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SALT LAKE CITY - Just two days earlier the Jazz locker room was boisterous. They had just finished a blowout of the Clippers and everyone on the Jazz had fun as they were getting ready for an off day.
Earl Watson stayed mostly calm in his corner locker.
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Jazz lose late lead, game to Mavericks 94-91
Shawn Marion scored a season-high 22 points, including a late layup, as the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Utah Jazz 94-91 Thursday night to snap a two- game losing streak and cool off the league's hottest team.After the Jazz's 94-91 loss to the Mavericks the room had a gloomy sense to it. Most of the players realized it was one loss and quickly talked to the media, got ready and left.
Watson stayed in his corner with head down, knowing that the media was waiting to talk to him.
He took his time, showered and got dressed. After almost every other player had left the locker room, Watson finally met the media to answer questions. There was nothing calm in his appearance. His eyes held back tears, possibly from the fire that was still burning inside.
The Jazz came back from 13 and 11 point deficits in the second and third quarters, even taking a lead in the fourth, but Watson didn't care about what the Jazz almost accomplished.
"I'm not into moral victories, I'm into wins and losses," Watson said. "I don't care about stats, I don't care about anything but winning."
Watson ended the night playing 24 minutes, scoring five points and dishing seven assists. But the play that could define what Watson has become will show up in the stats as a technical foul.
There was just under a minute left in the third quarter and Derrick Favors just had an offensive foul called on him. Dirk Nowitzki drew the foul, then slapped the ball out of Favors hands. The 6-1 ten-year veteran came to the aid of the sophomore forward and confronted Nowitzki, who is nearly a foot taller.
"My teammates are like my brothers," Watson said. "I love all my teammates, I love my team. It's like protecting your house."
That attitude was spread throughout the locker room. C.J. Miles said that Watson is "basically my brother." He added that "Earl is after whoever it is."
I'm not into moral victories, I'm into wins and losses. I don't care about stats, I don't care about anything but winning.
–Utah Jazz guard Earl Watson
Watson didn't fight just to fight. He wouldn't jeopardize a loss just to prove a point. He did want to make sure his team was heading in the right direction.
"Belief is strong," Watson said. "Once we start believing we can be as good as we can be, which is great."
Recently, Jamaal Tinsley was talked about as "The Voice" for the Jazz, for consistently being in younger players ears. Watson is now becoming "The Heart" of this team. He isn't heard much, sometimes he has to be searched out on the court, but his impact is felt throughout the game, stadium and fan-base.
After the loss he took to Twitter an hour after the game ended and left this message, "Nights like tonight... I will NOT sleep..."
Players get paid to put a loss behind them - it is a job and some care more than others. Watson, however, remembers the loss, and it doesn't matter what he makes.
"You couldn't pay me enough money to be happy to lose."
