Between the Lines: Utah vs. Golden State, Game One

The highly anticipated NBA Western Conference semifinal between the Utah Jazz and Golden State Warriors tipped off last night, moments after viewers were lulled to sleep by Game 2 of the Chicago/Detroit series. These viewers didn’t get much time to doze off, as the two young contenders from the West staged a thrilling contest and provided more than a few classic moments. Here are a few things you may have missed from Monday night’s gem:

—> So what, you ask, will be this matchup’s most intriguing subplot? Clearly, the battle at the point guard spot between Golden State’s Baron Davis and Utah’s Deron Williams is the biggest story. But subplot? It has to be the mohawk revival. That’s right, folks. The stars have aligned. Thanks to Warriors wingman Matt Barnes and Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko, we have been blessed with two mohawk haircuts in a single series. Has this ever happened? Somebody get Elias Sports Bureau on the phone. It’s too bad Barnes’ backup, Al Harrington, shaved his off earlier in the year because a third ‘hawk would cause absolute bedlam. Jazz bench warmer Rafael Araujo (wow, I never thought I would need to type that name again) even has his own version, although it’s more of a “faux hawk”. Something tells me TNT caught on to the trend, because immediately after Carlos Boozer’s winning tip-in with 17 seconds to go, they went to break with a shot of a fan sporting a ‘hawk of his own. You have to applaud that decision.

—> Speaking of Davis vs. Williams (or Baron vs. Deron…hey, it rhymes!), you might have noticed the graphic TNT used to set up the storyline early in the first quarter. It was a bit like a pitcher’s scouting report but with more liberties taken, as the two guards’ styles and tendencies were contrasted in a few short phrases. One particular bullet stood out from the rest:

“[Deron Williams] will be Baron Davis in five years.”

I wonder how Mr. Williams feels about this less than encouraging prediction. If it’s true, Utah better lure Golden State’s training staff away in the off-season (or better yet, during this series) because he’s going to need all the medical attention Davis has required over the last few seasons. Sure, Davis is doing a tremendous job carrying the team on his back now, but he’s been dogged by injuries for his entire career. Nice work, TNT, and good luck breaking the hex, Deron. Winning Game 1 was a nice start.

—> If someone were to make a movie out of this series, there would be some great casting opportunities. For example, the role of Kirilenko would be played impeccably by Dolph Lundgren. It’s a perfect match, and I’m sure Lundgren could use the work. After all, he’s not doing much these days other than collecting royalty cheques for Rocky III.

Highly paid male cheerleader/Warriors reserve guard Sarunas Jasikevicius would be played by Matt Damon. Come to think of it, Damon could also audition for the role of gritty Jazz forward Matt Harpring. These three might have been separated at birth. If you ran into them at a Wal-Mart (now there’s a movie), would you be able to tell them apart?

Davis would be played by the animated donkey from the Shrek movies, while the part of controversial teammate Stephen Jackson would be given to Chris Rock. This thing writes itself.