Some rivalries come quite naturally, thanks to geography and relative proximity. Others are quite contrived, the result of media needs or overeager publicists.
And then there are some that come that just because one team requires one, even if the other does not. When that's the case, there is nothing better than an intense playoff series to define which opponent fans should hate the most.The Sacramento Kings need a rival, and are trying their darndest to make theirs the Jazz. Only problem is the Jazz don't seem to want to cooperate, even after an furious first-round NBA playoff series between the two teams last season.
"I didn't see much of rivalry . . . because they outworked us," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said after Sacramento beat Utah 105-92 Friday night in the first meeting between the two teams since the upstart Kings won two postseason games before finally falling in five to the stoic Jazz.
"Rivalry?" Jazz guard Jeff Hornacek said. "I think that's more of college-level stuff. I mean, obviously they get fired up when they play us . . . But rivalry?"
So if it seemed like Friday night's game meant more to the Kings than the Jazz, maybe it is only because it did.
"We played like we expected to get beat. So you don't deserve to win," Sloan said. "I'd like to say we did. But they just outplayed us."
Kings coach Rick Adelman could not agree more.
"Just a terrific win," he said. "The thing I liked about it is that we did so many different things. We defended them well. We executed well, for the most part, at halfcourt. We made hustle plays. We had great support off the bench. It was just a solid win."
By a rival wannabe.
BIG MISTAKES: Sloan was none to pleased Friday with the play of his big men, in the paint and under the boards.
"How many times did we not help each other defensively," Sloan said, "and they went in and laid it in on layups?
"We started off the ballgame, and . . . all of our big guys stayed out on the perimeter. Now if we had gone to the boards like we wanted to rebound, then I think we would have had a chance to make all kinds of offensive rebounds and be ourselves."
Interesting thing is oft-maligned Jazz center Greg Ostertag posted impressive numbers, scoring 10 points and pulling down 13 rebounds in 27 minutes. That leaves Olden Polynice (0 points and 4 rebounds in 16 minutes), Karl Malone (20 points, but no offensive rebounds in 20 minutes) and Pete Chilcutt (7 points, but just 3 rebounds in 20 minutes) as apparent sources of Sloan's frustrations.
"If we want to compete," Sloan said, "we're going to have to do a better job there, and in the trenches."
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT: How bad is a 3-3 start for the Jazz? Well, it hasn't been pretty, and obviously is nothing like last season's 6-0 beginning. But it's not the end of the world, either, evidenced by the fact Utah has started .500 or worse in its first six games on four previous occasions in the 1990s -- including the 1997-98 season, when it opened 2-4 before eventually advancing to the NBA Finals.