Utah Jazz centre Al Jefferson admits San Antonio Spurs are a better side – NBA Update
The San Antonio Spurs have been at the top of their game for quite some time now, and ever since the playoffs started, they have taken their game to a brand new level.
Winners of 24 of the last 26 games played and all three in the first round series against the Utah Jazz, the Spurs have emerged as one of the most formidable contenders for the NBA championship, perhaps even more so that the mighty Miami Heat.
Such has been the Spurs dominance so far in the series against the Jazz that it has not only broken the men from Salt Lake City physically, but has also broken their will. On Sunday, before the practice session for the game-4, Utah’s leading scorer and rebounder in the regular season admitted that his team is unfortunate to be playing against a team as brilliant as the Spurs;
"We’re playing against a team that is at its peak, and I don’t see nobody beating ‘em. … It’s a great team. I just take my hat off to ’em. Mad respect," said Al Jefferson. "It gets to the point where you’re just playing a team that’s better than you; that know what it takes to win and know how to win.”
The Spurs have just been sensational against the Jazz. They have a triple threat in the form of Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili and if that is not enough, there bench – best in the league by far - is continuing from where they left off in the regular season.
A series in which they are shooting 51.2 percent from the floor and averaging 107.3 points per game, the Spurs literally cruised through to the first two wins. In the game-3 which was played in Utah’s own back yard, they were held for the first three quarters, but then Tony Parker decided to ice the game.
The Spurs just haven’t allowed the Jazz to settle down into any sort of momentum and even with the shooting struggles of Ginobili; they have managed to slice down their opponents one game after another;
“If you lose to a team because you didn’t play your best, that’s one thing.” Jefferson added, “If you’re playing your best and doing everything that you can, and you’re just playing against a team that’s better than you, that’s another one."
The candid admission from Al Jefferson may result in him missing out on the starting spot in the game-4. Unlike Jefferson, Derrick Favors the young Jazz power forward has been upbeat about his team’s chances and coach Tyrone Corbin might want to start with someone, who has not been defeated mentally.
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