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Greg Wrubell ReportingFor the new-look Jazz, it was still the same old story Sunday in San Antonio. The Jazz played and lost game one of the NBA Western Conference Finals in the Alamo City.
The Utah Jazz have proven they can beat the San Antonio Spurs. The only problem is, the Spurs have to be in their black uniforms for the Jazz to have a chance.
When the Spurs are wearing white, it just never turns out right for the Jazz.
Sunday game one of the Western Conference Finals pitted the Jazz against the Spurs in San Antonio, where Utah had lost 16 in a row.
The Jazz opened strongly, taking a 7-0 lead before the Spurs got going. But once they did, they were off to the races, taking a 3-point lead after one quarter. They stretched that lead to 18 points at halftime.
The Jazz scored only 36 first-half points as the Spurs shot 66 percent before the break.
The Jazz recovered after halftime. In fact the Jazz scored more points in the fourth quarter than they scored in the entire first half. But there was too much of Duncan, Ginobli and Parker. They score 27, 24 and 21.
Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer scored 34 and 20 respectively but it was not enough, even as the Jazz cut a 19-point deficit to 7 points late. The Spurs end up winning by 8, with the final 108-100.
Tim Duncan talked about the Spurs' fade to the finish. "You can say it was jitters. They had a couple of extra days off. Maybe a little bit of their rust, whatever it may be. But they played better in that second half. And we didn't."
Deron Williams said, "They were aggressive. We got a little timid, something we can't do. We have to keep fighting, battling for a full 48 minutes."
With the loss, the Jazz have now dropped 17 consecutive games in San Antonio.
Game two of their best-of-seven series set for tomorrow night at the AT&T Center.
