By Chris Rosenbluth

May 20, 2007: SCOREBOARD | IN FOCUS GALLERY | AROUND THE ASSOCIATION ARCHIVE

PHOTO OF THE NIGHT
Carlos Boozer's 20 points and 12 rebounds weren't enough to lift the Jazz over Tim Duncan and the Spurs in Game 1 of the West Finals. Evans/NBAE/Getty Images
QUOTE OF THE NIGHT
"I didn't like what I saw out there with the guys shaking their heads at each other. ... We were looking for excuses."

-- Jerry Sloan, after a 108-100 loss in Game 1 of the conference finals. Sloan's Jazz have not won in San Antonio since Feb. 28, 1999. They will look to break that trend in Game 2 on Tuesday.
THE DAY'S TOP VIDEO
Saturday's top play: Tony Parker skips a pass between Mehmet Okur's legs.
  • Haier Play of the Day
  • Dunk of the Night
  • Block of the Night
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  • BlackBerry Assist of the Night
  • NBA TV Top 10
    • NBA.COM'S FANTASY TAKE
    This is where playing Drive to the Finals can be really tough. It's late in the playoffs, but not late enough to use the best players available. Plus, some of the better options may have been used already. So what does one do for Game 1 between the Pistons and Cavs? I'm no expert, but I'd take Rasheed Wallace and hope he improves his 17.9 PRA per game against Cleveland this season.
    SHOOTING STUDS
    Manu Ginobili, Spurs
    108-100 win vs. Jazz
    23 pts, 9-14 FG, 2-3 3-pt FG

    Deron Williams, Jazz
    108-100 loss at Spurs
    34 pts, 13-23 FG, 2-5 3-pt FG, 6-7 FT

    Tim Duncan, Spurs
    108-100 win vs. Jazz
    27 pts, 9-15 FG, 9-13 FT
    STAT SHEET STUFFER
    Tim Duncan didn't quite dominate play in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, but the big man did do what San Antonio fans have come to expect of their future Hall of Famer. Against a formidable Utah frontcourt, Duncan went for 27 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two blocks in a 108-100 win. His biggest contribution came in the second quarter when he scored 14 points as the Spurs built an 18-point halftime lead.
    SHOOTING DUDS
    Derek Fisher, Jazz
    108-100 loss at Spurs
    1-7 FG, 0-1 3-pt FG, 6 pts

    Mehmet Okur, Jazz
    108-100 loss at Spurs
    3-15 FG, 2-7 3-pt FG, 10 pts

    Bruce Bowen, Spurs
    108-100 win vs. Jazz
    1-5 FG, 1-3 3-pt FG, 3 pts
    SIXTH MAN OF THE NIGHT
    Perhaps Jeff Van Gundy said it best while broadcasting the game for ABC: Manu Ginobili isn't a sixth man, he's a star who comes off the bench. In Game 1, the super sub played a little more than 33 minutes and, whether he was scoring on his own or setting up his teammates, sparked the Spurs to a Game 1 victory that wasn't as close as the final score suggested. Ginobili checked into the game at the 7:43 mark of the first quarter and went on to score nine points in the period, helping his team to an early lead. He finished with 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 2-of-3 from behind the arc, and delivered 10 assists. "(Ginobili) is doing a fine job for us and playing aggressively," coach Gregg Popovich said. "Whenever he is aggressive, pretty good things happen for our team."
    COOL/CLUTCH PERFORMANCES
    One did it big, the other did it small. One's a playoff pup, the other's a savvy vet. But despite their differences, Utah's Deron Williams and San Antonio's Michael Finley both gave their teams top-notch efforts down the stretch. Williams ignited a Jazz comeback charge that trimmed a 19-point deficit to seven in the waning moments of the fourth quarter. The second-year point guard scored 14 of his 34 points in the frame and added nine assists and seven boards. Finley, on the other hand, was less spectacular but equally effective. The 12-year veteran scored all 14 of his points in the second half, the last eight of which came on four flawless trips to the free throw line in the final 49 seconds of the game.