<div align="center"> <font color="Teal">New Orleans Hornets</font> (0-8) @ <font color="Navy">Utah Jazz</font> (7-3)</div> When: Monday 22nd November, 9:00PM (EST) Where: Delta Center, Utah Local TV: KJZZ / CST National TV: NBALP <div align="center">Projected Starting Lineups</div> <div align="center"><font color="Teal">Hornets</font></div> <div align="center"> <font size="1">Darrell Armstrong, David Wesley, George Lynch, PJ Brown, Jamaal Magloire</font></div> <div align="center"><font color="Navy">Jazz</font></div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"><font size="1">Carlos Arroyo, Gordan Giricek, Andrei Kirilenko, Carlos Boozer, Jarron Collins</font></div> Injury List <font color="Navy">Jazz:</font> Kris Humphries, Raul Lopez, Aleksandar Radojevic <font color="Teal">Hornets:</font> Baron Davis, Jamal Mashburn, Rodney Rogers Key Matchup Darrell Armstrong vs. Carlos Arroyo Arroyo, who has just come back from injury, has struggled defensively. He has guarded Steve Francis and Dwyane Wade, who both went for 30+. Armstrong isn't up to this level, and if Arroyo can contain him the Hornets will really struggle. Armstrong has to dominate for the Hornets. Prediction The Jazz are back home, where they are always tough to beat. I just can't see the Hornets winning this one, the Jazz are just too good. Jazz 105 Hornets 88
No mention of the Jazz retiring John Stockton's #12?!? I think the Jazz will atleast try to win this one for John. The Hornets haven't been playing that well, so they may try to jump on the Jazz early, but I believe that the Jazz will counter it. The Jazz has a clear advantage on every position other than center so I think they'll do good. I say Jazz by twelve.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting spark22:</div><div class="quote_post">No mention of the Jazz retiring John Stockton's #12</div> That, my friend, deserves another thread .
I take the Jazz by 10. Kirilenko gets 5 blocks in this game. Boozer gets 12-13 boards. What a great way to recover from the Miami Heat loss by facing the Hawks and Hornets right after.
The Jazz were down 48-33 at Half time. They're getting dominated on the boards and just can't make a shot, they're going to have to have a big turnaround in play to win this one.
Jazz 103-83. Too much for NO especially since Davis, and Mashburn aren't playing. I expect another L to the Hornets losing streak.
Well.... Jazz lose 76-75......... Thanks to Kirilenko missing TWO FREETHROWS with 2 seconds left. And we are paying this guy 80 million? Pfft....
This was always going to be a problem for Utah, who will they go to in the clutch? They're a young team, second youngest average age in the league, and they don't have a proven go to guy in the clutch. The young guys can just lose their way, and AK47 was making his FT's right up until the last, and most important, 2. The Jazz struggled early, and it set them back too much. They struggled on offense and the Hornets were scoring well in the 1st half. This was the worse time to play a horrible game, with John Stockton and Karl Malone in the crowd. Stockton didn't deserve a loss to a previously winless team on his jersey retirement night.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Marbire:</div><div class="quote_post">Well.... Jazz lose 76-75......... Thanks to Kirilenko missing TWO FREETHROWS with 2 seconds left. And we are paying this guy 80 million? Pfft....</div> Those kind of things will happen. But the real problem was the Jazz putting themselves in that hole in the first half. They're young, and perhaps there was some nerves with Stockton and Malone in attendance.
ouch what a tough loss. It's never easy handing a winless team their first victory but if it came down to 2 FTs and Utah had a horrible shooting night then the victory wasn't even earned. They'll go back to their losing ways in due time.
I think the Jazz need some time to rest. The Hornets had 2 games in 8 days leading up to this game, so they was basically more ready for their opponent than the Jazz who just got back from a 4 game swing of the eastern conference in 5 days. I also think they need to get more a custom to Arroyo at the point. Carlos A seems to want to slow the game up more and run plays more than McLeod did; McLeod made the team a more run-and-gun team, yet his inexperince showed a lot by some careless passes he would make. You also have to look and see that the "Sloan Clone", the teams co-captin Matt Harpring is out with injury, when healthy he can give you 10-16 points, 5 rebounds, and good defense. And finally Boozer needs to quit settling for jump shots and get inside and do some damage, with a name like Boozer, you don't need to be a jump shooter. While I did not like to lose to the Hornets on Stockton's night, I don't think the Jazz are in much trouble once they get some rest, get used to Arroyo at point, and try to listen to what Sloan says. And it is good to see 12 in the rafters.
