Trail Blazers-Jazz Preview

By JEFF BARTL
Posted Apr 25 2012 2:18PM

The young, inexperienced Utah Jazz heard plenty of reasons why they wouldn't make the playoffs, but none of the doubts resonated.

After wrapping up the Western Conference's final postseason berth in their most recent contest, the Jazz seek a season sweep of the disappointing Portland Trail Blazers when the teams conclude the regular season Thursday night in Salt Lake City.

Half of Utah's current roster is age 26 or younger, including four who are not older than 21, and leading scorer Al Jefferson hasn't been to the playoffs since 2005. Jefferson scored 18 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in Tuesday's 100-88 win over Phoenix, helping the Jazz (35-30) secure a playoff berth after a one-year absence.

"It's good to make people eat their words," Jefferson said after Utah's fourth straight win. "That's what we did. Now it's time to go and shock the world."

Jefferson missed part of the second half after suffering a gash over his left eye, but he returned to record his fourth straight double-double. He hasn't played in the postseason since he was a rookie with Boston.

"Seven long years, seven long years since I've been in the playoffs," Jefferson said. "It's a great opportunity. A lot of people counted us out. It's a great group of guys and everyone on our team deserves it."

Paul Millsap had 26 points and 15 rebounds for Utah, which hasn't played a postseason game under a coach other than Jerry Sloan since 1988, when Frank Layden was at the helm.

Before Tyrone Corbin leads the Jazz into the postseason, they'll look to sweep the four-game season series with Portland for the second time in three years.

The Blazers (28-37) are finishing a tumultuous season during which they fired coach Nate McMillan, lost LaMarcus Aldridge to injury, waived oft-injured former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden and dealt with the retirement of former All-Star Brandon Roy.

Interim coach Kaleb Canales may only have one game remaining to lead the Blazers, who are 8-14 since he took over for McMillan on March 16.

Portland will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008 and enters its finale having lost a season-high six straight following Monday's 124-89 defeat at conference-leading San Antonio.

Wesley Matthews, who averaged 9.4 points in his rookie season with the Jazz before signing with the Blazers prior to last season, scored a team-high 24 on Monday and seemed to imply this season can't end soon enough.

"If we knew we were going into the playoffs, of course we're going to keep playing," Matthews said. "But now, short-handed, nine players - I'm never going to say I'm looking forward to not playing basketball. But the season's winding down for us and we got one more left."

Matthews has averaged 28.0 points in the last two meetings with Utah, but the Blazers lost both at home.

Portland now looks to avoid being swept by the Jazz, who won 112-91 behind 27 points from Devin Harris in the most recent meeting April 18. Millsap keyed Utah's first two wins in the season series, averaging 25.0 points and 13.0 boards.

The Jazz have won 17 of the last 21 meetings at home.

Rookie Burks, dunk champ Evans lift Jazz 96-94

By LYNN DeBRUIN
Posted Apr 27 2012 12:09AM

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Jeremy Evans hasn't been spotted much since winning the NBA Slam Dunk title.

On Thursday night, in a game that was more about pride, Evans put on another show as he fueled a 10-0 fourth-quarter run to lead the playoff-bound Utah Jazz to their fifth straight win, 96-94 over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Evans scored a season-high 13 points, including a pair of high-flying jams as Utah retook the lead in the fourth. He added a career-high 10 rebounds and three blocks for his first career double-double.

"It was crazy," said Evans, who averages just 6.8 minutes a game but played 28 in the regular-season finale. "I always want to come out and play with energy.

"(People) say it's meaningless that it really didn't matter if we lost or won, but you still wanted to win the game, just for my sake and the team's sake."

Rookie Alec Burks led the Jazz with a career-high 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting as coach Tyrone Corbin played his starters sparingly. He sat out versatile forward Paul Millsap as a precautionary measure because of a sore groin.

Wesley Matthews had a chance to win it for Portland but his 3-pointer missed with 2.4 seconds left.

Matthews thought he was fouled on the shot but didn't get the call.

"It was a tough call at the end, but with the refs you have to respect it," said Portland forward J.J. Hickson, who led the Blazers with 20 points and nine rebounds.

Matthews, the only Blazer to play every game this season, said it was another game that got away. He cited Utah's 16-8 edge on second-chance points, and 48-36 advantage on the boards.

"We played well enough to win it. We just didn't get enough rebounds. That's the story of this year. We didn't do just enough to get over the hump," said Matthews, who finished with 14 points.

