OKLAHOMA CITY — After losing Gordon Hayward to the Boston Celtics in the offseason Josh Allen Jersey Youth , it looked like it would be a long shot for the Utah Jazz to make the playoffs.
But after a rough start, the Jazz won 29 of 34 games before losing their regular-season finale to drop to the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference.
They’ll open the playoffs Sunday at Chesapeake Energy Arena against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team that looked like a lock to not only make the playoffs but compete atop the conference. But the Thunder didn’t solidify their place in the playoffs until a win in the next-to-last game of the season.
The series is one of the more intriguing first-round matchups, with Utah’s 7-foot-1 center Rudy Gobert providing a rim-protecting presence to combat Thunder superstar point guard Russell Westbrook.
Gobert has also taken over as a leader after the departure of Hayward.
That included a strong statement after the Jazz dropped a game in Atlanta in late January to fall nine games below .500. At the time, Gobert tweeted, “We will be fine.”
“It’s only brighter from that point,” Gobert told the Salt Lake Tribune. “I looked at our team, our organization, and I thought, ‘Why not turn things around?’ We were 19-28 Tre'Davious White Jersey , but we had everything in our hands. We knew we were going to turn.”
That turnaround hinged in large part on Utah’s defense, which figures to play a big part in the series as Oklahoma City’s pick-and-roll combo of Westbrook and center Steven Adams will be tested and Paul George plays in his first postseason with the Thunder.
“As the playoffs go, the game slows down some, teams are really conscientious of getting back in transition,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “You’re always trying to find ways to carve out a way to get some easy baskets, whether it’s offensive rebounds, free throws, backdoor cuts.
“But sometimes up against the clock, you need guys that can generate offense for your team, or who can make a play Denzel Ward Browns Jersey , make a shot or make a play for somebody else.”
Oklahoma City won the regular-season series 3-1, but the Thunder had defensive stopper Andre Roberson available for all four of those games. Roberson suffered a season-ending injury in late January, eventually opening the door for Oklahoma City to sign Corey Brewer.
George figures to draw perhaps the most important defensive assignment, taking over for Roberson in guarding Jazz rookie guard Donovan Mitchell.
“I’m used to these matchups,” George said. “I’m used to playing against the best offensive guy in these moments. That’ll be my role. Not to say Corey won’t guard (Mitchell), but that’ll definitely be my role, especially late in games.”
George guarded Mitchell on only 27 possessions during the four regular-season meetings, going 4 of 7 from the floor. Roberson guarded Mitchell for 78 possessions.
“He’s a really good attacking guard in the open floor and in transition,” Donovan said of Mitchell. “Obviously with the way he can shoot it, I think his strength and physicality. He does a lot of different things for them in transition and in half court while also creating for himself.”
LeBron James is inspiring more than just kids with his school in Akron.
Cleveland Browns cornerback T.J. Carrie said Wednesday that the NBA star has motivated him and other athletes to be more active in their communities. ”Are we doing enough?” Carrie asked.
Earlier this week Jarvis Landry Jersey , James, who recently left the Cleveland Cavaliers and signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, opened the I Promise School, a year-round facility designed for at-risk kids and their families, in his hometown.
The school is funded by a partnership between Akron City Schools and the LeBron James Family foundation. Along with a curriculum that caters to a student’s needs, the school has a food pantry and provides transportation and other educational resources to some of the city’s most needy residents. It currently serves only third- and fourth-grade students, but the school plans expand to grades 1-8 by 2020.
Carrie, who signed with the Browns as a free agent in March after four seasons with Oakland, said James’ efforts lead him to want to do more. Two years ago, the 28-year-old launched his own youth foundation.
”I’m talking to my team now Ezekiel Elliott Jersey Elite ,” he said. ”OK, LeBron’s doing this, we’re not on his level, but the level that we’re on, what can we do to achieve and make a huge difference within the community out here?”
Carrie said some of his teammates have discussed ways in which they can help others.
Carrie also has Ohio connections. The California native played at Ohio University before being drafted by the Raiders in 2014.
Although James is leaving after his second stint with the Cavaliers, Carrie believes his work in Ohio remains.
”LeBron has done an amazing job here in the state of Ohio, period,” Carrie said. ”It sets precedents for what we should do as athletes on how we are a role model to a lot of kids that we may not know, that we may not see but that know us.”
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