Last night not only marked the end of  another Jazz season, but the end of an era.    After 42 years collectively, legendary broadcaster, and the voice of the Utah Jazz “Hot” Rod Hundley is retiring.   He is the last of the original members of the New Orleans Jazz organization, and has called every game in franchise history.  Being a, avid Jazz fan my entire life;  living just a few, short blocks from the arena I loved listening to Hot R0d on the call- for both radio and television.   To emphasize the impact that he has had on the league and as a broadcaster, he was given a standing ovation last night in the Staples Center.  A visiting broadcaster for a road team in the playoffs receiving that is unheard of.   He was more than just his catch phrases, he was the voice of a franchise for three generations.  He truly will be missed.

“A gentle push and a mild arch, and the ol’ cowhide globe hits home”

1st Quarter

A.K. gets the start instead of Kyle Korver.  Coach Sloan is looking for defense.

Sloppy play by both teams.  5 to’s in the first 2 minutes.

Carlos Boozer with 3 quick rebounds- 1 offensive.

Ronnie Brewer has missed his first 2 jumpers – bad sign.

Bynum picks up 2 quick fouls .  Good sign for Utah if they can get him in early foul trouble.

Jazz are moving very well without the basketball.   Amazing what being back on the home court will do.

Boozer and Millsap are both playing very well, 12 pts and 12 rbs.   Contrarily Kobe and Gasol are quiet, 2-10 for 4 points.

Utah on a 17-4 run, pushing the lead up to 10 pts.  They are owning the boards.

1st quarter score:  Jazz 26, Lakers 17

2nd Quarter

Lakers go on a 6-0 run to start the quarter.

Matt Harpring picks up 3 fouls in 2:15.   C.J.Miles plays exactly 1 minute. The  Lakers bench has overpowered the Jazz.  The Jazz will need more effectiveness from their bench if they want to hold onto the lead and win this game.

Bynum picks up his 3rd foul, barreling over Paul Millsap

Lakers with 3 quick offensive rebounds in the quarter

The effort of Paul Millsap has been incredible.  He ends up on the floor after battling in the paint- picking up 2 offensive rebounds- play ends with Odom fouling Boozer.

Lamar Odom is playing very well- 7 pts, 4 rbs.  Lakers cut the lead to 1.

Deron Williams misses 3 straight free throws.

Carlos Boozer already has a double-double – 11pts, 13 rbs

Kobe is 0-5 from the field.  Just as I type that he scores 4 points.

Jazz are struggling- 6 points in the quarter in 8:30 minutes played.  Make that 10.

Kyle Korver hits a big 3, pushing the lead to 8 (33-41).  The camera pans to the crowd and there is a John Stockton sighting!

Odom is killing the offensive glass, getting most of his points on put backs.

Halftime score:  Jazz 43,  Lakers 39

Both teams are struggling from the field.  Jazz shooting 40%, Lakers shooting 30%.

Both teams have 11 offensive rebounds (Lamar Odom has 5).  Jazz winning the overall battle.

Carlos Boozer has dominated – 13 pts and 16 rbs (Jazz record for most rebounds in the half of a playoff game)

Kobe Bryant is shooting 10% from the field.  Expect that to change in the 2nd half.

The refs are letting the teams play- The physicality will only escalate.

Lakers are only have 4 assists.

3rd Quarter

Jazz start Millsap in the second half,  Odom starts for the Lakers.

Lakers start the quarter on a 5-0 run.  Take the lead.

Deron Williams has missed 4 consecutive free throws.  He’s an 85% ft shooter.

Lakers on a 12-1 run, dating back to the 1st half.

Odom is dominating the paint – he has 17 points on 8-11 shooting.  Lakers up 5.

Kobe with 3 quick field goals.  Lakers up 7.   The run is now 16-3.

Deron Williams misses another free throw.

Jazz get their first field goal in nearly 6 minutes on a Ronnie Brewer jumper.