Jonny Flynn added 18 points for the injury-depleted Blazers, who didn't qualify for the postseason for the first time since the 2007-08 season.

While Portland will try to forget about the disappointing season, Utah moves on to face top-seeded San Antonio in a first-round Western Conference matchup starting Sunday.

Corbin figured Thursday's game would be relaxed after a tense stretch run that saw the Jazz finally clinch the final playoff spot with a win Tuesday over Phoenix.

But he wanted to rest key players, and give other guys coming back from injury a chance to find their rhythm.

Small forward Josh Howard did that, scoring 12 points and grabbing six rebounds in his most extensive action for Utah since undergoing knee surgery in late March.

Corbin has said he would consider reinserting Howard into the starting lineup again if he played well and had no setbacks.

On Thursday, Evans took advantage of his extensive time to showcase his skills.

Al Jefferson, who scored five points but played just 10 minutes for the Jazz, enjoyed his front-row seat.

"It was good to get out there, get loose a bit and let the young guys play and pull the game out," Jefferson said.

They did against the Blazers, a shell of what they once were. They finished on a seven-game losing streak.

"It definitely has been a challenging year for us," interim coach Kaleb Canales said.

Portland's season started with the retirement of All-Star guard Brandon Roy and another injury to former No. 1 overall draft pick Greg Oden, and was interrupted by several major trades, the firing of coach Nate McMillan and injuries to top players such as LaMarcus Aldridge.

While Portland figures out how to shake off one of the most disappointing seasons in recent history, the Jazz appear headed in the right direction after crumbling down the stretch last year following the abrupt retirement of Hall of Fame coach Jerry Sloan and trade of superstar point guard Deron Williams.

Ironically, an April 2 meeting in Portland helped Utah turn its season around. The Jazz were down 14 in the first half when Corbin inserted his Big Three lineup - with 6-10 Derrick Favors playing alongside 6-10 center Jefferson and the 6-8 Millsap moving to small forward.

The trio sparked a 19-point turnaround that has Corbin relying on it more and more, and even considering using it to start games.

Favors made only his ninth start of the season Thursday in place of Millsap, but in the first 12 minutes, had eight points, five rebounds, a block, assist and highlight-reel dunk. He would finish with 15 points and five rebounds.

"However you get the win you have to take it," Favors said. "It's (been) an amazing week for us."

In the second quarter, the Blazers used an 11-4 run to tie the score at 27 behind Kurt Thomas and Flynn.

Jazz reserves brought Utah back, with NBA D-League call-up Blake Ahearn and Evans scoring five apiece in the quarter as Utah took a 47-40 lead into the break.

In the fourth, Portland led 88-84 before Utah went on a 10-0 run. Howard tied it at 88 on a 5-foot bank shot with 5:18 remaining, and Evans' high-flying jams putting Utah up 94-88.

Now Utah is headed to the playoffs under a coach not named Sloan for the first time since 1988-89 when Frank Layden was in charge.

Corbin, who kept the team from fracturing when injuries and losses might have torn it apart, couldn't be happier.

Told before the game that the last time a Jazz team finished the season on a lengthy winning streak it advanced to the 1997 NBA finals, he flashed a wide grin and said, "Let's do it. Let's go to the finals."

NOTES: Utah finished the season with a 25-8 mark at home. ... Jazz SG Raja Bell returned after missing 13 games with a left knee injury. He entered with 9:29 left in the first half, mostly to cheers with a few boos. It was only his second game since a blow-up with Corbin that resulted in Bell being sent home from a road trip. He was the only Jazz player who didn't score. ... The Blazers did not play Raymond Felton (Achilles pain), Jamal Crawford (right knee tendinitis), Hasheem Thabeet or Nicolas Batum. ... The Jazz were the only team to sweep the Blazers in a four-game series this season. ... Jazz SF Howard was called for a technical in the third quarter.

Notebook: Jazz 96, Trail Blazers 94

Posted Thursday April 26, 2012 11:51PM

By Andrew Aragon, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: With their starters mostly resting for their first-round Western Conference playoff series, the Utah Jazz still had enough depth to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night.

Rookie Alec Burks had a career-high 18 points and Derrick Favors had 15 points and five rebounds as the Jazz prevailed 96-94 in a regular season finale that mostly featured all the intensity and urgency of a preseason contest.

The game's excitement, however, did pick up in the fourth quarter. The shorthanded Trail Blazers had a chance to win, but former Jazzman Wesley Matthews clanked a potential game-winning 3-pointer as time expired.

