Font Resize
New York » They knew it was coming after Saturday's loss to Sacramento and even went over zone defense principles at Monday's pregame shootaround in anticipation of being tested by the Knicks.
Yet the Jazz likely never expected to see a zone defense out of the Knicks almost exclusively from the middle of the first quarter on and admitted afterward that they probably will see more of the same in coming games.
"We were a little better than what we were the other night, but not a lot," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. "We'll see a lot of that, I'm sure. People know that we don't shoot the ball that well out on the perimeter, try to take away your inside game, and that's how they'll play us."
The Jazz were able to produce a series of layups against the zone in the second quarter, but were carried in large part by Andrei Kirilenko 's three-point shooting in the third quarter.
"We had good stretches where we got some open shots," Deron Williams said, "and then others where we got stagnant and couldn't find a good open look."
Williams noted that the Jazz not only devote little time ("here and there a little bit") practicing against zone defenses, they seldom play the defense themselves in games. "It's definitely tough when teams show it a lot," Williams said.
Kirilenko, however, thrived against the Knicks' zone, finishing with 23 points, six rebounds and six
"I love to play against zones because defensively, guys they didn't really pay attention," Kirilenko said. "They're not playing against you particularly, they're playing against a spot."
Injury report
Even as they got good news about C.J. Miles and Kyle Korver , the Jazz watched Ronnie Price leave Monday's game in the second quarter with a sprained left big toe. X-rays were negative, but Price did not return.
"I got a steal and I went to take off and I felt it pop underneath my foot, two pops underneath my foot," said Price, who was wearing sneakers after the game and added that he would wait to see how the toe felt today.
"The pain, I thought it would go away and it just kept getting stronger and stronger. Then it started throbbing on me pretty bad, so I knew something was wrong."
Miles and Korver, meanwhile, were re-evaluated by their respective doctors in New York. After undergoing thumb surgery last month, Miles had his cast removed and can now start rehab, though he is limited for now to squeezing a small ball or sponge in a whirlpool.
He estimated that it would be another two weeks until he could resume practicing and possibly another month before he returns for a game. Miles said doctors were optimistic he'd be playing by the time the Jazz return to the area for a Dec. 16 game at New Jersey.
"After the first couple workouts, I can gauge how much it hurts, then what I can do and what I can't do to work up to being in the game," Miles said.
Korver was said to be progressing after having surgery to remove a bone spur from his left knee. He was cleared for increased activity and will spend the rest of this week at the Peak Performance Project training center in Santa Barbara, Calif.
