Utah Jazz

Granger’s Fourth-Quarter Pushes Pacers Past Jazz, 104-99

by Josh Dhani on February 8, 2012 · 0 comments

Danny Granger didn’t start out last night’s game against the Utah Jazz so well. He missed all of his shots to start off the game, and after the 104-99 victory in Bankers Life Fieldhouse, he was more tired than ever. Apparently, he took too much medicine.

“It just slowed me down basically the whole time,” Granger said. “It was supposed to help me sleep, but it kept me groggy the whole day. I was waiting for it to wear off and I started the game and I still was kind of groggy.”

But he stepped it up at the right time in the fourth quarter when the Pacers needed him the most. After having over a 20-point lead, Indiana blew it up and the Jazz just somehow came back.

That’s when Granger took control, scoring twelve of his 16 points in the fourth to help Indiana improve to 17-7. He went five-of-six shooting and made a great pass towards the end of the game, which led to Paul George for a wide-open three to put the Pacers up for good at 98-95.

Darren Collison showed himself once again that he is turning into more of a pro-caliber point guard now, as he stepped it up big last night with 25 points, five assists, and four rebounds. Roy Hibbert was unstoppable in the paint, getting another double-double with 17 points and ten rebounds.

The Jazz lose their second back-to-back game. Paul Millsap led Utah with 18 points and ten rebounds while Al Jefferson had 16 points and eight boards. After an 85-81 loss to the Orlando Magic on Saturday, Indiana was able to avoid another consecutive loss as they almost lost it versus Utah.

They were leading 57-46 at halftime, with Collison and Paul George on a roll. They eventually led by 21 after a Granger layup. However, the Jazz went on a big run and cut it to seven at the end of third, 84-77. They were making a comeback.

“We got relaxed and we got too comfortable and it came back to bite us,” Granger said. “We let our guard down, and they made a run, and it almost cost us the game.”

Gordon Hayward had six points in the run, as he made his homecoming back to Indiana after his amazing run with Butler just a few years back. Hayward would finish with eleven points for the Jazz. The Jazz were starting to roll.

“I just think it’s a combination of things,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. “We had a couple of plays at the rim where we didn’t finish layups, we got a couple of bad calls, and we lightened up a little bit on the defensive end. It was a combination of those that led to a comeback like that. But the bottom line is we made the plays at crunch time.”

Utah soon led 95-92 but a foul on Roy Hibbert with his shot down low tied up the game. And then came the shot by George that put Indy up 98-95. Collison soon extended the lead to five after the Jazz miss. Utah would come back soon enough, but Granger sealed the deal with another shot to make it 104-99. That was the ballgame.

Indiana will face a test tonight in Atlanta, though, as they face the Hawks. And a tip for Granger, find a different medicine.

“No more of that medicine,” Granger said. “I took some bad medication.”
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Written by Josh Dhani, Founder (Archive/RSS)

Josh has been writing since 2009 and founded FootBasket in April 2009. He also owns the website, Hardcourt Mayhem. For a full bio, check out JoshDhani.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshDhani

Josh has been writing since January 2009 and founded FootBasket in April 2009. He also owns the websites, Hardcourt Mayhem and Gridiron Mayhem. For a full bio, check out JoshDhani.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshDhani

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NBA Playoffs 2010: Are The Spurs The Only Team That Can Stop The Lakers?

by Josh Dhani on May 5, 2010

Let’s face it, for the past three years, the Los Angeles Lakers have been the most unstoppable and dominant team in the West and possibly in the NBA.

Last year marked that they were number one for sure. 2007 marked that they were close, but the C’s were simply just better. This year, they’re more experienced but still the best team in the West.

So it brings up a question: Who can stop the Los Angeles Lakers? They have such a great lineup.

They have a veteran leader at point guard in Derek Fisher with a great backup in Jordan Farmer; the best SG in the NBA with Kobe Bryant, who is simply impossible to stop at times; a defensive-minded SF in Ron Artest, who will play physical; a playmaking PF in Pau Gasol, who can rebound and score just about whenever he wants to along with a great sixth man in Lamar Odom; and finally a dominating center in Andrew Bynum.

A mega-all-star lineup there.

So, who can stop them? There’s only one team out there, and there name is the San Antonio Spurs. Their lineup isn’t half bad:

They got a fast/veteran PG-combination in Tony Parker and George Hill; a streaky shooting guard in Manu Ginobili, followed by Roger Mason behind him; a decent SF in Richard Jefferson; a future HOF PF in Tim Duncan, followed by an intimidating rebounder in DeJuan Blair; and finally a decent C in Antonio McDyess.

Again, another mega lineup here.

