list of possible destinations next year? Will Vinny Del Negro get fired partially because the Bulls want a coach that LeBron might be more inclined to play for?

Despite how good they looked in Game 5, does anyone really think the Mavericks can pull off the win in San Antonio to stay alive? And will Mark Cuban blow up this team AGAIN?

I'm glad Ron Artest shaved tha blond thing off his head. It seemed to help with his decision-making. And even though the laker blew them out, I still expect the series to go to seven games.

Jazz go up 3-1 in series

In the words of ESPN's Kevin Blackistone: "It's over."

Adrian Dantley has been thrown in to the deep end of the coaching pool and has proven he's not up to task. Denver's talented, but it takes a special type to corall the talents and personalities into a winning unit, and AD can't do it. AD's just as likely to grumble about flopping or ref-bias as JR Smith. Armchair quarterbacks everywhere ask why the ball isn't dumped into Nene in the low post every time he has Kyrylo Fesenko guarding him.

Carmelo Anthony looks like a guy who wishes he was going to be a part of the free-agent party of 2010. On one hand, it's hard to believe this is the same unit that pushed the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals last year. On the other hand, it shows just how valuable George Karl is.

Meanwhile the big reason the Jazz are winning this series was pointed out by Chris Webber. In Game 4, Utah had 34 assists, Denver had 13. The Jazz are playing team basketball. The Nuggets are standing around hoping Melo can shoot them into a victory.

Jazz win Game 3

My streak continues. The Jazz have never lost when I've attended. The Miller Group should get me season tickets and fly me to Denver.

I was in the fifth row of the upper bowl, hovering over the Denver bench like a vulture. It was a lot of fun. D-Will continues to amaze.

Jazz beat Nuggets in Game 2

Kyrylo Fesenko got his first start in an NBA playoff game, and he contributed just enough. His 20 minutes allowed Boozer and Millsap to get proper rest. But the real key was Deron Williams. He proved to the world he's the best point guard in the NBA right now with his 33 points, 14 assists as the Jazz, without Andrei Kirilenko or Mehmet Okur) beat the Nuggets 114-111. It was a fun game to watch. It provided clues as to how the Jazz could win this series too.

The Jazz got into the Nuggets' heads. They played tougher defense on Carmelo Anthony. They frustrated them with their slicing and dishing. That said, it took top games from D-Will and Boozer to squeak out a three-point win. The jazz will have to keep playing at that level to hold home-court.

I'll be there for Game 3.

Injury-plagued Jazz lose Game 1

It was going to be an uphill battle for the Utah Jazz to win a series without home-court advantage. It was a steeper hill without Andrei Kirilenko. And then the hill got even steeper when Mehmet Okur went out. The Jazz's nine-man rotation is down to seven, with the tallest being the 6'8" Carlos Boozer. (They say he's 6'9", but look at him and Andrei stand next to each other).

The other guys on the team are the 7'0" Kosta Koufos, who's still a softie in his third year, the 7'1" Kyrylo Fesenko, who might've been a good player if Sloan would have given him more time, but his off-court goofiness has not endeared him to Jerry, and then two D-League players. Koufos and Fesenko on the floor together is a nightmare.

But no use crying over spilt milk. Okur's done for the year and they won't have AK back for two weeks, IF they're still alive. Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, Wesley Matthews, CJ Miles, Paul Millsap, Kyle Korver and Ronnie Price are all going to have to play at the top of their games for the Jazz to have any chance at all.

Jazz over Thunder 140-139

The Utah Jazz were lucky in their overtime victory, and yet in a way it's karma for the bogus call that let Nick Collison sink some free throws way back when the Thunder beat the Jazz in their second meeting. Now the Thunder need to get their chins up and beat the Nuggets. As a Jazz fan, I do not want to face the Thunder first. I'd rather see the Blazers or Spurs or Suns, thank you.

The Blind Side 2: The Paul Millsap Story

Maybe Angela Bassett can play Paul Millsap's mama in the movie coming soon based on his life. Then she can win the Oscar she should have won in 1993 for playign Tina Turner.