Jazz are turning the ball over way too much.  Lakers have pushed the lead to double digits.

Trevor Ariza is scorching hot.  He has 8 pts in the quarter.

Lakers are shooting 66% on 10-15 field goals.  They have outscored the Jazz 25-8.

Harpring airballs a 3 pointer and picks up his 4th foul.  The Jazz are in a lot of  trouble.

Deron Williams only has 8 points, on 2-6 fg’s and 5-10 ft’s.  He scored 35 last game.

Kyle Korver is 1-8 from the field.  The Jazz are ice cold.

Bynum quickly picks up 2 more fouls – that’s 5 now for the game.

Jazz are 12-20 (60%) from the free throw line.

The Lakers have outscored the Jazz 51-34 in the past 2 quarters.

3rd Quarter score:  Lakers 68,  Jazz 60

4th Quarter

Jazz go on a 9-3 run, cut the lead to 2.

Pau Gasol is struggling from the line (6-12).

Millsap picks up 2 quick fouls.  He now has 3 for the game.

Harpring has come alive!  6 points in the quarter.  Jazz force a t.o. and take the lead 73-72.

Reggie Miller is a doofus.  I loved him as a player, but as a color commentator he’s worse than Bill Walton.

Jazz have hit their last 9 shots.  The bench has scored 18 of the last 20 Jazz points.

Millsap takes a huge charge from Kobe Bryant.  The Jazz have taken all the momentum in this game, and the crowd is now back in this game.

The Lakers are now in the penalty.  Jazz will shoot ft’s for the rest of the game.

Jazz now over the limit, both teams will shoot ft’s for the rest of the game.

Kobe ties the game @ 76, with 2 ft’s.  Kyle Korver counters with a 3 ball, 79-76 Jazz.

Jazz get called for an 8 second violation – their 16th turnover.  Sloan is fuming.

Kobe Bryant is just 4-22 from the field.

Gasol hits a hook shot, the game is tied again.

Deron Williams to Boozer on the pick and roll.  Jazz have the lead with 45 seconds left, 84-82.  Boozer now has 21 pts and 22 rbs.

Kobe with a layup off the inbounds- tie game.

BOOZER WITH THE PLAY OF THE GAME!  DRIVING LEFT HE DUNKS RIGHT OVER PAU GASOL.  JAZZ TAKE THE LEAD 86-84 WITH 17 SECONDS LEFT.

Gasol then counters with a dunk of his own to tie the game.  86-86 with 11.7 seconds left.

DERON WILLIAMS WITH A CROSSOVER AND FADEAWAY CONNECTS WITH 2.2 SECONDS LEFT!

Kobe misses a 30 footer when time expires.

Final Score:  Jazz 88, Lakers 86

Recap

Jazz didn’t make it look easy but they got the victory with great energy.

Jazz played great defense.  They nearly always win when they don’t give up 100 points.

Carlos Boozer was phenomenal- 23 pts, 22 rbs (ties Jazz franchise playoff record)

The Lakers can blame this loss on rebounding (Jazz had 55 to their 40) and especially free throw shooting (16-26. 62%).

Lakers really got complacent with the big lead.  They played sloppy defense and took poor shots.

Andrew Bynum picked up 5 fouls in 7 minutes of play was crucial.  He’s been a critical part of this Lakers team, especially in this series.

Kobe Bryant really struggled from the field (5-24 for 21%).

Matt Harpring, Kyle Korver and Paul Millsap (14 rbs) provided the spark the Jazz needed in the 4th quarter.  Boozer and Williams were the finishers.

Deron Williams has ice in his veins.

Please note that these are just my opinions.

This is my compilation of the NBA players who had the best seasons.  All NBA= overall great season, Defensive= overall great defensive year and rookie= overall best rookie year.  The list go in chronological order with 1st team being the best, and so on and so forth.

