The Utah Jazz rallied on the road to storm past the Phoenix Suns in the 4th quarter for a 116-108 win. The Suns, playing their fourth game in five nights, could not shut down Utah from beyond the arch who went 12-24. Mehmet Okur landed the final 3-pt blow as the shot clock expired and with the Jazz leading by one, putting them ahead for good.
The Suns’ 10 point lead unraveled spectacularly. Williams hit back to back threes after sitting most of the 2nd quarter with foul trouble. Phoenix tried to match Utah but ill-advised shots from Frye and Richardson gifted the Jazz with the stretch momentum. Then suddenly the game was over and Phoenix had lost.
Phoenix plays the next six games at home and must win five of them to keep themselves away from the dreaded 8th seed and a first round matchup against the Lakers. Hopefully Dragic will return to ease the load on Hill and Nash – the two veterans cannot run this team in tandem.
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Heat 114, Lakers 111
The Miami Heat held off the LA Lakers in a thrilling overtime game in Miami. With over thirty lead changes – the most in the NBA so far this season – it was Dwyane Wade who had the final say after Kobe Bryant dominated the end of regulation and the start of the extra period.
The question that I asked watching this one was, “What is Jermaine O’Neal’s future in the NBA?” His contribution was far from steady as he:
- Stepped out to set a screen on a critical possession but instead drew an offensive foul.
- Caught a lob from Wade near the bucket on a critical possession and finished softly for two.
- Goal-tended a fast-break layup on a critical possession.
- Drew a charge on Kobe on a critical possession that ended up grounding the Lakers for good.
O’Neal is off contract with the Heat and has a number of factors to consider. He can still compete at a high level, but not on every possession. Can a team afford this inconsistency from its starting center? Will Miami sign some big name free agents and force O’Neal to look for a job elsewhere? And if so, with lots of teams with cap room, will he end up with a bigger contract than necessary because someone can spend?
What future do you see for Jermaine O’Neal?