The difference in the level of class shown by Jerry Sloan vs. phil jackson is a nice microcosm of the difference between the Utah Jazz and LA Lakers.

up 10 and Kobe shooting free-throws every trip and jackson blames the officials for letting the Jazz back into the game. I love that jackson is so easy to loathe....he's a pompous athlete who can read and thus thinks he's some sort of philosophical genius, if only he knew how bad he really looks.

go Jazz!

Kobe like Michael Jordan in the prime of his career is going to get whatever calls he and his team need to advance . The NBA and big television know that the money flows from advertising into large population markets like LA.

Yep even if you even breath to hard around kobe you get called for a foul it's sad it's truly sad but hey that's the nba

Gest serious. You wrote, "Kobe like Michael Jordan in the prime of his career is going to get whatever calls he and his team need to advance."

The Jazz were called for 33 fouls and the Lakers 27, not a big difference there... so what are you talking about? Your players themselves said they just didn't make the shots. Stop with the crying already.

I don't give a **** about how many fouls, Re:reality, but free(with emphasis on free) throws. Remember how upset you were at how many free throws Malone shot against you guys in 97? You cant have it both ways!

Thanks for the tip, Anonymous. Jazz at the line 30 times. Lakers were 46. And how did they miss Harpring being slammed down?

RE: Reality needs to compare apples to oranges. No need for all the astericks, though.

The downfall of the NBA is caring, advocating, and
cheating for teams from bigger markets. You really
do not see this kind of artificial outside control
created by the bandito Stern. If they would just
be fair to all teams and PLAYERS, but they are not.
A strike would still generally be a strike even
it is Alex Rodriquez in major league baseball.
People are onto the NBA and it is suffering.
Let's not forget that some officials have ties
to organized gambling, and maybe crime syndicates.

That second half was our game... We missed the shots during the last two minutes... I still think we should have one but that's on the players for missing the shots... We had our chance...

The Jazz simply did not go the the rack enough. Firing up hurried outside shots led to a horrenous shooting percentage. Kobe Bryant & company went to the hole. The biggest problem for the Jazz was the several mystery calls by officiating, turning the ball over with errant passing, and the usual packing it in defense by the Jazz, leading to Laker unmolested outside shooting. The Laker defense is not intimidating....Gasol is a joke on defense. I can see the Jazz breaking through in Los Angeles, but they must hold homecourt.

Go Jazz!!!!

Drew, did you watch the game yesterday??? Harpring was fouled but did you see him grab the jersey of the laker defender? Open you eyes man. The Jazz evidently did not have a game plan except for "Grab what you can". Calls were missed on each end. Did you see Lamar Odom get hacked by Harpring to end the 3rd? or were you crying in your soup. The Lakers are head and shoulders above the fueless Rockets and the Jazz have a black panther by the tail....and his name is KOBE, not T-Mac.

Sokol: You must not be a student of history. The Jazz had their shot with Stockton and Malone. They were a great duo. BUT they ran into a Bulls team with a guy named Jordan. Unfortunately, BOOZER is not named Karl and Williams, although a tough cover, is not Stockton. The Jazz made it to the finals so there goes your "market theory". Enjoy the game, even if you are on the losing side otherwise you are just a sour grape eating Jazz fan.

The Jazz would have to have no fouls called on them in an entire game before Jazz fans are satisfied.
Since the loss I've heard the following excuses: Refs cheat, Phil Jackson is a jerk, Kobe gets all the calls, They cheated by getting Paul Gasol, the Jazz are tired, bigger market gets all the breaks, orgainized crime is involved,Sloan doesn't know how to coach, the annoumcers are for the Lakers, Fisher lied, the NBA is just not fair, etc. Sounds like a winning program to me!.

First the refs were awful. Not necessarily for the Jazz or Lakers, but they were way inconsistent. One minute they are calling touch fouls the next Harpring gets killed and there is no foul or how about when he hacked Odom and got away with it.

As for stars getting the calls, we all know that happens. The only player that gets more calls than Kobe is Iverson. The NBA always tries to get attention for its stars, and the refs help out quite a bit.

The NBA does favor teams in big markets. Teams from small markets have to be way better than team from big markets in order to win, fortunately that does happen occasionaly such as the Spurs and the Jazz. I can promise you that David Stern wants a Celtics-Lakers final more than anything in the world.

If Boozer doesn't step it up the Jazz are doomed. He has been playing terrible for over a month now. At least Okur is playing like a man.

Lastly, I hate the Lakers, and i sure hope the Jazz win on Wednesday.

Truth is:

Refs called bad calls both ways...no way to pin it on one team. Stop talking about the refs...no seriously, stop talking about em.

Phil Jackson is a looser. Hall of Fame coach, or just a guy who doesn't put himself in a situation that doesn't have one of the most talented people in the NBA (Jordan, Shaq, Kobe, etc). I vote for the latter.

Kobe does get the calls. Its the NBA, thats what they do.

Fisher did lie. Face it. He puts on a nice guy front but then moves FURTHER away from his childs care facility in NYC to play with the Lakers.

They didn't cheat to get Gasol. Just no other team would have been able to get him the way they did. Lakers are favored by everyone, not just the refs.

