Six hours to Game 6
When you get down to it, the Jazz and Rockets are playing for different things in this first-round playoff series, no matter how triumphant a trip to the second round would seem.
The Rockets are playing to end a legacy of playoff failure, epitomized by Tracy McGrady's 0-for-5 record in the first round, and the anxiety with which they've played these first five games has fully reflected it.
The Jazz, on the other hand, are playing for postseason experience, which they can build on next season and beyond. You almost never see teams "skip steps," as Lakers coach Phil Jackson would put it, in the playoffs.
There's a progression that comes with first reaching the playoffs, then putting together a deep run, then making a championship push. That's not to minimize the opportunity before both the Jazz and the Rockets in this series. It's just a little perspective.
With that in mind, Utah coach Jerry Sloan wanted to see how his team would respond to coming home down 0-2 in the series. He got the answer he wanted with two impressive victories. Now he gets to see how his team will play facing elimination for the first time.
"I'm going to tell you something. I was talking with (Derek Fisher) yesterday and I think we've really grown up a lot just in the series," Carlos Boozer said. "We've grown up a lot just from Game 1 to Game 6 tonight, so I'll think we'll respond fine.
"I think guys will be ready to play. Most of the guys play good at home anyway, so we're looking forward to that. And it should be a great atmosphere."
Even the objective observer would have to say that the Jazz have outplayed Houston most of this series. If you saw our paper on Wednesday, we had the stat that the Jazz have led 162 minutes compared to 62 minutes for the Rockets in the five games.
In talking this morning, Boozer absolutely nailed what the Jazz are playing for. I wish I could put it in 100-point type what he said: "All teams that have been successful and got the ring have gone through times like this.
"The had to win at home to tie it up, take it back to a Game 7. So we're going through the same path that other teams before us have gone through."
(Fisher played for one of those teams when he was with the Lakers. Back in the 2002 Western Conference Finals, the Lakers had to win Game 6 at home just to go back to Sacramento for a Game 7 on their way to a third consecutive championship."
The Jazz have learned a lot of things already in this series. They've learned just how fatal a two- or three-minute lull can prove on the road. They've learned how valuable the home-court advantage is they have at EnergySolutions Arena.
They've learned that Boozer and Deron Williams can rise to the occasion in the playoffs. They've learned that the opportunity to win a playoff game on the road might present itself just once (let alone three times) and how important it is to seize that chance.
The odds are not with the Jazz even if they force a seventh game on Saturday. The road team has won just 18 of 96 Game 7s in NBA history. But the lessons the Jazz are learning will be beyond valuable this time next season.
* * *
You have to trust a coach to know what's right for his team, but it was a surprise to see Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy cancel his team's shootaround this morning.
Given that Houston is shooting 39.5 percent this series and has been thumped in both games in Utah, you might have expected that they would want to get in a light workout at the arena this morning. Just to re-acclimate to the surroundings.
The Rockets opted against holding shootaround, for whatever reason. I assume they'll go over their game plan at the hotel and/or walk through things at the arena this evening. The Jazz were in and out in about 40 minutes.
* * *
Fisher was excused from shootaround for personal reasons but will play tonight, a Jazz spokesman said.
--Ross Siler
The Rockets are playing to end a legacy of playoff failure, epitomized by Tracy McGrady's 0-for-5 record in the first round, and the anxiety with which they've played these first five games has fully reflected it.
The Jazz, on the other hand, are playing for postseason experience, which they can build on next season and beyond. You almost never see teams "skip steps," as Lakers coach Phil Jackson would put it, in the playoffs.
There's a progression that comes with first reaching the playoffs, then putting together a deep run, then making a championship push. That's not to minimize the opportunity before both the Jazz and the Rockets in this series. It's just a little perspective.
With that in mind, Utah coach Jerry Sloan wanted to see how his team would respond to coming home down 0-2 in the series. He got the answer he wanted with two impressive victories. Now he gets to see how his team will play facing elimination for the first time.
"I'm going to tell you something. I was talking with (Derek Fisher) yesterday and I think we've really grown up a lot just in the series," Carlos Boozer said. "We've grown up a lot just from Game 1 to Game 6 tonight, so I'll think we'll respond fine.
"I think guys will be ready to play. Most of the guys play good at home anyway, so we're looking forward to that. And it should be a great atmosphere."
Even the objective observer would have to say that the Jazz have outplayed Houston most of this series. If you saw our paper on Wednesday, we had the stat that the Jazz have led 162 minutes compared to 62 minutes for the Rockets in the five games.
In talking this morning, Boozer absolutely nailed what the Jazz are playing for. I wish I could put it in 100-point type what he said: "All teams that have been successful and got the ring have gone through times like this.
"The had to win at home to tie it up, take it back to a Game 7. So we're going through the same path that other teams before us have gone through."
(Fisher played for one of those teams when he was with the Lakers. Back in the 2002 Western Conference Finals, the Lakers had to win Game 6 at home just to go back to Sacramento for a Game 7 on their way to a third consecutive championship."
The Jazz have learned a lot of things already in this series. They've learned just how fatal a two- or three-minute lull can prove on the road. They've learned how valuable the home-court advantage is they have at EnergySolutions Arena.
They've learned that Boozer and Deron Williams can rise to the occasion in the playoffs. They've learned that the opportunity to win a playoff game on the road might present itself just once (let alone three times) and how important it is to seize that chance.
The odds are not with the Jazz even if they force a seventh game on Saturday. The road team has won just 18 of 96 Game 7s in NBA history. But the lessons the Jazz are learning will be beyond valuable this time next season.
* * *
You have to trust a coach to know what's right for his team, but it was a surprise to see Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy cancel his team's shootaround this morning.
Given that Houston is shooting 39.5 percent this series and has been thumped in both games in Utah, you might have expected that they would want to get in a light workout at the arena this morning. Just to re-acclimate to the surroundings.
The Rockets opted against holding shootaround, for whatever reason. I assume they'll go over their game plan at the hotel and/or walk through things at the arena this evening. The Jazz were in and out in about 40 minutes.
* * *
Fisher was excused from shootaround for personal reasons but will play tonight, a Jazz spokesman said.
--Ross Siler
12:27 PM
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