Utah's Paul Millsap did not play, while fellow starters Devin Harris, Gordon Hayward and Al Jefferson were finished after the first quarter.

Portland, which ends the season on a seven-game losing streak, was led by J.J. Hickson. He had a game-high 20 points and nine rebounds.

QUOTABLE: "We coach to win. We didn't have the regular guys in there, but these guys understood we wanted to execute our stuff and continue to develop and grow as who we are -- not just some team that goes up and down the floor and takes wild shots. For the most part, we stayed in our offense and executed."
-- Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin on still playing to win with his younger and less experienced players on the court during crunch time.

THE STAT: Even with Millsap sitting out and Jefferson hardly playing, the Jazz handled the Trail Blazers on the glass. Utah had a 48-36 advantage in overall rebounds, and gained a big edge with its offensive boards. The Jazz had a 13-6 edge in offensive rebounds and a 16-8 advantage in second-chance points.

TURNING POINT: Slam Dunk Contest champion Jeremy Evans provided the Jazz with a spark midway through the fourth quarter. During a 10-0 run for Utah, he had a put-back dunk, a high-flying dunk and three rebounds. The spurt turned a four-point deficit into a 94-88 lead for the Jazz with 3:29 remaining in the game.

HOT: Burks shot the ball well (6-for-9) en route to scoring his career high. He also played smart, committing just one turnover in 22 minutes. Evans had his first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Rookie Enes Kanter had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds while playing a career-high 33 minutes. For Portland, Hickson shot 10-for-13 and seasoned veteran Kurt Thomas shot 5-for-7 and scored 10 points.

NOT: Portland's Luke Babbitt shot 0-for-5 in the first half, and 3-for-11 overall. He was 1-for-8 from 3-point range. Matthews shot terribly in what was once his home arena. He was 4-for-18 while scoring 14 points.

GOOD MOVE: Winning wasn't all that necessary for the Jazz, who had already locked up the Western Conference's No. 8 seed prior to Thursday. So it wasn't all that odd to see Corbin close the game with Burks, Kanter, Evans, DeMarre Carroll and Blake Ahearn on the court. The younger players gained some valuable experience from Corbin's decision to play them, and they repaid him by pulling out the victory.

QUOTABLE II: "We played well enough to win it. We just didn't get enough rebounds. That's the story of the year. We didn't do just enough to get over the hump. There are easily 18 games like that this season. In a short season, you can't bounce back from that."
--Trail Blazers guard Matthews on his team losing another close game.

ROOKIE WATCH: Burks and Kanter weren't the only rookies to shine on Thursday night. Portland's Nolan Smith made his fourth career start and scored a career-high 16 points and dished seven assists. He scored all of his 16 points in the second half.

INSIDE THE ARENA: Prior to tipoff, Kanter grabbed a microphone and thanked fans for their support this season at mid-court. After asking the crowd what's up approximately five times and thanking fans, he said, "Go Jazz, baby" and dropped the microphone, much to the delight of his teammates.

FANTASY WATCH: Hickson finished the season strong after joining the Trail Blazers. He recorded double-doubles in six of his last nine games, providing a valuable spark to the fantasy owners who either held on to him after the Sacramento Kings waived him, or picked him up after he joined the Trail Blazers.

QUOTABLE III: "I thought it he did a good job. It's fun. For me it's great to see the kid from when he came in when we finally started camp and how closed he was with everybody around him and how he's opened up now and relaxed in this atmosphere with these guys and this organization. It's great to see his personality come out."
--Jazz coach Corbin on Kanter's pregame announcement to Jazz fans.

NOTABLE: Utah's Raja Bell played for the first time since March 15 as he was out with injuries to his left adductor and left knee. He entered the game in the second quarter and went scoreless in 18 minutes. Millsap missed just his 14th game in six seasons. Portland was without Raymond Felton, Nicolas Batum and Jamal Crawford.

UP NEXT: The Trail Blazers' season is over. For the Jazz, first round Western Conference playoff series against the Spurs, with Game 1 Sunday at 1 p.m. ET in San Antonio.

• Trail Blazers: Williams, Williams
• Jazz: Miles, Watson

• Trail Blazers: --
• Jazz: Howard

• Lead Changes: 6
• Times Tied: 4

• Arena: EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
• Officials: #12 Violet Palmer, #57 Greg Willard, #56 Mark Ayotte
• Attendance: 19554
• Duration: 2:04