The Jazz weren’t much of a match for the Spurs in Game #1 of this series yesterday.  Paul Millsap led the way for the Jazz with 21 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocked shots.  Gordon Hayward (17 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals) and Al Jefferson (16 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals) also pitched in with solid games for the Jazz.  The Jazz are now down 1-0 in this series.

The Jazz surged into the playoffs with a nice late run this year, so they are coming into this season running a little hot.  The Spurs have been resting players lately, so they will need to flip the switch.  Here is a look at the matchups in this series:

POINT GUARD:  29-year old Devin Harris has played really well late this season and the Jazz need that to carry over into the playoffs.  Harris played in 63 games (all starts) for the Jazz this year and he averaged 27.6 minutes, 11.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.0 steal per game.  He has played in 38 games in the playoffs so far in his NBA career and he is averaging 21.1 minutes, 8.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.

29-year old Tony Parker had probably the best season of his career in 2011-12 for the Spurs.  He played in 60 games (all starts) for the Spurs this year and he averaged 32.1 minutes, 18.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.0 steal per game.  Parker has played in 138 games in the playoffs in his NBA career so far and he is averaging 36.3 minutes, 18.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.

EDGE:  SPURS

SHOOTING GUARD:  22-year old Gordon Hayward took a big step forward in 2011-12 for the Jazz.  He played in 66 games (58 starts) for the Jazz this year and he averaged 30.5 minutes, 11.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.  This will be Hayward’s first venture into the NBA Playoffs and the Jazz need him to be up for the challenge.

24-year old Daniel Green really played solid basketball for the Spurs this year.  He played in 66 games (38 starts) for the Spurs this year and he averaged 23.1 minutes, 9.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.  Green has played in 4 games in the playoffs so far in his career and he averaged 1.8 minutes, 1.3 points, 0.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.

EDGE:  EVEN

SMALL FORWARD:  25-year old DeMarre Carroll will be the starting small forward for the Jazz in this series.  He played in 20 games (9 starts) for the Jazz this year and he averaged 16.4 minutes, 4.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game.  This will be his first playoff experience.

20-year old rookie Kawhi Leonard will likely be the Spurs’ starter at small forward in this series.  Leonard played in 64 games (39 starts) for the Spurs this year and he averaged 24.0 minutes, 7.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game.  I think Leonard will play pretty well in this series for the Spurs.

EDGE:  SPURS

POWER FORWARD:  27-year old Paul Millsap is one of the most underrated power forwards in the NBA.  He played in 64 games (62 starts) for the Jazz this year and he averaged 32.8 minutes, 16.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game.  Millsap has played in 44 games in the playoffs in his NBA career so far and he is averaging 21.6 minutes, 9.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 1.0 blocked shot per game.

36-year old Tim Duncan knows all of the tricks as he is one of the best big men in NBA history.  Duncan played in 58 games (all starts) for the Spurs this year and he averaged 28.2 minutes, 15.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 blocked shots per game.  He played in 176 games in the playoffs in his NBA career and he is averaging 39.5 minutes, 22.7 points, 12.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.6 blocked shots per game.

EDGE:  SPURS

CENTER:  27-year old Al Jefferson has turned into one of the better centers in the NBA.  Jefferson played in 61 games (all starts) for the Jazz this year and he averaged 34.0 minutes, 19.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.7 blocked shots per game.  Jefferson has played in 7 games in the playoffs so far in his NBA career and he is averaging 19.4 minutes, 6.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 1.1 blocked shots per game.

23-year old DeJuan Blair is a hard working player on both ends of the court.  Blair played in 64 games (62 starts) for the Spurs this year and he averaged 21.3 minutes, 9.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.  Blair has played in 14 games in the playoffs in his NBA career so far and he is averaging 10.1 minutes, 3.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.

