Houston vs. Utah - Series Utah leads (3-2)

[Texas Longhorns]

( 4 ) Utah Jazz (54-28 ) vs. ( 5 ) Houston Rockets (55-27)

*Houston has home court advantage in this series by virtue of better record.

Link to game thread 1
Link to game thread 2
Link to game thread 3
Link to game thread 4

Game 1 - Sat April 19 - JAZZ 93 @ ROCKETS 82 FINAL
Game 2 - Mon April 21 - JAZZ 90 @ ROCKETS 84 FINAL
Game 3 - Thu April 24 - ROCKETS 94 @ JAZZ 92 FINAL
Game 4 - Sat April 26 - ROCKETS 82 @ JAZZ 86 FINAL
Game 5 - Tue April 29 - JAZZ 69 @ ROCKETS 95 FINAL
Game 6 - Fri May 2 Houston at Utah 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 7 * Sun May 4 Utah at Houston TBD TBD
* if necessary

REGULAR SEASON SERIES
Jazz lead 2-1
Nov. 1: Rockets 106 at Jazz 95
Jan. 27: Jazz 97 at Rockets 89
Apr. 14: at Jazz 105, Rockets 96

Projected Starting Lineup



PG - Deron Williams
SG - Ronnie Brewer
SF - Andrei Kirilenko
PF - Carlos Boozer
C- Mehmet Okur

Projected Starting Lineup



PG - Rafer Alston
SG - Tracy McGrady
SF - Shane Battier
PF - Luis Scola
C - Dikembe Mutombo

*******************************************************

Utah has taken a commanding 3-1 lead in this series. As it heads back to Houston for game 5, it's do or die for the Rockets. Utah's G, Deron Williams, has been playing excellent basketball in this series. Carlos Boozer has had his struggles but in game 4 came up with good plays near the end. The Rockets G, Tracy McGrady, came up with 1 fg on 1 attempt in the 4th quarter. Game 5 will be on TNT on Tuesday and the timing will be announced soon.

[TiMacMania]

time to pray

[Duiz]

w00t, thanks Longy.

I think we should ask ourselves the question.. Will the Jazz close the series, or will Houston's prayer is answered and is extended to 5.

[jzmagik]

Hopefully our players won't be limping onto the court for game 5.

[Texas Longhorns]

I don't think the Rockets can win game 6, therefore, I don't think game 5 really matters. I think Utah will come out early and try to blow us out. They want to end the series ASAP. The Lakers look like they are going to sweep the Nuggets and if Utah is going to play them, they need some rest. I don't think Utah wants to take their chances (even though their chances are pretty good) at going to game 6. They don't want to take the risk of playing game 7. If anyone wants to know the last team that came back from a 3-1 deficit, it was PHX in 05-06 season.

[tkb]

I think the Jazz take next game. After all they have two Deron Williams' in the starting lineup! (Sorry, couldn't help it)

[DelaneyRudd]

I think it will be close like the last 2, who ever hits free throws and 3s.

[JStockLivesOn]

I think it will be close like the last 2, who ever hits free throws and 3s.

I tend to agree. The Rockets should get more attempts on the line, like they did in the first two home games, so if they can convert, they have a great chance.

[Young_Star11]

Everything this series smells like 2-2, but Utah are 3-1 up.

It's going to be mighty tough for the Rockets to win three on the bounce to advance; it's not out of the question, but in a near 50-50 series, having to win one more game is far easier than winning three.

[Duiz]

I think the Jazz take next game. After all they have two Deron Williams' in the starting lineup! (Sorry, couldn't help it)

[yougottoloveitbaby]

two Deeron's ( T-mac would say)= Championship Baby!

[Duiz]

Man, that would be like having Fisher again... But better scorer, and also that would mean 3 point parades. And Williams blocked Battier last night so..

[JordansBulls]

It's amazing the Rockets played so well these two games in Utah this year and couldn't play worth crap last year in the playoffs out there.

[Scalabrine]

the Rockets got robbed last night by the refs, those end of the game calls were atrocious, im not even a rockets fan and I thought the refs handed the Jazz that game.

[loserX]

^There has been bad officiating in this series for sure. I didn't see any bad calls at the end of the game, but earlier on there were two very strange calls on Scola as he was fighting for rebounds. I had no idea what the refs thought they saw there. (He ended up fouling out, although not until the very end.) There have also been some bad calls/non-calls that favoured Houston, make no mistake.

That said, no matter how bad the reffing has been, no games have been decided by the officiating, including last night's. (If Utah had hit any, ANY 3-pointers throughout the game, the final seconds would have been completely irrelevant ) The Jazz deserved the games they've won, and Houston definitely deserved game 3.

As for game 5, I expect a close one either way. I don't yet know that the Jazz have the killer instinct they need, and Houston has battled hard every second of this series, so I'm taking nothing for granted. Hope to see a great game! Good luck, worthy opponents, and GO JAZZ

[HawaiianJazzFan]

I know that offensive goaltending was atrocious...

[JStockLivesOn]

I, too, thought there were two very strange foul calls against Scola earlier in the game. I also thought there were a couple of terrible calls on guys guarding McGrady. That **** happens.

Again, to blame the officiating for any of these games' outcomes is sad at best. Just as we lost Game 3 fair and square, we won Games 1, 2, and 4 fair and square.

[JStockLivesOn]

I know that offensive goaltending was atrocious...

That too.

But let's just face facts: no one who loses a close game is very happy with the officiating.

That's the natural instinct, to think, "How could we have won this?" In addition to things your team did wrong, you think about various calls that were made through your subjective fan glasses and wish things had been different.

That never changes things, though. It's just making excuses, even though we all do it.

[T-Mac for MVP]

The refs are not to be blamed for Rafer allowing Deron to blow by him 2 straight times for 4 points at the end.

[Scalabrine]

im not a rockets fan so its not like im looking for an excuse for them but there were two huge calls that were made in the final 15 seconds.

12 seconds left
Kyle Korver and Shane Battier got tied up at the end the replay showed that Battier not only did he not foul him but Korver was out of bounds, I think the refs made the call before the play happened expecting a foul which is a big mistake in my opinion.

5 seconds left
Deron Williams just missed his second free throw and the ball is juggled between Hayes and Landry and Okur, Okur gets it and then falls to the ground and knocks it out of bounds then either Hayes or Landry fell on him and they called the foul, however the ball was already out of bounds.

These were two HUGE calls with under 15 seconds to play in a 2 point game and they messed up on both of them, I shouldnt have said that the refs gave the Jazz the game because there isnt any guarantee the Rockets hit a shot to tie or win, but the Refs made to terrible calls which gave th Rockets no chance at a comeback.