1st team all NBA

C:  Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic (20.6 ppg, 13.8 rpg, 2.92 bpg)

F:  Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks (25.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg)

F:  Lebron James, Cleveland Cavaliers (28.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 7.2 apg)

G:   Kobe Bryant,  Los Angeles Lakers ( 26.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.9 apg )

G:  Dwayne Wade, Miami Heat (30.2 ppg, 5 rpg, 7.5 apg)

2nd team all NBA

C:   Yao Ming, Houston Rockets (19.7 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 1.95 bpg)

F:   Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs ( 19.3 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 1.68 bpg)

F:  Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets (22.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 3.4 apg)

G:   Brandon Roy, Portland Trailblazers (22.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 5.1 apg)

G:  Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets (22.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 11 apg )

3rd team all NBA

C:  Shaquille O’ Neal, Phoenix Suns (17.8 ppg, 8,4 rpg, 1.4 bpg)

F:  Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers (18.9 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 3.5 apg)

F:  Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics (  20.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.6 apg)

G:  Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs (22 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 6.9 apg)

G: Deron Williams, Utah Jazz ( 19.4 ppg, 10.7 apg, 1.1 spg)

Honorable Mentions

Chauncey Billups, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, David West, David Lee, Danny Granger, Devin Harris, Jason Terry, Jason Kidd, Antawn Jamison, Chris Bosh, Kevin Durant.

1st Team All Defensive

C:  Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic (13.8 rpg, 1 spg, 2.92 bpg)

F/C:  Marcus Camby, Los Angeles Clippers  (11.1 rpg, 0.8 spg, 2.13 bpg)

F:  Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks (7.2 rpg, 1.4 spg, 1.61 bpg)

G:  Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat (5 rpg, 2.2 spg, 1.34 bpg)

G:  Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets (5.5 rpg, 2.8 spg, 0.13 bpg)

2nd Team All Defensive

C: Andris Biedrins, Golden St. Warriors (11.2 rpg, 1 spg, 1.55 bpg)

F:  Tyrus Thomas, ChicagoBulls (6.4 rpg, 1.2 spg, 1.91 bpg)

F:  Gerald Wallace, Charlotte Bobcats (7.8 rpg, 1.7 spg, 1 bpg)

F: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers (7.6 rpg, 1.7 spg, 1.15 bpg)

G Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers  (5.2 rpg, 1.5 spg, 0.45 bpg)

1st Team All Rookie

C:  Brook Lopez, New Jersey Nets (13 ppg, 8.1, 1.84 bpg)

F:  Kevin Love, Minnesota Timerwolves (11.1 ppg, 9.1 rpg)

F: Jason Thompson, Sacramento Kings (11.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg)

G:  Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls (16.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 6.3 apg)

G: O.J. Mayo,  Memphis Grizzlies (18.5 ppg, 3.2 apg, 1.1 spg)

2nd Team All Rookie

C: Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies (11.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg)

F:  Michael Beasley, Miami Heat (13.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg)

F:  D.J. White, Oklahoma City Thunder (8.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg)

G:  Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder (15.3 ppg, 5.3 apg, 1.3 spg)

G: Eric Gordon,  Los Angeles Clippers  (16.1 ppg, 1 spg)

1st Quarter

Tony Parker is dominating.  He’s getting in the paint at will. If this continues the Spurs will win easily.

Mavs are getting to the free throw line (8-10 for the quarter).

The front court of the Mavs looks awful, they can’t stop anybody.

Mavericks have been out-rebounded 4 to 13.

Back-to-back layups for Tony Parker, he has taken over this game- 19 points in the quarter.

1st quarter score- Spurs 30, Mavericks 19

2nd Quarter

Drew Gooden has provided a great spark off the bench for the Spurs.  He has 8 points on 4-5 shooting.

Spurs front court defense has been smothering.  They are not allowing any Mavs players to penetrate or score in the paint.

Matt Bonner and Roger Mason have both hit two 3-pointers,pushing the Spurs lead to 21.

