There won't be any more games in front of a golden crowd emblazoned with "We Believe!" this year. That's a shame but the Utah Jazz earned their 100-87 series win by again outlasting a game but tired Warrior squad in the fourth quarter. The Warriors missed their last five shots, turned the ball over twice and commited six fouls that led to a game-ending 12-0 run from Utah, with 10 of those points coming from the line.
While the late fouling spree was definitely a byproduct of tired defenders using their hands instead of their feet, the exhaustion of the unexpected run through the playoffs manifested itself starkly in Golden State's shooting. They scored 32 points on 57% shooting in the first quarter but only made 29% of their shots the rest of the way. The team stopped taking the ball to the hoop in the second half and couldn't hit the ocean from a boat with any of their three-point attempts while the Jazz just kept grinding away inside. Carlos Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko each scored 21 points and they led Utah to another huge rebounding edge with their 29 combined caroms.
The Jazz now sit and wait for the winner of the Spurs-Suns series while the Warriors head to the offseason a couple of weeks after most people thought they would. What's next for them? They definitely need to add some balance to their lineup going forward, Boozer's dynamic series proved that, and they have a surplus of wing players. Jason Richardson seems like the best prospect to put on the table, Monta Ellis can pick up some of his minutes, and if they can use him to bring back a forward who can rebound and defend while still working within Nellie's offensive system they should do it.
(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
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