Lastly, the broadcast yesterday STUNK IT UP!! ESPN announcers have a man crush on all the Lakers, especially Kobe. Why not give some insight into both teams? Try to at least be a little objective, which is why I'm watching a national broadcast instead of KJAZZ in the first place. Couldn't stand watching it!

Losers always complain.

Sue...so when Phil Jackson complained about the officiating during the break that makes him a ...?
and to "enough already" I have not read what you seem to see...everyone seems to agree the Jazz had their open shots and failed to convert...which is without a doubt why they failed. All the other things are just observations of facts...Jackson is a jerk...even your sainted Kobe and the wonder Shaq said so when they weren't getting what they wanted...Fisher didn't lie...any more than Bush did...Kobe gets the calls...please don't humiliate yourself by claiming otherwise...and tell me how many announcers around the country were on the verge of tears when Kirilenko was dissatisfied...they made a joke of it...compared to the end of the world reaction to Kobe's little tirade...I would rather support a losing progam like the Clips forever, than to have to see The Phil and Kobe show every night...you can have them!

Why doesn't sloan complian to the refs and show that he actually cares for once.

And not swear at them, the refs don't respond to that so well.

It's hard to get free throws when you are shooting jump shots.

Free throws result from forcing the action.

Why doesn't sloan copmlain more and show that he actaully cares for once.

And not swear at the refs they don't respond to that very well. (Hmmm maybe slaon is hurting the jazz more with his game time caoching more than helping.)

When you are shooting jump shost you not going get many free throws.

Free throws result from forcing the action.

Anonymous@ I would buy your argument but for some inexplicable reason, T Mac and Kobe get plenty of free throws off jump shots...free throws are gifts from the league...dished out to whom they wish when they wish...and just like a street corner pharmacist, they hand out just enough to the little fish to keep their followers coming back...and being the little junkies we are...we keep coming!

Oh how I miss the old days of Rambis, Magic, Worthy and Scott. Couple that with Parish, McHale, Bird and DJ and you've again got a real playoff match up. You didn't see those teams complaining about fouls, you saw them stick someone going up for a layup 3 rows into the stands. The game's turned into a ticky tack isolation joke. It's unfortunate too because I love the game...or at least I used to.

You know what Laker Fans? The NBA is the same all over the country. If your team was in the same situation as the jazz were (only 1 1/2 days to get ready) you'd be complaining over mostly the same things that Jazz fans are. Bad calls, tired...etc. So be quiet and stop harassing jazz fans hypocrites.

Actually I saw magic and kareem complain alot.

Every foul they madecrybaby faces.

This is really not a new thing.

The differnce is they made championships happen.

They didn't wish and hope they could play lesser team in the playoffs

they didn't wish and hope their would get more experience.

they didn't wish and hope the ref would make easier for them

they didn't wish hope their players would play a little better.

They got the RIGHT players, they believed could they win it all, and they did it.

That's the difference between "wishers n hopers" and doers.

I remember the days when they used to call the 4th quarter "SHOWTIME". The Lakers back then always to took over the 4th qtr and won their games, whether it was a tight game or not. The good days then and the good days now!

"Fisher did lie. Face it. He puts on a nice guy front but then moves FURTHER away from his childs care facility in NYC to play with the Lakers."

ummm...Fisher's daughter gets treated in NYC once every TWO MONTHS, and visits Children's Hospital in LA every 4 weeks....

Why would he move to NY if she's getting treated in LA twice as frequently? That doesn't make any sense.

Visit? Treated? is that the same thing? pull your head out!

If he has to go twice as much to LA than to NYC, it's clear that moving to NYC is a pretty bad move (twice as many trips for a ill little girl). The question is.... was there any other facilities where she could be treated? Was the one in LA the only or better available? If it was, Fisher did not lie. If there was a better one in, say, Boston, he did. I don't know if there is and I guess neither do you. Thus, stop commenting about things you don't know a **** about. If you don't know the facts, you should accept what Fisher says because he certainly knows more than you.

um i know you okie dokes dont know alot of good knowin' stuff. lmao. look Children's hospital in LA has some of the best treatment and children's doctors in the country hands down.You guy say you have class? lol unreal how classless you are to boo a great father and hard worker like Derek.seriously if isaw one of you guys in person it wouldnt end up too nicely for you.You guys just go too far, cross the line completely.

the very fact that you people have that audacity to accuse Derek is sickening

"derek didnt lie anymore than Bush did"
WOW, yah its not like we dont know for a fact how much our government lies to us. lol sheep. and you know what? you just prove that in hindsight Derek was right to move away he wanted to come back to where his daughters family and his heart is. with LA and with the Lakers, and for all your jazz fans have shown, lala land as you like to call it has alot more heart and compassion than your sterile state will ever have.

Alright runelord. Finally, someone who makes sense and tells it like it is. It don't matter what Derek chose to do. It is his decision and does not have to justify anything to anybody, except to up above. For all you who judge, get a life. As for the game, sit back and enjoy! Stop whining as to who's better, who lied, bad official calls, bad coaches, favorite players or teams. Just chill and may the best man/team win. Don't be a sour grape just because someone is a little better than you or because you can't have what you want.

And to Dave...Yes, I can see why Coach Phil Jackson is so easy to loathe. How many championships does he have strung to his belt? Don't be a hater. Accept and recognize....you snooze, you lose. Sorry Jazz! If at first you don't succeed...try, try again.