Spurs are pick and rolling the Mavs to death.

Tony Parker comes back in the game gets a quick 8 points- He has 27 points in the half.  If this continues, he’ll go for 50.

Mavericks are tough, they are making a comeback.

Last 3 possessions of the half for the Mavs result in 9 points – Three’s by Jason Kidd and Jason Terry – and a stupid foul by Roger Mason resulting in 3 free throws for Jason Terry.

Mavs cut the lead in half.  Both teams score 27 points in the quarter.

Halftime score- Spurs 57, Mavs 46.

Spurs shoot 57% to the Mavs 43% in the first half .

Dallas shoots 10 more free throws (6 for the Spurs, 16 for the Mavs).

Spurs have double the Mavs rebounds (24 to 12). Resulting in 10 second chance points.

The “Big 3″ for the Mavs (Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and Josh Howard) shoot a collective 7-22 from the field.

3rd Quarter

Greg Poppovich gets a quick technical mouthing off to the refs.

Spurs force a shot clock violation with great rotational defense.

Mavs cut the lead to single digits.  Spurs call a timeout and Poppovich promptly chews out Bruce Bowen for not rotating and giving up a three to J.J. Barea.  Ironic.

Pick and roll still working for the Spurs.  Duncan now in double digits with 11.

Tony Parker now has 31, make it 33.  Spurs push the lead back up to 17. Finley hits a three pointer – now it’s 20.

Mavs turn the ball over 3 straight possessions.  Spurs have their biggest lead of 22.

This game has been blown wide open.  Spurs up by 25.

Spurs outscore the Mavs 17 to 28 – shooting 55%.

3rd Quarter Score – Spurs 85, Mavs 63

4th Quarter

Where are Dirk Nowitzki (3-14 from the field, 14 points) and Josh Howard?  The Spurs have taken the two all-stars nearly out of the game.

Tony Parker is playing selfishly- justifiably so, the Spurs are still up 20.  He’s trying to pad his stats.

Tim Duncan quietly has a double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds).

Spurs are now playing sloppily- doing their best to wind down the clock and win the game.  As soon as I type that, Bonner hits a three pointer from six feet beyond the arc.

The Mavericks have quit.  Time to get ready for game 3.

All the Spurs starters have subbed out.  Scrub time.  Tony Parker leaves the game with 38 points and 8 assists.  Check and mate.

Final Score- Spurs 105, Mavs 84.

Eastern Conference

#1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons:  Cavs in 5.  Lebron and Co. are just too good.  Even though Detroit is battle tested, this is not the same team that they once had.  I say 5 graciously, because anything can happen.

#2 Boston Celtics vs Chicago Bulls:  Celtics in 6.   Even without Kevin Garnett, I still don’t think the Bulls have the firepower to counter.  They do have some very streaky shooters (Ben Gordon, John Salmons) that could win them a game or two; but not a series.  Expect Paul Pierce and Ray Allen to step up big.

#3 Orlando Magic vs Philadelphia 76ers.  Orlando in 6.  Even with injuries to Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkogolu, the Magic should still roll.  Although, if these injuries increase and make it so the aforementioned players can’t play, the tide could quickly turn.  However, Philly has no one that can contain Dwight Howard.  I’m expecting a big series from him.

#4 Atlanta Hawks vs Miami Heat:  Atlanta in 7.  Dwayne Wade is damn good, but he’s not enough to beat a solid Hawks team single handedly.  The Hawks have the bigs to build an interior wall on defense as well as a star in Joe Johnson.  Although I like Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers for the Heat, I can’t put my trust in rookies performing above and beyond in the playoffs. 

Western Conference

#1 Los Angeles Lakers vs Utah Jazz.  L.A. in 5.  The Lakers in my opinion are the best team in basketball, and the favorite to win the title.  They have a myriad of althetic big men (Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum) that the Jazz cannot contain, alongside the reigning MVP, Kobe Bryant.  The Lakers have too much firepower for the Jazz to deal with.  It would not shock me to see the Lakers sweep, however, the Jazz have the capability to win a couple games because the Jazz are so good at home.  If the Jazz need any shot to win, they will need huge games by Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer, as well as a healthy Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko (mentally). 

