Re: NBA for opening week
There are two solid angles pointing to the Jazz. I like Utah quite a bit, but may end up getting a slightly better number on them. The following doesn't have anything to do with the angles, just a little Jazzercise.
Dallas Mavericks Injuries
GF
Jerry Stackhouse
personal
OUT
is out indefinitely.
Utah Jazz Injuries
G
Deron Williams
quad
"?"
missed last game, is "?" Thursday vs Dallas.
01/10
F
Carlos Boozer
knee
OUT
is OUT 4-6 weeks.
Players listed as "?"
02/05
G
C.J. Miles
shoulder
"?"
injured last game, is "?" Thursday vs Dallas.
Players listed as OUT
01/29
F
Andrei Kirilenko
ankle
OUT
is out 3-4 weeks.
As if the Jazz weren't already playing one of their most important games of the season Thursday against Dallas, now consider that Karl Malone will be filling in for Charles Barkley as a studio analyst on the TNT broadcast.
There's no way Malone could understate the urgency for the Jazz, who find themselves with 33 games left in the season chasing Dallas and Phoenix for one of the Western Conference's final two playoff spots.
The Mavericks went into Wednesday's game against Portland having won three straight and owning a two-game lead on the Jazz.
There is still swelling in his knee, but Williams said it's gone "down a lot" in the last two days. The Jazz are calling Williams a game-time decision to play.
"It's definitely a big game," Williams said. "They're right there, we gain a game on them if we win. It's a TNT game. So it's a game we need."
Williams took the practice court Wednesday wearing a blue brace on his knee over white sleeve running down to his calf. He is no fan of knee braces, never having worn one in a game, and isn't expected to start Thursday.
"I'll probably end up throwing it off," Williams said.
Dirk Nowitzki, meanwhile, undoubtedly will be hoping this visit to Utah will not result in a third consecutive suspension for an incident involving the Jazz.
Nowitzki was suspended a game for hitting Matt Harpring in the face with a backhand swipe in the Jazz's 97-88 victory on Dec. 26. Before that, he was suspended in March for a flagrant foul takedown that sent Andrei Kirilenko to the hospital with a bruised hip.
After the second suspension in December, Nowitzki called it more than a coincidence that both incidents happened against the Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena.
"That's how they play there. They don't call a lot of fouls there," Nowitzki said. "I just think it's Sloan having the boys play hard. It's been like this ever since I got to the league. They let the boys play in Utah and let them play hard. Sometimes on the edge. And I just got to be ready to take more hits and play through it and not lose my head."