<div align="center"> <font color="red">Houston Rockets (47-26)</font> vs <font color="deepskyblue">Utah Jazz (47-25)</font> Sunday, April 1, 2007, Toyota Center, Houston, TX 5:00 Central; FSNSW, SportsRadio 610 AM <font color="red"> <font size="1">(R. Alston, T. McGrady, S. Battier, C. Hayes, Y. Ming)</font></font> <font size="1">Leading Scorer: Yao Ming - 24.8 PPG Leading Rebounder: Yao Ming - 9.5 RPG Assists Leader: Tracy McGrady - 6.4 APG </font> <font color="deepskyblue"> <font size="1">(D. Williams, D. Fisher, A. Kirilenko, C. Boozer, M. Okur)</font></font> <font size="1">Leading Scorer: Carlos Boozer - 21.3 PPG Leading Rebounder: Carlos Boozer - 11.8 RPG Assists Leader: Deron Williams - 9.4 APG </font> <font size=""1""><font color="red">Luther Head (6th Man)</font></font> <font size="1"><div align="center">27.3 MPG, 10.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.4 APG</div></font><font size=""1""><font color="deepskyblue">Gordan Giricek (6th Man)</font></font> <font size="1">18.9 MPG, 7.2 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.1 APG</font> Predictions: <font color=""Red"">Rockets 105</font>, Jazz 98</div> Keys To The Game: <font color=""Red"">Rockets:</font> T-Mac had an good game after the great win against the Lakers. Yao was playing pretty good but needs to stay more positive on the offensive side of games. The Rockets had a great offense after blowing a few games before and the Rockets need to continue that. Bonzi may also play in this game if JVG lets him so it will be good for the Rockets. T-Mac needs to continue the offense but also now the Rockets need to start using Yao on offense alot because the Rockets will need it for the playoffs. This game by far is the biggest game the Rockets will play this season because this game gives them homecourt in the playoffs if they win. The Rockets defense needs to continue and they need to lower the opp ppg. We have to contain Deron Williams and Derek Fisher because they are great shooters. The Rockets really need to contain Carlos Boozer because he is a threat on the offensive end and is a hustle player. The Rockets can take the lead in this series at 2-1 if they win and the Rockets should have some momentum coming in from that great win against the Lakers. Juwan has been in a slump for a while for the last few games so he needs to get it going, and Yao also needs to continue and do a good job on Okur or Boozer. The Rockets need to rebound, score, and defend. Andrei Kirilenko and Mehmet Okur are big players too so they need to contain them. The Rockets will have trouble guarding Boozer as they had in the previous matchup but they need to do their best on him. T-Mac also had a bad shooting game against the Lakers but if he can distribute well this game, the Rockets will be hard to defeat. The Rockets have to contain the penetration of Deron Williams. <font color=""Red"">Luther Head hit some 3's!! </font> <font color=""deepskyblue"">Jazz:</font> Keep Tmac from scoring more than 30. The Jazz need to rebound and get points in the paint and make open 3 pointers. Boozer should continue what he is doing and keep scoring on and on. The Jazz need to feed the ball to Boozer in the post so they have an advantage on the offensive end and run alot of plays for Kirilenko. Gordan Giricek will come off the bench so he needs to contribute well and they also need Okur to score and he is a good threat for the Rockets because he spaces the floor out well and Yao may not come out to guard him every time. The bench needs to produce and Millsap needs to give them energy with points and rebounds. Fisher is also a key player because he is offensive minded and he can help the Jazz on the offensive end. Williams needs to use his perimeter offense to force the Rockets to open the paint a little bit. Use Kirilenko to space out the offense and give Millsap the ball from time to time on offense to score on Yao so he can ware Yao down. The Jazz need to cut to the basket alot like they have been doing this season so they have alot of points in the paint but the Rockets are #1 in opp. points in the paint. The offense needs to go through Williams and Fisher. The Jazz need this win so they can still have homecourt but it should be tough because this game will be a hard away game. The Jazz, if the game comes down to the line, have to find a way to get the ball in to Okur's or Boozer's hands. Cover luther head on 3's! <font color=""Black"">Bottom Line:</font> This is the game that will give the Rockets the homecourt advantage in the playoffs if the Rockets can pull through so the Rockets really need this win. This game will be very exciting because it its "Red" night and everyone will be wearing red in the Toyota Center so it is bound to be a playoff preview. The Rockets are on a roll right now so they need to continue it and use the game against the Lakers as momentum. The Jazz lost to the Spurs on Friday so they will be hungry to get this win and they also dont want Houston to get homecourt advantage. Boozer is a tough player and poses matchup problems but if the Rockets can defend him well, I think the Rockets have a good shot at this game. The Rockets mainly need to score because you cannot win a game if you do not score. All the Rockets need to do is pickup their offense and defense and not play Lazy then they might win. If the Rockets can close the game out well they might come away with the victory. The Jazz are still a tough team to beat because they have Okur at the C to contain Yao and Boozer at PF and they are both tall players, nonetheless the Rockets should do good. The Rockets won the game earlier in Houston but they lost the other one in Utah which was the first game of the season so the Rockets need to do good and take the lead in the series before the final matchup for the last game of the season. Chuck Hayes seems to be fine after the Lakers game and Mutombo is fine with his knee and Bonzi looks like he may not play but we dont know that for sure. Matt Harpring is also out of the lineup for the Jazz so the Rockets need to use Battier more on offense. Hope for a great game at the Toyota Center and may the best team win.
Nice preview. This is a game the Rockets should win. Having home court against the Jazz will be crucial, because they're such a good home court team (only 7 losses all year at home).
