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Spurs Head To Utah, Face Best Home Team In League

Needing a win to clinch a playoff berth, the Spurs begin a two game road trip tonight in Salt Lake City.  Game One of the trip finds them facing the best home team in all the land in Jerry Sloan’s Utah Jazz.  Then again, at 32-6 at home themselves, the Spurs aren’t much worse than the 34-4 Jazz inside of what used to be known as the Delta Center.  The Jazz come in winners of six of their last eight games, the most recent an easy destruction of the lottery bound Timberwolves. 

Playoff Picture 

The Spurs sit a half game out of the 1st place spot in the West, behind the New Orleans Hornets, coming into tonight’s action.  The Hornets face the Knicks at home tonight, a sure win, so long as Chris Paul, David West, Tyson Chandler, or Peja have a pulse by game-time.  Finally, the Spurs are only a game up on 3rd place L.A.  Kobe’s squad, after recently welcoming back Pau Gasol, play Dallas tomorrow night.

What To Watch For

The Spurs, as it seems usually round this time of year, are playing their best ball right now.  Can it be sustained against a team that’s as good as the Jazz are?  This game, like the rest of the short remaining schedule, is of utmost importance.  If a top 3 seed is desired, there is no such thing as a letdown game.  Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams, despite having great years individually, have never had great success against the Spurs.  Both have fared well, but find their numbers slightly under their averages.  Andrei Kirilenko torched the Spurs in the team’s last meeting (a 97-91 Utah victory).  AK-47 went 9-10 from the floor, finishing with 23 points.  Interestingly enough, he has topped 16 points only once since that January 28th game.  The Spurs need to find a way to keep him under control.  If Williams and Boozer are going to get theirs, so be it, but they can’t let the Utah reserves get off in a big way.