Deseret News (Salt Lake City): Frustrated Jazz fall again

PORTLAND, Ore. -- At times, rookies Kris Humphries and Kirk Snyder seemed to have no clue where they should be on the floor.

Some veterans didn't do much better.

At one point, frustrated Jazz coach Jerry Sloan had shooting guard Gordan Giricek take a turn at point -- then simply shook his head when Giricek couldn't kick-start one of the most-basic of pick plays.

It was game No. 80 of the 2004-05 NBA regular season for Utah, and it's no wonder the Jazz lost 100-82 at Portland on Sunday night.

"I don't know (how) many times we didn't have any idea of where we were," Sloan said, "and that's really disheartening to see, because you can't compete that way.

"I hate the thought of that, because if you don't compete now, how are you going to compete whenever you start all over?"

Ah, next season.

With the loss, the Jazz -- who play their home finale tonight vs. Sacramento, then finish the season Wednesday night at Golden State - - fell to 25-55.

The Trail Blazers, who still have games left against Denver and the Los Angeles Lakers, improved to 26-54.

Utah also moved a step closer to registering the fourth-worst record in the league this season, which would mean having 119 chances out of 1,000 to win next month's NBA Draft lottery and secure the No. 1 overall pick in the June draft.

That's 31 more chances than the 88 that go to the fifth-place team, which will be the Blazers so long as it's not the Jazz.

"Any win feels good," Portland interim coach Kevin Pritchard said, "but what makes this one so special to me (is) that it dispelled the notion that we wanted more Ping-Pong balls than victories."

The lottery also was as far from Sloan's mind Sunday as blackjack and craps.

Instead, he was concerned with a fading team -- Utah has lost four of their last five -- that seems to have lost much, if not all, interest in winning.

"I think it's just a lack of focus," the Jazz coach said after a 16-turnover night. "Because, you know, when you're focused on playing basketball, the ball doesn't go through your hands as many times as it did today.

"I mean, it hit us in the hands," Sloan added. "Offensive rebounds were right there for us to obtain, and we couldn't get to the ball. . . . They (the Blazers) had about three times on one play that the ball bounced right back out to the top of the circle, and it looked like we were afraid we'd get hurt and (mess) up our summer."

Portland took an 11-point lead with more than five minutes still to go in the first half, and led by double digits the rest of the way.

With just more than seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Damon Stoudamire hit a 3-pointer -- and the Blazers were up by a game-high 25, 87-62.

"One time (late in the opening half) I think Matt (Harpring) kind of went after the ball, and (Portland's Ruben) Patterson went after (it)," Sloan said. "It looked like we might compete a little bit -- but we never could compete more than that.

"Once every 48 minutes," he added, "is probably not very good."

Harpring could feel Sloan's pain.

"I can't tell you how frustrating it is," he said.

"It's hard to get five guys to play as a team when you don't know what the team is doing sometimes. And I've yet to see a team go the playoffs that doesn't play team basketball," the Jazz co-captain added. "It's kind of been a problem all year, honestly. I don't think we've totally bought into the team concept, and it's not just the last couple games. I think it's been pretty much all year."

NOTES: Patterson wound up with a technical foul after fighting on the floor for the ball with Harpring, but Harpring did not. "It's not worth a T anymore," Harpring said. "I've been given enough of those this year, and it's just money out of my pocket. He can say all he wants, you know?" Technicals are an automatic $500 fine . . . Jazz center Curtis Borchardt took part in pre-game warm-ups, but sat out for the fourth time in five games due to tendinitis in his right knee . . . Jazz guard Raja Bell did not travel with the team, missing his 10th straight game because of a bruised right shin . . . Stoudamire made 4-of-10 shots from 3-point range, giving him a franchise-record 180 successful trey tries this season. Clifford Robinson held the old mark of 178 . . . With 18 points and 12 assists, Stoudamire finished one rebound shy of recording his second straight triple-double . . . Injured Jazz star Andrei Kirilenko will greet fans at the Delta Center doors at 6:30 tonight, aiding a food drive co-sponsored by the Kirilenko's Kids foundation and benefiting the Utah Food Bank.

E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com