EDGE:  JAZZ

BENCH:  The Jazz have a pretty solid bench.  20-year old PF/C Derrick Favors will be the first big off the bench in this series.  He played in 65 games (9 starts) for the Jazz this year and he averaged 21.2 minutes, 8.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 1.0 blocked shot per game.  This will be his first venture into the playoffs and the Jazz need him to play well in this series.  32-year old small forward Josh Howard will likely play more minutes than starter DeMarre Carroll.  Howard played in 43 games (18 starts) for the Jazz this year and he averaged 23.0 minutes, 8.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.  He has played in 62 games in the playoffs so far in his NBA career and he is averaging 33.1 minutes, 15.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 steal per game.  20-year old  rookie shooting guard Alec Burks is going to come off the bench shooting the ball.  Burks played in 59 games (0 starts) for the Jazz this year and he averaged 15.9 minutes, 7.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game.  19-year old rookie center Enes Kanter will give Al Jefferson a breather in this series when he needs one.  Kanter played in 66 games (0 starts) for the Jazz this year and he averaged 13.2 minutes, 4.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.1 assists per game.  34-year old Jamaal Tinsley will be backing up Devin Harris in this series.  Tinsley played in 37 games (1 start) for the Jazz this year and he averaged 13.7 minutes, 3.7 points, 1.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.  He has played in 37 games in the playoffs so far in his NBA career and he is averaging 25.6 minutes, 7.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

The Spurs’ bench is brimming with talent.  34-year old shooting guard Manu Ginobili is going to be a force in this series for the Spurs.  He played in 34 games (7 starts) for the Spurs this year and he averaged 23.3 minutes, 12.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per ame.  He has played in 122 games in the playoffs so far in his NBA career and he is averaging 31.4 minutes, 16.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game.  27-year old small forward Stephen Jackson is also likely to get a lot of P.T. in this series.  Jackson played in 21 games (0 starts) for the Spurs this year and he averaged 23.8 minutes, 8.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game.  Jackson has played in 58 games in the playoffs in his NBA career so far this year and he is averaging 36.6 minutes, 15.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game.  27-year old center Tiago Splitter will share time at center with DeJuan Blair in this series.  He played in 59 games (2 starts) for the Spurs this year and he averaged 19.0 minutes, 9.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.  Splitter has played in 3 games in the playoffs in his young NBA career and he is averaging 16.7 minutes, 6.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 1.0 steal per game.  32-year old forward Matt Bonner will give Tim Duncan a rest once in a while in this series.  Bonner played in 65 games (2 starts) for the Spurs this year and he averaged 20.4 minutes, 6.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game.  He is the best long range shooter on the Spurs.  23-year old point guard Patrick Mills will back up Tony Parker in this series.  Mills played in 16 games (3 starts) for the Spurs this year and he averaged 16.3 minutes, 10.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.  Mills has played in 5 games in the playoffs in his NBA career so far and he is averaging 3.4 minutes, 1.2 points, 0.2 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.  27-year old guard Gary Neal will also get some P.T. in this series.  He played in 56 games (7 starts) for the Spurs this year and he averaged 21.5 minutes, 9.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.  Neal has played in 6 games in the playoffs in his career so far and he is averaging 18.5 minutes, 7.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game.  30-year old Boris Diaw can played anywhere on the court.  He played in 20 games (7 starts) for the Spurs this year and he averaged 20.3 minutes, 4.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.  Diaw has played in 39 games in the playoffs in his NBA career so far and he is averaging 34.9 minutes, 13.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.

EDGE:  SPURS

COACHING:  Tyrone Corbin coached up the Jazz as they finished up the season with a 36-30 (54.5%) record.  This is his first venture into the playoffs as a head coach.

Gregg Popovich is one of the most successful head coaches in NBA history as he has already won 4 NBA Titles with the Spurs.  The Spurs had the best record in the Western Conference as they finished with a 50-16 (75.8%) record, while at the same time resting players for the playoffs!  Popovich is 108-73 (59.7%) in the playoffs as an NBA head coach.

EDGE: HUGE FOR THE SPURS

PREDICTION:  SPURS IN SIX GAMES

The Jazz outrebounded the Blazers 48-36 and it was a key to a nice home win last night.  Alec Burks (18 points, 3 rebounds and 2 steals) and Derrick Favors (15 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 blocked shot) led the way for the Jazz last night.  Jeremy Evans filled up the stat sheet with 13 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals and 3 blocked shots in 28 minutes on the floor.  Enes Kanter (12 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 2 blocked shots in 34 minutes) and Josh Howard (12 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 blocked shot) also pitched in for the Jazz in this game.  The Jazz finished up the 2011-12 season with a 36-30 record.