<div class="quote_poster">durvasa Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Nice preview. This is a game the Rockets should win. Having home court against the Jazz will be crucial, because they're such a good home court team (only 7 losses all year at home).</div> you know why? because its been reported several times in years past that they over inflate the basketballs at home.. I have to go with that too cuz they are the second best FG shooting team in the NBA behind phx and theres no way with those players they are that good from the field.. thats just me
<div class="quote_poster">tracymcgrady_01 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">you know why? because its been reported several times in years past that they over inflate the basketballs at home.. I have to go with that too cuz they are the second best FG shooting team in the NBA behind phx and theres no way with those players they are that good from the field.. thats just me</div> Well if that is true then their players should be used to balls that are more inflated; and therefore won't be used to the balls at other arenas when they're on the road. Conspiracy theories are abound but their high shooting percentage can be explained by their reliance on inside play, and they don't take a lot of three pointers which can bring averages down.
<div class="quote_poster">tracymcgrady_01 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">you know why? because its been reported several times in years past that they over inflate the basketballs at home.. I have to go with that too cuz they are the second best FG shooting team in the NBA behind phx and theres no way with those players they are that good from the field.. thats just me</div> What the hell? Anyways, this is going to be a good game and I don't know what is going to happen. It's an important game, and both teams are going to be firing on all engines.
look at their road and home record.. signaficant diffrence, I'm saying this cuz players in the past when they have played AT Utah have complained, yeah their used to it cuz sloan probably makes them play with it at practice so they are used to it, its not much diff and thats prolly not the reason they are so good at home but that maybe one factor why other teams suck at utah..
Come on everyone chant it with me...."KILL THE JAZZ, KILL THE JAZZ, KILL THE JAZZ!!!!".....I hope we win today get homecourt in the first round and beat the snot out of Utah....Captain Nut Huggers and Karl Malone's memories are still etched deep into my soul and I'll always hate the Jazz for that.
Who do you guys think will cover Boozer, Yao or Hayes? I think Yao against Boozer and Hayes against Okur would work out better for you guys because Boozer struggles against bigger defenders and Okur is a perimeter oriented big man, and I just think Hayes is more mobile than Yao.
Rockets have to start going to the rim stronger. All that weak at the basket mess has got to go, nearly cost them the LA game. Yao needs to dunk the ball every time down and quit going up soft. Other than TMac and Snyder the Rockets have a lot of soft at the basket finishers.
Well it's halftime and our offense looks terrible. Our defense is the only reason we're not down by 30pts. Yao is the only one who's brought his A-game today. I wonder how everyone who's satisfied with Bonzi not playing in the playoffs feels watching our team in the first half. Even tho Utah's offense is off, they've already had contributions from all 5 starters. On the other hand, we've turned into the 2-man army. Luther's not playing, which means Bonzi could've easily had a chance to get some much needed playing time. But not on a JVG team. It seems this is the style of play JVG is gonna stick with the whole season . Sure would love to have a player like Bonzi come in off the bench
Maybe its just me, but it seems like we rarely have a positive point differential in the fourth quarter.
<div class="quote_poster">Rock4life Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Well it's halftime and our offense looks terrible. Our defense is the only reason we're not down by 30pts. Yao is the only one who's brought his A-game today. I wonder how everyone who's satisfied with Bonzi not playing in the playoffs feels watching our team in the first half. Even tho Utah's offense is off, they've already had contributions from all 5 starters. On the other hand, we've turned into the 2-man army. Luther's not playing, which means Bonzi could've easily had a chance to get some much needed playing time. But not on a JVG team. It seems this is the style of play JVG is gonna stick with the whole season . Sure would love to have a player like Bonzi come in off the bench</div> Dude you seriously need to get off of Bonzi's jock. It's not like he has done anything special this season.
<div class="quote_poster">Umair Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Dude you seriously need to get off of Bonzi's jock. It's not like he has done anything special this season.</div> Hmmm.....he's right. I really would like to see Bonzi play in a game like this. How about JL3 getting in there and looking terrible and J-ho once again not finding his shot. One thing I can tell you for sure is we need Chuck not to get into foul trouble! He needs to be on the court with Yao and Tracy! Also the refs were terrible specifically #31 something Wall, that guy is blind.
<div class="quote_poster">Eduardo Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Stop bitching. We lost and that was because nobody else could hit their shots.</div> I'm not bitching, just stating obvious facts. You guys should already know why we lost, things i've already previously mentioned. - We're strictly a jumpshooting team. When the jumpers aren't falling, we're bound to lose. We rely entirely too much on 3's. -Offense too predictable. Tmac pick n'roll or Yao post up, that's about it for our plays offensivley. Absolutley nothing going towards the rim. -No reliable 3rd option. Without Bonzi, we have no other role player who can create his own shot. -Not enuff free throw attempts. We're last in the league in free throws, which won't suit well in the playoffs. <div class="quote_poster">Umair Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Dude you seriously need to get off of Bonzi's jock. It's not like he has done anything special this season.</div> I don't know if you watched the same game, but our offense completley STALLED tonight. Utah's offense ran very efficiently down the stretch. Everybody on their offense became a threat and Sloan did a good job of mixing things up with his offense. However, we depended soley on Yao & Tmac in the 4th quarter. Without Luther, it would've been nice to have another scorer like Bonzi comin off the bench. But I guess you feel differently NOTE: We gotta get to the free throw line in the 4th quarter. Since JVG has blacklisted Bonzi from the team, somebody's gonna have to step up and be more aggressive besides our superstars.
OK, F this game, Rockets Suck, Just forget about it and homecourt advantage, we should be able to win on the road in the playoffs, if we cant we arent a championship caliber team
Well for this Rockets team being on the road and being at home really has no difference. I don't think it's that big of a deal for them, I'm more concerned about a positive end to the regular season, giving momentum to the team going INTO the playoffs.