Both teams have had their share of championships this decade and all have a huge superstar who has been in all of the team’s Finals this decade: Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant.

The Spurs have an advantage at PG with George Hill’s youth and Parker’s leadership against Fisher and Farmar. But Fisher can sometimes make plays when you need them and Farmar sometimes is reliable.

SG is no question: Lakers win there. But it is still a hard-fought match-up with Ginobili in the mix. SF will be entertaining with Artest over Jefferson. PF’s gonna be good with Duncan vs. Gasol and Blair vs. Odom. Bynum vs. McDyess? Decent.

But can Bynum still dominate, even with an injury at hand. I have a strong sense the Lakers will stop the Utah Jazz. Already up 2-0, they can get it. Spurs are down 1-0, but shouldn’t worry. They were down to the Mavs and succeeded.

They can get the Suns in six or seven. Lakers can get the Jazz in five or six, though.

I think these two teams are destined for the Conference Finals. Who will be on top in the Wild West? I just don’t see the Suns getting success over L.A. It just doesn’t seem like it. With the experienced teams, it’ll have to be San Antonio and Los Angeles.

But whoever goes to the Finals out of these two teams, this Conference Finals is gonna be helluva entertainment, no doubt!

Good luck to the four teams in the West and in the East.

Keep watching the playoffs!

Josh has been writing since January 2009 and founded FootBasket in April 2009. He also owns the websites, Hardcourt Mayhem and Gridiron Mayhem. For a full bio, check out JoshDhani.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshDhani

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NBA Playoffs 2010: Can The Jazz Create a Competition Against L.A.?

by Josh Dhani on May 1, 2010

The Utah Jazz made their point to the Denver Nuggets: we’re not going to be intimidated. And they followed to that statement, beating Carmelo Anthony and Nuggets in six games to advance to the second round of the playoffs.

The Jazz have fallen close a lot for the past few years in the playoffs. It brings back memories to the 1997 and 1998 NBA Finals as John Stockton and Karl Malone fell to Michael Jordan’s heroics in those games.

The Jazz haven’t made it to the Finals since.

Now the Jazz need to make things happen for this year with a new team. Deron Williams would be the John Stockton and Karl Malone would obviously be Carlos Boozer. The Jazz also have their other key players like Mehmet Okur, Andrei Kirilenko and Paul Millsap. The Jazz also still have their same coach from the 90′s era: Jerry Sloan.

This is a new team with a new dream.

Second round of the playoffs. The Jazz will have to create a competition. Deron Williams will most likely be a game-time decision, but if he plays, he can create some havoc on Lakers’ aging point guard in Derek Fisher.

But we don’t need to worry about Williams if he struggles. He’s ready.

“I’m all right,” Williams said when asked about his elbow. “Ready to go.”

Wesley Matthews versus Kobe Bryant looks to be interesting and I’d like to see or Kirilenko does versus Ron Artest if he is able to play. But even if Kirilenko doesn’t play for Game One on Sunday at 3:30, he is ready for the other games.

“It feels great, feeling better and better,” Kirilenko said. “Update on the game-wise—probably not Sunday, maybe Tuesday or pretty much sure Game 3.”

Carlos Boozer looks to dominate on Pau Gasol but will have to guard him well. Gasol was very valuable in Game Six when LA took on the Oklahoma City Thunder. Kobe missed his game-winning jumper, which he usually makes. Gasol came up and battled for the rebound and tipped it back in.

Fesenko is going to have to put up a fight against Andrew Bynum. It’s going to be interesting, though. Jazz really wish Mehmet Okur wasn’t out for the season, huh? Jazz will also have to defend Lamar Odom, too.

But although these match-ups will seem entertaining to watch, who is going to stop this Los Angeles Lakers team? The last two years, nobody has been able to stop this advanced squad.

What the Jazz need to pay attention to is to stop Kobe and Bynum as much as possible. You never know if Gasol will do good or bad and Odom is a sixth man. Boozer can hold down Gasol but Bynum looks to dominate Fesenko.

But I think the Jazz can create a problem for this Lakers’ team. Boozer will be productive but the key for the Jazz to get this done is if Kirilenko can show up strong and Deron Williams. Injuries will have to be at the very low minimium after Game One.

I believe this series willl indeed go to seven games, but who will come out on top? Don’t underestimate the Jazz because they’re at the fourth seed. They were underestimated a bit against the Nuggets and they showed up big there.

They could show up big here against L.A.

Oh well, I guess we’ll see. Enjoy the series, folks.

Josh has been writing since January 2009 and founded FootBasket in April 2009. He also owns the websites, Hardcourt Mayhem and Gridiron Mayhem. For a full bio, check out JoshDhani.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshDhani

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NBA Talk: Shaq to Cavs, Arest to LA? What About Paul Millsap to Indy?

by Josh Dhani on July 6, 2009

There were many big signings and trades so far as we have entered in a time of no running, dribbling, and dunking on an NBA court.

