Jazz eliminate Nuggets from 2010 Playoffs

Jazz eliminate Nuggets from 2010 playoffs in Game 6

// May 1st, 2010 // 2010 Playoffs

It was rainbows and butterflies after the Utah Jazz posted a 112-104 victory to eliminate the Denver Nuggets from the 1st round of the 2010 Playoffs. Well, except for Chris “Birdman” Andersen’s blind screen set on Deron Williams with only :20 left in the game. Williams seemed visibly in pain and left the court as soon as the buzzer sounded. The seriousness of the injury to Deron’s left elbow was not immediately made known.

Carmelo Anthony actually chased down DWill to congratulate him and wish him luck in the next round. That’s good sportsmanship right there. Hear that, Birdman, take a lesson! I liked him…until now. Now, he’s just another Thugget. If the Nuggets don’t like that nickname, their play in Game 6 will likely do very little to sway public opinion.

The Nuggets received 4 techincal fouls during this game. When Kenyon Martin fouled Deron Williams on a layup he, then, gave DWill and extra shove towards the baseline. At that moment, the implosion of the Nuggets began. The game was tied at 95-95 and the Jazz went on a 11-0 run to seal it.

In the beginning of the season, if you had told me that in an elimination game against the Nuggets Wesley Matthews would have been our leading scorer AND that we would have won that game, there’s no way I would have believed that.

Matthews got it done. Despite only going 4 of 12 from the floor, he was sent to the foul line 15 times and converted 13 of his free throws there. He finished with 23 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 block.

Carlos Boozer didn’t back down. With Nene out of the game, Boozer was able to dominate the inside tallying 22 points (on 11 of 14 from the field), 20 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Paul Millsap was fearless. He gets the least respect from the officials but he found his ways of tearing it up. He converted a number of 3-point plays down the stretch to arrive at 21 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks.

Between Millsap, Matthews, and Williams, they shot 35 free throws. During this game, 70 fouls were committed including 39 by the Nuggets which was a franchise high. To say it was a physical game would be like saying that skiing on a broken leg might be a bad idea.

What lies next for the Jazz is a familiar path: playing the Lakers shorthanded on the road in the playoffs. The Jazz were eliminated the last 2 seasons from the playoffs by the Lakers. But, we should at least get a day to revel in our victory against the Nuggets.