The Jazz locked up a playoff spot last night by beating the Suns in Salt Lake City.  They did it by hitting the boards hard, as they outrebounded the Suns 56-42.  Paul Millsap (26 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 1 blocked shot) and Al Jefferson (18 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocked shots) led the way for the Jazz last night.  Devin Harris (14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals), Derrick Favors (13 points, 11 rebounds, 1 steal and 5 blocked shots) and Gordon Hayward (11 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals) also pitched in with solid games for the Jazz last night.  The Jazz are now 35-30 on the year.

The Jazz shot 53.4% from the floor last night and they outscored the Magic 16-6 in O.T. to finish them off.  Al Jefferson (21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 3 blocked shots) and Devin Harris (21 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists and 1 blocked shot) led the way for the Jazz in this game.  Paul Millsap (18 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals and 1 blocked shot) and Derrick Favors (16 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 blocked shot) also had rock solid games for the Jazz last night.  Gordon Hayward pitched in with 12 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists in this game.  The Jazz are now 34-30 on the year.

The Jazz have re-signed 27-year old guard Blake Ahearn for the rest of the 2011-12 season.  Ahearn has played in 3 games (0 starts) for the Jazz so far this year and he is averaging 5.0 minutes, 1.0 point, 0.7 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game.  He has now played in 18 games (0 starts) in his first three years in the NBA and he is averaging 11.7 minutes, 4.5 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.  This move likely won’t matter one way or the other for Jazz.

The Jazz signed 25-year old small forward DeMarre Carroll off the scrap heap a couple of months ago, and that move is starting to reap some benefits so far in April.  Carroll has played in 8 games (6 starts) for the Jazz so far this month and he is averaging 20.8 minutes, 6.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game.  Carroll is shooting 44.7% from the floor, 40% from three point range and 90% from the free throw line so far this month, as he has been impressive.  Carroll has now played in 21 games (6 starts) so far this year for the Jazz and he is averaging 13.7 minutes, 4.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game.  The Jazz hope that Carroll can keep up the good work.

The Jazz outrebounded the Blazers 49-39 and they held them to 39.2% shooting from the floor, which were the big reasons for the nice win last night.  Devin Harris (27 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists) and Gordon Hayward (23 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals) led the way for the Jazz in this game.  Alec Burks was outstanding off the bench with 17 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in 27 minutes off the bench.  Al Jefferson (11 points and 10 rebounds) and Enes Kanter (10 points) also pitched in for the Jazz in this game.  The Jazz are now 33-30 on the year.

The Jazz have lost 32-year old point guard Earl Watson for the rest of the 2011-12 season after undergoing knee surgery.  He played in 50 games (2 starts) for the Jazz last year and he averaged 20.6 minutes, 3.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game.  Watson only shot 33.8% from the floor, 19.2% from three point range and 67.4% from the free throw line this year and that is pretty awful.  34-year old Jamaal Tinsley will continue to be Devin Harris’ top backup at the point the rest of the year.  He has played in 33 games (1 start) for the Jazz so far this year and he is averaging 13.2 minutes, 3.8 points, 1.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.  Like Watson, Tinsley has had some issues shooting the ball so far this year as he has only connected on 39.7% from the floor and 27.8% from three point range.

The Jazz outrebounded the Mavs 53-41 and they outscored them 12-10 in the 3rd O.T. period to nip them in a hard fought battle.  Al Jefferson led the way for the Jazz with a monster game as he finished up with 28 points, 26 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 2 blocked shots.  Gordon Hayward (24 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot) and Devin Harris (23 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot) also had really good games for the Jazz.  Paul Millsap (16 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot) and DeMarre Carroll (15 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 steal in 45 minutes on the floor) also had solid games.  The Jazz are now 32-30 on the year.