It’s what we call the off-season, which brings me to boredom easily as I watch NBA games from previous seasons besides present ones because there aren’t any on. But there is some good in the NBA off-season.

And that’s where you hear big names get called with trade rumors swirling around the block everywhere you go.

You have Shaq to going to Cleveland. You have Kobe Bryant having a Dennis Rodman in Ron Artest. Vince Carter to the Eastern Conference champions, Orlando Magic as well as Randy Foye and Mike Miller to help out number zero in Washington. Then the Turkish man going to Toronto. Trevor Ariza flying to Houston and many more.

Those teams are gutsy doing them trades and that’s why Indy is never a big name in the off-season, always quiet. Looking for a player that’s right for them.

Many people really didn’t expect Tyler Hansbrough coming to Indy in the NBA Draft as the 13th overall pick, but guess what?

He did.

But that’s the draft. The Pacers never take a big part in free agency, as usual. Last year, they did with a Roy Hibbert trade following with a trade that brings in Brandon Rush and Jarrett Jack.

But you never hear the BIG BIG names called like the Pacers trading for Vince Carter or Shaq. You want to know why? They don’t need them. They need a guy that’s fits their system.

Now we are hearing rumors about Dahntay Jones and Anthony Carter running to Indiana. I would absolutely love that. But there is one player that really sticks out of all the players the Pacers have been interested in: Paul Millsap.

This kid has been getting better every year, even though he is entering his fourth season. Many teams have contacted him. And then here comes Indy. I think this kid can fit well with the squad and help out the Pacers a lot.

And here’s why.

This is the talk, the NBA Talk that is.

Paul Millsap is a player many NBA GM’s would love to have. He was a steal in draft while he was drafted in the second round, has the size of LeBron James (6’8″ and about 250-260 pounds), he can shoot and rebound nicely, and can play at power forward and small forward.

Millsap had the best season of his career by averaging about 14 points per game and about nine rebounds, almost having a double-double season. He also played well in the playoffs, averaging about twelve points and eight rebounds, another close double-double.

Millsap is also nicely built player to put him at two spots in the depth chart: small and power forward. If Indy would get Millsap, I would see the depth chart kind of looking like this:

PG: T.J. Ford/A.J. Price/Travis Diener
SG: Danny Granger/Brandon Rush
SF: Paul Millsap/Mike Dunleavy
PF: Troy Murphy/Tyler Hansbrough
C: Roy Hibbert/Jeff Foster

It does look right that way. It looks reasonable although Danny Granger will have to move from his normal position of small forward to shooting guard. But Granger has played at shooting guard before and he is capable of playing there.

But what about Brandon Rush? Many were expecting a future one-two punch of Granger and B-Rush. It could switch a little maybe as Millsap and Granger may have to share the small forward sport while Rush and Dunleavy take care of the shooting guard spot.

The rotation will look interesting as the starting lineup shows a player no taller a 7’2″ and no shorter than 6’0″. The lineup as averaged at probably 6’9″ which is a pretty tall lineup to bring in some rebounds as the guys who control the backboard stand at 6’11″ and 7’2″.

Millsap is 6’8″ and Granger is 6’9″, who both have played small forward and power forward.

With Millsap in, it will make an enormous difference of the lineup, but in a very good way.
And also, with Millsap and Granger on the court, do you realize how hard that one-two punch is to stop?

The Pacers will also have a solid lineup with Troy Murphy attacking the rim and getting the shots from downtown. You also have T.J. Ford beating you on every shot possible, including layups, and also getting you on some tight passes. We then end with Roy Hibbert, who gets all the blocked shots and rebounds you can get!

And we all know the skills of Granger as well as Millsap.

Yep, it’s going to look really good. Just one player, Paul Millsap that is, can change the whole completion of a roster of about 13-15 players. And you never know, the Pacers can go to the playoffs for the first time since the 2005-06 season.

I expect the Pacers to finish at the seventh or eighth seed, like a popular blog Strotty said as well. It’s going to be good. I like Indy’s chances this year with Millsap. If the Pacers can give the money he needs, hopefully if they have enough, all this paradise may happen.

All it takes is one player to sign. And hopefully that signing is coming, with just a click of a pen and jotting your signature, the deal is done.

And that’s how the Pacers can reach the top, at number one.

This article can also be seen at

Josh has been writing since January 2009 and founded FootBasket in April 2009. He also owns the websites, Hardcourt Mayhem and Gridiron Mayhem. For a full bio, check out JoshDhani.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshDhani

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