#2 Denver Nuggets vs #7 New Orleans Hornets:  Nuggets in 6.  Denver has been a slept on team all year, but have been solid all season.  The Hornets have been injury plagued and underachieved this year.  However, they do have the x factor in the series; Chris Paul.  However, I see New Orleans having no shot without Tyson Chandler.  The Chauncey Billups/CP3 matchup should be intriguing, as well as David West against the Denver bigs.  However, if Tyson Chandler can’t play in this series for New Orleans, they have no chance.

#3 San Antonio Spurs vs #6 Dallas Mavericks:  Spurs in 7.  For years I’ve picked against the Spurs and they have continuously proved me wrong.  Jason Kidd doesn’t have the legs to stop Tony Parker who will be x factor.  Role players like George Mason and Matt Bonner will have to step up as well.  However, the Mavs have been playing very well, and without Ginobili, the Spurs could be in a lot of trouble. 

#4 Portland Trailblazers vs #5 Houston Rockets.   Houston in 7.  Houston finally gets out of the first round!  Without Tracy Mcgrady!  This will be my most anticipated series of the first round.  Yao Ming will have to be the x factor and dominate the bigs of Portland.  I see Brandon Roy struggling because of Houston’s solid defense and the combination of Ron Artest and Shane Battier (two elite defenders) sharing the task of guarding him.  Although I love Portland – who is incredibly tough at home – I see Houston being the more experienced, battle tested team.  Watch out for Portland come next season though.

Block of the Year: Lebron James, Cleveland Cavaliers.

Lebron puts an end to a Milwaukee Buck fast break, by sprinting the floor and sending pg Ramon Sessions layup into the nosebleed seats.  Perfect example of hustle, athleticism and speed.  This is the definition of the “wow” factor.

Assist of the Year: Pau Gasol, L.A. Lakers.

Pau Gasol, a true 7 footer, leads a fast break against the Utah Jazz.  After dribbling the ball between his legs backwards while sprinting he executes a perfect no-look pass to teammate Trevor Ariza for the dunk.  Amazing athleticism and awareness for a man of his size.

Dunk of the Year: Gerald Wallace, Charlotte Bobcats.

Welcome to the NBA Mr. Oden!  Gerald Wallace gives up atleast 6 inches to Greg Oden but is able to beat him to the ball on a backdoor cut and finish the dunk right over top of him.  If you watch carefully, you can see that Oden gets a piece of the ball, but Wallace has the strength to still be able to flush it down- and just look at that elevation.

Shot of the Year: Devin Harris, New Jersey Nets.

The best buzzer beater I have seen in years!  Devin Harris gets the inbounds with only a few seconds left in the game, takes a few dribbles to get the ball to half court only to have the ball knocked out of his hands by Andre Igudoala, he is still able to recover and get the shot off in time to win the game.  I still am floored, and I’ve seen this at least 50 times.

Play of the Year: Dwayne Wade, Miami Heat.

To go along with a monster game, Dwayne Wade finishes in hero form.  With only a few seconds left, and Chicago with the ball, Wade steals the Ball from Bulls forward Tim Salmons, takes a few dribbles and hits a running 3 pointer at the buzzer to win the game.   Rumor has it that Superman lives in Miami.

Another NBA season is beyond us, and now it’s that time of year again- where self proclaimed know-it-alls in the blogosphere use what little knowledge (bias) we have and crown the who’s-who of the NBA.  Also, with the playoffs coming as soon as tomorrow (predictions coming soon) I’ll hand out my awards before the action gets too nailbiting. 

Most Valuable Player:  Lebron James, Cleveland Cavaliers.

