If you're in third place, the first round has to face the Spurs, and the Spurs are much harder to deal with than the Jazz.
They have Pau Gasol in the interior, and Billups, Ginobili on the perimeter, all tough guys.
The Trail Blazers and Spurs played six games in the first round, already tied 3:3 and going to game seven.
If Glory faces the Spurs, they're likely to get through, but a 4:0 is unlikely.
Compared to the Spurs, the Jazz is too immature, lacking playoff experience, and their core Boozer is fully countered by Gan Guoyang, unable to perform half his level. No matter how the Jazz plays, it's a sure lose situation.
So Glory confidently let their performance drop, even starting the series in Salt Lake City, just to let veterans like Gan Guoyang, Mutombo, and Holi rest more, without overexerting in the first round.
