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SAN ANTONIO - The Jazz weren't supposed to be in the playoffs, but that doesn't mean a loss hurts less. A great way to take away the sting is to build on what was done well.
The Jazz lost 106- 91 in Game 1 of their series with the Spurs. The 15- point margin might be what most would have expected between the 1 and 8 seeds, but the Jazz kept the game close for most of the game.
"We weathered the storm pretty good," said head coach Tyrone Corbin. "We just didn't finish it off. I feel very good about us coming back on Wednesday and playing a better game, but it's not going to be easy."
The Spurs lead from 4:11 in the first quarter on. The largest lead was 15, which they held a few times, but the Jazz chipped away at the lead and kept it close until the close of the third quarter. In the second quarter they were down by eight and chopped the lead to two, then it ballooned again and the Jazz brought it to three.
"We had a chance, we were right there," Corbin said. "Late in the fourth we cut it down to 11, had a chance to cut it to nine, we just didn't take advantage of our opportunities. We never really got a consistent rhythm going. We were close enough, the positive thing is we can compete with these guys."
A big number that the Jazz will try to fix is the assist- to-turnover margin for both teams. The Jazz were only up one, with 17 assists and 16 turnovers, the Spurs were plus-15, with 25 and 10. The Jazz would occasionally seize momentum, but a bad entry pass or a lazy play would spark the Spurs who would take advantage of the situation.
"The reality is that they are a very good team," Corbin said. "For the most part we played really hard, we didn't play the smartest in certain situations."
Even with some mistakes, the Jazz had their chances. Tony Parker had 28 points to lead the Spurs and added eight assists. Corbin and Devin Harris talked about the importance of stopping him from penetrating, but that might be easier said then done.
The scary part might be looking at Manu Ginobili's numbers. He shot 3-10, including a missed fast-break dunk, for seven points. That probably won't happen again. The Jazz know that they will have to answer anything else that comes along.
"We got to improve on defense and come out and win the game." said Derrick Favors, who played 26 minutes in his first playoff games.
The Jazz did play poor defense, with San Antonio's numbers being slightly higher than usual, but the Jazz's offense was also sub-par for the night. The Jazz have been averaging 99.7 points. If the averages balance the series should be interesting.
"We just got to make sure we hit the right shots," Corbin said. "Sometimes they don't go in."
The 15-point deficit was big, but a made shot by the Jazz and a miss from the Spurs during any of the Jazz runs could have tipped the scales. The Spurs looked and played like the better team on Sunday, but Corbin believes his team has a chance to change fortunes in Game 2.
"I have all the confidence in the world this team will play better on Wednesday."
