The Tuesday morning three's
T-MAC'S TALE
I can't quite figure out why anyone thinks this series is over, now that the Rockets have taken a 3-2 lead.
The last time I looked, it takes four wins to advance in a best-of-seven series.
With Game 6 scheduled for Thursday night in Utah - and given the fact that Houston has shown no ability to even come close at EnergySolutions Arena - I think a Game 7 is not only a possibility but a probability.
And if there is a Game 7, all the pressure falls on the favored Rockets and Tracy McGrady, their 38-percent shooting star who early on made this series a referendum on his heart, character and ability to carry a team past the first round.
WITH APOLOGIES TO DAVID STERN ...
It didn't impact the outcome, but don't tell those who wagered on Game 5 that the officials' failure to call a foul the Jazz were desperately trying to commit in the final two seconds wasn't important.
In fact, the non-foul probably had bettors celebrating or fainting in sports books from Atlantic City to Las Vegas.
Here's why: Houston was a 5 1/2-point favorite.
If the foul is called and the Rockets make the two free throws, they would have won by six and "covered" the point-spread. Since the foul was not called and time expired, the Rockets won by only four and did not "cover."
WELCOME BACK, ANDREI
Like a lot of people, I wondered if Andrei Kirilenko could gather himself and snap out of his early-series funk by making a major contribution somewhere along the line.
Well, Kirilenko played marvelously in Game 5.
He finished with eight points, including a 20-foot jumper that he stepped into a knocked down like Jeff Hornacek.
More importantly, Kirilenko played a lively, energetic 31 minutes. He had five assists, four rebounds and three blocked shots. Kirilenko made three of the best passes in the series in the second half, leading to two layups and a dunk by Carlos Boozer.
He also grabbed an offensive rebound after Memo Okur's missed three-pointer that would have given the Jazz a 95-93 lead with 34 seconds remaining.
The rebound would have been one of the game's biggest plays if Matt Harpring had not lost track of the time and forced a 15-footer with 20 seconds left in the game and 10 seconds left on the shot clock.
Still, Kirilenko's return to form bodes well for the Jazz in Game 6 and, possibly, beyond.
- Steve Luhm
I can't quite figure out why anyone thinks this series is over, now that the Rockets have taken a 3-2 lead.
The last time I looked, it takes four wins to advance in a best-of-seven series.
With Game 6 scheduled for Thursday night in Utah - and given the fact that Houston has shown no ability to even come close at EnergySolutions Arena - I think a Game 7 is not only a possibility but a probability.
And if there is a Game 7, all the pressure falls on the favored Rockets and Tracy McGrady, their 38-percent shooting star who early on made this series a referendum on his heart, character and ability to carry a team past the first round.
WITH APOLOGIES TO DAVID STERN ...
It didn't impact the outcome, but don't tell those who wagered on Game 5 that the officials' failure to call a foul the Jazz were desperately trying to commit in the final two seconds wasn't important.
In fact, the non-foul probably had bettors celebrating or fainting in sports books from Atlantic City to Las Vegas.
Here's why: Houston was a 5 1/2-point favorite.
If the foul is called and the Rockets make the two free throws, they would have won by six and "covered" the point-spread. Since the foul was not called and time expired, the Rockets won by only four and did not "cover."
WELCOME BACK, ANDREI
Like a lot of people, I wondered if Andrei Kirilenko could gather himself and snap out of his early-series funk by making a major contribution somewhere along the line.
Well, Kirilenko played marvelously in Game 5.
He finished with eight points, including a 20-foot jumper that he stepped into a knocked down like Jeff Hornacek.
More importantly, Kirilenko played a lively, energetic 31 minutes. He had five assists, four rebounds and three blocked shots. Kirilenko made three of the best passes in the series in the second half, leading to two layups and a dunk by Carlos Boozer.
He also grabbed an offensive rebound after Memo Okur's missed three-pointer that would have given the Jazz a 95-93 lead with 34 seconds remaining.
The rebound would have been one of the game's biggest plays if Matt Harpring had not lost track of the time and forced a 15-footer with 20 seconds left in the game and 10 seconds left on the shot clock.
Still, Kirilenko's return to form bodes well for the Jazz in Game 6 and, possibly, beyond.
- Steve Luhm
9:51 AM
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