We all knew that it was only a matter of time until King James took his game to a level that allowed him to be crowned as the NBA’s best player.  Playing in 81 of a possible 82 games (he sat out the last game of the season due to the wishes of his coach) while averaging 28 pts, 7  assists and 7 rebounds.  We have never seen a player with the strength, size and speed of Lebron.  He single-handedly placed a team on his back and the result was the NBA’s best record (66-16) and the second best home record of all time (39-2).  Only thing left to do now is to win the NBA Finals. 

Rookie of the Year:  Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls

Averaging 17 pts, 6 assists and 4 rebounds as a rookie, Rose emerged early in the season as the class of last years draft – proving that he deserved that #1 pick.  He quickly became the leader of the Bulls and has led them to the postseason and a first round matchup with the Celtics. 

Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic

All you have to do is take a look at the image and see why Howard has become the poster child for defensive presence in the NBA.    He led the league in both rebounding and blocks (14 and 3), all while averaging over a steal a game.   Also, he changes the outcome of a game with plays that don’t show up on the stat sheet, like deflections and altered shots.

 6th Man of the Year:  Jason Terry, Dallas Mavericks.

19.5 points per game in 34 minutes. 46 percent shooting, 36 percent from the 3 pt line, 88 percent from at the free throw line. 3.4 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.6 turnovers, 2.4 rebounds, average defense, and accepting a leadership role off the bench with a great attitude that can’t help but reflect off his teammates. The Jet has been fantastic this season.  Also, his team made the playoffs – Sorry Nate Robinson.

Most Improved Player: Devin Harris, New Jersey Nets.

 Consider this season the official Devin Harris coming out party.  In one season he’s gone from a decent role playing pg in Dallas, to an all-star and the “it” guy for New Jersey.   Harris impressed while boosting his averages to 22 points and 7.0 assists; the only players with better numbers in those categories are Dwayne Wade, Chris Paul and Lebron James (all MVP candidates)

Coach of the Year:  Rick Adelman, Houston Rockets

Adelman has dealt with a season-ending injury to perennial all-star Tracy McGrady, alongside injuries to Shane Battier, Ron Artest, Calry Landry, and the loss of his starting point guard Rafer Alston to a trade, all while weaving in inexperienced players like Von Wafer, Aaron Brooks, Kyle Lowry, and Chuck Hayes.  However, the Rockets still won over 50 games and the fifth seed in the playoffs for the third straight year.

Another college basketball season has come and gone.  Congratualtions go out to North Carolina, for being the best team at the start and the end of the season (and the one final four team I got right in my office bracket).  I watched a lot of ball this year (more than normal, minus the big 10).  Here are my opinions/awards to sum up this year in college hoops.  Also, I would like to add that March Madness is the greatest sporting event of all time; nothing comes close.

Player of the year:  Blake Griffin, Oklahoma.  

MVP of March Madness:  Ty Lawson, North Carolina.

Game of the year:  Syracuse vs. UCONN (6 ot’s, Big East tournament)

Block of the year:  Hasheem Thabeet, UCONN.

Assist of the year:  Johnny Flynn, Syracuse (check about the 1:05 mark)

Dunk of the year:  Blake Griffin, Oklahoma and Carlon Brown, Utah.

Play of the year:  Scottie Reynolds. Villanova.

Blooper of the year: Adam Waddell, Wyoming.

So after taking nearly a year off from the blogosphere, I have decided to come back out of retirement for both school and personal reasons.  So please, consider this my official announcement back in the game (it’s got me feeling like Michael with the #45 jersey on).

Seeing that John Madden has had a trouser-ripping boner for Brett Favre for the past 15 years, it’s only fitting that after the man retires he pays homage and puts him on the cover of Madden ‘09.

I am far from a Favre hater, in fact I am quite the opposite, but I do find this a bit suspect.  I’m wondering if this is a way to break the Madden curse, or to keep the curse alive any suspicion of a Favre comeback to rest.