JazzFan 4 Life

Well, so much for that six-game win streak. Jazz fall in Portland, 103-100, to a hard-working Blazers team. The Jazz had a chance to win this one, but my prediction was a little off. Let's get into it ...

SWEET MUSIC

Another solid, Harping-type night from Harpring (13 pts, 3-7 FG, 12 reb):
He only played 29 minutes (almost as many as Gordan Giricek) and looked as involved as he usually does in the offense. This seemed like the kind of game where a few more shots for Harpring might have done some good to loosen up the middle, but Derek Fisher was too busy thinking it was 2000 and he still had game. More on that later.

Millsap keeps getting it done (18 pts, 8-12 FG, 6 reb): Let's get this straight: midway through the second quarter, it looks like he got his hand broken by Zach Randolph. He seems to have tears in his eyes and plants himself on the bench and immediately I'm thinking he's out for 2-4 weeks with a busted finger. Then the second half starts and he's out there by the start of the fourth quarter. He had his usual hustle buckets and the Jazz almost came back on the Blazers thanks to his play.

Okur picks up where he left off (25 pts, 9-20 FG, 8 reb): He only had 4 points in the NBA All-Star game, but Okur showed he fits in best in Jerry Sloan's offense. He had a variety of Blazers in his face most of the night (including Randolph, LaMarcus Aldridge and Travis Outlaw) and did a good job of making his shots despite that. He turned it on a little too late and he didn't take any 3-pointers until the second half.

SOUR NOTES

Kirilenko/Giricek are struggling again (combined for 14 points, 5-14 FG, 8 reb and 3 TO): I just read that again ... that used to be an average night for Kirilenko on his own the last 2-3 seasons. Giricek spent most of the night as the whipping boy for Blazers rookie PG Brandon Roy and when he wasn't busy doing that, he was invisible in general on the floor. Kirilenko had scored 10+ pts in 3 of his last 5 games, but looked like the AK-47 of the 2006-07 season tonight: tentative, awful on his jump shot and a step slow on defense. Both these guys complained, complained and complained when they weren't getting shots early in the year. Now that Boozer is out, they have their shot to play more (and shoot more) and they stink it up. I expect it from Giricek, but not from Kirilenko.

Fisher looks for his own number (20 pts, 10 ast, 3 stls): Sure he lead the team in assists tonight and did fill in for injured PG Deron Williams. But there were countless times that he and Okur ran the high pick-and-roll, Okur went to his spot on the 3-point line and Fisher drove to the basket (where he usually missed or charged into someone). For as valuable as Okur's clutch play has been this year, Williams' steady hand at the point guard spot has been key for the Jazz all season.

Awful perimeter defense returns (allowed 7-17 3-point FG): The Jazz allowed the Blazers to shoot over 40 percent from the outside, mostly do to laziness on the defensive rotations. Portland probably should have made 10 or 11 3-pointers tonight given the sorry perimeter defense. The Jazz can't keep sluffing off on the outside because that's what has killed them this season.