Sprint To The Finish

By Kyle Flanagan

The word April comes from the Latin word Aprilis, meaning “to open.”

For many people in colder climates it is the time of the year “to open” the door to the upcoming warmer weather, the blossoming of flowers and to the longer daylight that the month of April brings. The Utah Jazz and their fans hope the month of April lives up to its meaning, as the Jazz head into the last month of the regular season, and hopefully “open” the door to a strong performance in the playoffs that may see them blossom into a team that is taken seriously as a competitor for the coveted NBA Championship.

Overall, the month of April has been good to the Jazz as Utah has posted a 169-122 overall record in the last month of the regular season. But staying motivated and concentrated can be a tough thing, and in a Western Conference that sees the playoff standings changing on almost a nightly basis, keeping focus is even more critical down the stretch; especially for a Jazz team that enters tonight as the second youngest team (25.61 years) in the Western Conference playoff picture.

“Well that’s your job. That’s just part of the business of basketball, is being able to stay focused.” Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. “Obviously I think the veteran players; the guys who have been around a little bit longer have a better sense of that than some of the younger guys.”

If history is any indicator of what is to come in the Jazz playoff future, the month of April will tell the tale. In their first ever trip to the NBA Finals in the 1996-97 season, the Jazz finished the year with a franchise best 64-18 record, including a nearly perfect 10-1 record in the month of April.

That year the Jazz were able to finish the 1996-97 season on a very strong note, earning four of their 10 April wins over eventual playoff teams from that season and Sloan knows the ever-changing Western Conference playoff standings brings the very important task of getting wins down the stretch.

“It’s important to us because we have got to win, otherwise we don’t get to the playoffs, that’s the scary part of it, there is no guarantee at this point.” Sloan added. “We’ve got some very difficult games. If we lose some of these games that are ahead of us then you put yourself right out of the playoffs; it’s a tremendous race.”

The Jazz team of the 1996-97 season that almost saw perfection in the season’s final month were able to take the momentum from a strong April and turn it into a strong playoff run. That team returned all of its important role players and starters the next season and after another impressive April that saw the Jazz post a 9-2 record, Utah again carried the momentum into the playoffs and returned to the NBA Finals for the second consecutive season.

“That’s what you’d like to have happen; finish up, win, and hopefully have some momentum going into the playoffs.” Sloan said. “You see how this thing have gone all year long, teams have jumped around, been to the top, the bottom, all the way down, that’s how tight it is, and that’s part of it.”

In fact, Utah’s play in the month of April tells so much of its playoff performance that one can almost rest-assured that April tells all. Since becoming an NBA franchise in the 1973-74 season, the Jazz have seen 11 seasons in which they have recorded a below .500 record in April. Jazz players understand the importance of a good last month of the regular season and guard Kyle Korver feels that strong April play will keep the Jazz at the top of their game and hopefully lead to playoff success.

“I think you just want to get yourself ready for the playoffs; you want to get in rhythm, get your timing down, and make sure your habits are right.” Korver said. “You just got to make sure you’re staying sharp and getting shots.” With the exception of two seasons (last season’s 4-6 record in April and the 1995-96 season’s 5-6 record in April), the Jazz failed to either make the playoffs or advance past the first round after an April record that was below .500, further justifying the importance of strong April play from a Jazz team that relies heavily on momentum.

With April marking the end of the NBA regular season, Jazz players are benefiting from a whole season of hard work and preparation and are now enjoying the excitement and anticipation that the playoffs bring.
“I think it’s a little bit easier now than it was maybe a month ago, because you kind of see the light at the end of the tunnel.” Korver added. “You’re looking at the standings more, the matchups and things like that for the playoffs."