Game 1 of the Warriors/Jazz series is in the books, so I decided to give a few quick thoughts about the series opener...and what else to expect from this intriguing playoff match-up.

Monday Night Results - Utah Jazz 116, Golden State Warriors 112

One Crazy Game

Tempo:  The Warriors clearly set the tempo they wanted in this game, but ended up losing anyway.  The Jazz managed to keep up with Golden State's frantic pace somehow, even though that isn't the strategy that Jerry Sloan had intended.  Utah picked up the "W", despite being kicked out of their comfort zone.  The "Execution Offense" was caught off-guard by Golden State's zone defense, which led to 23 three-point attempts by Utah...a team that usually averages about 12 per game.

Deron Williams was goaded into the fast-paced tempo in the first half, but seemed to adjust nicely in the 2nd.  He led the team in scoring with 31 points, but also committed 6 turnovers.  Considering the speed and quickness on the other side of the ball, that isn't too bad for the 2nd year point guard...who is making his first appearance in the playoffs.

Rebounding:  The saving grace for Utah was their dominance on the boards.  The zone defense seemed to take power forward Carlos Boozer out of the offensive flow, but he found other ways to score by pulling down 10 offensive rebounds.  Okur, Kirilenko, and Harpring were also active on the glass...a theme they will need to continue in this series.

Danger Zone:  Even after Utah slowed the pace a bit in the 2nd half, they really didn't find the answer to the zone defense.  Perimeter players were indecisive when passing the ball into Boozer, as defenders swarmed him from all angles.  Jerry Sloan won't necessarily have to deviate from his normal offense, but some adjustments must me made.  Off-the-ball cuts can still work, but only if they can find open spaces and pass quickly.

Stopping the Madness:  As expected, Utah had trouble defending against Golden State's quickness.  The Warriors were eager to launch from trey-land, but also had success driving to the basket.  The Jazz got back in transition for the most part, but still had their share of defensive lapses.  Most notably, Gordan Giricek was slow getting back...which gave Golden State a few easy buckets.

The Rest of the Story

The remainder of the series figures to be every bit as exciting as Game 1.  These teams match-up about as evenly as Rosie O'Donnell and a low-calorie rice cake.  But their differences are countered by a common intensity and hustle.

Golden State played their best game in the series opener.  The tempo was right, and the Warriors received huge contributions from unsung heroes like Matt Barnes and Al Harrington.  Consider that Harrington scored 21 points in only 27 minutes of play, and Barnes exploded for an unexpected 20 points on 8-15 shooting.  As a team, the Warriors shot 38%(12-31) from 3-PT range...numbers that would ordinarily give them a win.

Utah, on the other hand, didn't play their best game...and should be expected to improve.  Primarily, they need to find a way to get more open looks inside the 3-point arc...and get Carlos Boozer into a comfortable scoring rhythm.  The Jazz also need to win the turnover battle...something they failed to do in Game 1.

Derek Fisher's absence was also a factor, especially on the defensive end.  Without his veteran presence, Jerry Sloan was forced to use inexperienced players like Dee Brown and Ronnie Brewer.  Even though Brown gave a solid contribution, Fisher's experience was sorely missed.

From purely a fan's perspective, this was one of the most entertaining games I've ever seen.  It definitely wasn't a style of basketball commonly seen at the NBA level.  As the series rolls on, look for the same type of relentless battle to continue in each game.  I may have to stock up on some extra caffeine, because this one is liable to be exhausting...

Let the good times roll...