Game 45 at LAL: Enes Kanter is a sexy, sexy bitch and Jazz Nation is gay for Alec Burks

Enes Kanter’s magnificent post-up and up-and-under is a wondrous thing of beauty.

WIN! On the road! Young guys got mucho playing time! We’re above .500! Woot!

If Al Jefferson had this game on down in Mississippi, I bet he was smiling like a proud papa watching Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter play.

Both Enes and Derrick have said that Al works with them all the time on their post moves, and you could see the fruits of their labor tonight.

And how about Paul Millsap, taking his shorthanded team on his shoulders like that? After years of torture watching Carlos Boozer shoot fadeaway jumpers to avoid contact, how great was it to see Jazz bigs not backing down and taking it to the Lakers’ big men?

As Alec Burks contortionated his body into bucket after bucket after bucket in the final period in the way that only he can, he trended worldwide on Twitter:

Exactly how sensational was he in the fourth quarter? I give you this:

Thanks to @prodigyJF, you can relive the magic over and over again. (Warning: Your face might hurt from smiling).

 

Quotage
** Derrick Favors, pre-game: If I work hard, I think I can be great.
** Favors on Al Jefferson’s role in his development, pre-game: He help us out during shootaround and practice, after practice. Post moves, he help us out.
** Enes Kanter on the Jazz’s young guys: We are great friends. Me, Derrick, Alec, Gordon, Jeremy. I’m like 24/7 with them. I’m just like laughing. I’m enjoying the team with them my rookie season. They helping me a lot. (laughing) They helping me against veterans, Big Al, Jamaal. They protecting me [from rookie hazing]. (H/T Jazz187)
** Alec Burks on his preferred position: Long as I’m on the court, I play whatever. (KFAN)

Random Stuff, etc.
** Despite suffering from either vertigo (Twitter), “dizziness or something” (Corbin), hay fever (Deseret News), the flu (Locke), some combination of the above (CJ himself), or suffering from nothing (the Jazz’s media guide had CJ listed as a DNP-CD two games ago when this thing started), CJ Miles deserves credit for his stellar effort on the defensive end tonight.

** Remember Millsap’s adorable lean as Big Al shot the three at the end of the game against Detroit a week ago? Enes leaned twice tonight for Millsap (jumper and free throw):

** More Tinsley-Kanter fun from @DJJazzyJody:

Unintentional Dirty Quote Machines of the Night (UDQM)
** Harpring on Josh Howard: So long, so close, it’s too easy.
** Harpring: Millsap’s gotta be huge tonight.
** Harpring: When you’re on the road, it’s hard.
** Boler, sans pause: Favors inside, Millsap!
** @JD23UT: Good poke by Miles (H/T @seanp33)
** Harpring on Favors: He has endless extension when he gets going. He is so long. (H/T @_alexisholt)
** Boler: Halftime has come here at the Staples Center. (Who’s Halftime?)
** Thurl on Millsap: Paul doing a good job of handling himself.
** Boler: They push Howard out, back inside goes Millsap.
** Harpring to Boler on the silence in the Staples Center: I can hear you scratch your head.
** Boler: Millsap, the only Jazz player in double figures.
** Boler: Favors comes out, Kanter in for Ty Corbin.
** Harpring on Millsap: He’s found the touch, and when someone finds the touch, you gotta keep going for him.
** Boler: I think Ty’s holding his own.
** Harpring on Kanter: I tell you what, that’s a load coming at you.
** Boler: McRoberts laying on the back of Kanter. Enes’ big body just has a way of causing problems, and McRoberts is frustrated right now. Harpring: Well, he continuously puts pressure on you. He uses that body to bang with you the entire game.
** Harpring: Down the stretch, he’s going to get the balls. (H/T @My_Lo)
** Harpring on Burks: Contorting that body, and making shots.
** Millsap on closing games: We got different guys who can do it. Myself, Al Jefferson, Devin Harris can do it. A lot of guys capable of doing it. That’s what makes us so dangerous down the stretch.
** Boler and Harpring (the dialogue in the image below is not me captionating; it is me transcribing true events as they unfolded):

** Brian T. Smith (H/T @Jazz_Cyclist):

One for the road depicting our bright, bright future: Kanter (he doesn’t pass!) passing the ball to Burks (he can’t shoot!) and then setting a pick to free Burks up for a three: