Jazz 90, Rockets 84
The Jazz weren't just the stronger team down the stretch in Monday night's game, they were the stronger team to close all four quarters. As Carlos Boozer said afterward, that's what's good teams are able to do.
They can thank Ronnie Price, who grew up in nearby Friendswood, Texas, and could tell you everything in the world about Sam Cassell, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon and every member of the Rockets teams of the 1990s.
Price came in for Deron Williams at the end of the first quarter to hit a three-pointer and go in for a dunk after stripping Luis Scola of the ball. He came up even bigger at the end of the third quarter after Shane Battier had hit two three-pointers.
Just when it looked like the Rockets would take a lead into the fourth, Price blocked Aaron Brooks and pushed ahead to hit a three-pointer to give the Jazz a 69-67 lead.
It was just the ninth career block for the undersized Price, who is in his third year. He apparently had three others this season - - in games at Minnesota, home versus Denver and at the L.A. Clippers.
"I've got more than eight, man," Price said. "I've got a few that they called some fouls on that were pretty clean."
The Rockets were making a run late in the second quarter before Mehmet Okur hit back-to-back three-pointers to close the half. Okur had made just 3 of 13 shots in the series before those two threes. He went on to finish with 16 points and 16 rebounds.
Of course, the Jazz also closed the game on a 14-8 run. They never trailed again after Williams drove for a layup with 7:41 left. That's why they flew home as the first Jazz team ever to open a playoff series with two road wins.
The Jazz's focus has to be on closing out the Rockets as quickly as possible and enjoying a little rest while the remaining six Western Conference playoff teams pummel each other. I don't think they'd open the conference semifinals until May 4 at the earliest.
"I don't think you worry about that, you just worry about the next game," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. "We haven't finished anything and that's the thing that players sometimes have a tendency to think they get home and everything's going to be easy."
* * *
There will be much debate - - especially in Houston - - about whether Luis Scola committed an offensive foul in the final minute. Rockets coach Rick Adelman was none too pleased when he was asked about the call afterward.
"He put his hand on [Andrei] Kirilenko's shoulder," Adelman said. "Kirilenko fell back like a truck just hit him and you're going to make that call at that time of this game when just six seconds before Luis went to the basket and he got hammered?
"The same guy didn't make the call. All that stuff that went on in the game, you're going to make that call at that time? I really have a hard time with that."
As soon as the whistle blew, I couldn't believe you would call an offensive foul in the last minute. Watching the replay, it looked like Scola did clear out Kirilenko with a shove. Kirilenko hasn't been a flopper this season and I don't think he was acting.
Referee Tony Brothers was standing only steps away and must have felt like it was the right call. Another question you can ask is why Brothers was working a playoff game in the first place.
He's definitely not in the same class of referee as Bennett Salvatore and Mike Callahan, who made up the rest of the crew Monday. One of my old colleagues in Los Angeles would argue that Brothers was the NBA's worst ref.
I remember Brothers becoming the first ref to eject Phil Jackson in something like eight years during a game a couple of years ago in Houston. There was also a Washington/Golden State game last year decided on a last-second call by Brothers.
As the Washington Post wrote afterward: "Several Wizards players said [Don] Nelson used offensive language while calling Brothers an 'idiot,' a claim that Nelson has denied."
* * *
Tracy McGrady's going to take a lot of heat if the Rockets make another first-round exit to the Jazz. He was incredible for the bulk of Monday's game, but once again struggled in the fourth quarter.
McGrady went to the bench with 9:18 to play and returned with 7:07 left and the Rockets trailing 76-75. He split two free throws with 6:39 left that could have given Houston the lead.
The play that left me shaking my head came as McGrady drove, got within eight feet of the basket, then threw a pass that Luis Scola had to track down before taking a wild shot that predictably missed.
McGrady committed a turnover, then missed an 18-footer. He took a quick three-pointer with Houston trailing 85-80 with 1:53 left and missed that too. His clanked another three-pointer in the dying seconds.
That left McGrady 0-for-4 in the fourth quarter. He went scoreless in the final 6 1-2 minutes and without a field goal for the last 18:37. McGrady missed his last seven shots, with his last basket coming on a 19-footer midway through the third quarter.
Bobby Jackson also struggled down the stretch, missing two killer free throws with 4:23 left and then missing a layup and 22-footer. He also gave up a layup to Deron Williams with 3:17 remaining.
* * *
Just for a little perspective, only 13 teams have ever come from 2-0 down to win a best-of-seven series in NBA history, including the Jazz last year against the Rockets.
Only three teams have ever come home with a 2-0 lead and ever blown it - - Golden State in 1969 against the L.A. Lakers, Phoenix in 1994 to Houston and Houston in 2005 to Dallas.
--Ross Siler
They can thank Ronnie Price, who grew up in nearby Friendswood, Texas, and could tell you everything in the world about Sam Cassell, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon and every member of the Rockets teams of the 1990s.
Price came in for Deron Williams at the end of the first quarter to hit a three-pointer and go in for a dunk after stripping Luis Scola of the ball. He came up even bigger at the end of the third quarter after Shane Battier had hit two three-pointers.
Just when it looked like the Rockets would take a lead into the fourth, Price blocked Aaron Brooks and pushed ahead to hit a three-pointer to give the Jazz a 69-67 lead.
It was just the ninth career block for the undersized Price, who is in his third year. He apparently had three others this season - - in games at Minnesota, home versus Denver and at the L.A. Clippers.
"I've got more than eight, man," Price said. "I've got a few that they called some fouls on that were pretty clean."
The Rockets were making a run late in the second quarter before Mehmet Okur hit back-to-back three-pointers to close the half. Okur had made just 3 of 13 shots in the series before those two threes. He went on to finish with 16 points and 16 rebounds.
Of course, the Jazz also closed the game on a 14-8 run. They never trailed again after Williams drove for a layup with 7:41 left. That's why they flew home as the first Jazz team ever to open a playoff series with two road wins.
The Jazz's focus has to be on closing out the Rockets as quickly as possible and enjoying a little rest while the remaining six Western Conference playoff teams pummel each other. I don't think they'd open the conference semifinals until May 4 at the earliest.
"I don't think you worry about that, you just worry about the next game," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. "We haven't finished anything and that's the thing that players sometimes have a tendency to think they get home and everything's going to be easy."
* * *
There will be much debate - - especially in Houston - - about whether Luis Scola committed an offensive foul in the final minute. Rockets coach Rick Adelman was none too pleased when he was asked about the call afterward.
"He put his hand on [Andrei] Kirilenko's shoulder," Adelman said. "Kirilenko fell back like a truck just hit him and you're going to make that call at that time of this game when just six seconds before Luis went to the basket and he got hammered?
"The same guy didn't make the call. All that stuff that went on in the game, you're going to make that call at that time? I really have a hard time with that."
As soon as the whistle blew, I couldn't believe you would call an offensive foul in the last minute. Watching the replay, it looked like Scola did clear out Kirilenko with a shove. Kirilenko hasn't been a flopper this season and I don't think he was acting.
Referee Tony Brothers was standing only steps away and must have felt like it was the right call. Another question you can ask is why Brothers was working a playoff game in the first place.
He's definitely not in the same class of referee as Bennett Salvatore and Mike Callahan, who made up the rest of the crew Monday. One of my old colleagues in Los Angeles would argue that Brothers was the NBA's worst ref.
I remember Brothers becoming the first ref to eject Phil Jackson in something like eight years during a game a couple of years ago in Houston. There was also a Washington/Golden State game last year decided on a last-second call by Brothers.
As the Washington Post wrote afterward: "Several Wizards players said [Don] Nelson used offensive language while calling Brothers an 'idiot,' a claim that Nelson has denied."
* * *
Tracy McGrady's going to take a lot of heat if the Rockets make another first-round exit to the Jazz. He was incredible for the bulk of Monday's game, but once again struggled in the fourth quarter.
McGrady went to the bench with 9:18 to play and returned with 7:07 left and the Rockets trailing 76-75. He split two free throws with 6:39 left that could have given Houston the lead.
The play that left me shaking my head came as McGrady drove, got within eight feet of the basket, then threw a pass that Luis Scola had to track down before taking a wild shot that predictably missed.
McGrady committed a turnover, then missed an 18-footer. He took a quick three-pointer with Houston trailing 85-80 with 1:53 left and missed that too. His clanked another three-pointer in the dying seconds.
That left McGrady 0-for-4 in the fourth quarter. He went scoreless in the final 6 1-2 minutes and without a field goal for the last 18:37. McGrady missed his last seven shots, with his last basket coming on a 19-footer midway through the third quarter.
Bobby Jackson also struggled down the stretch, missing two killer free throws with 4:23 left and then missing a layup and 22-footer. He also gave up a layup to Deron Williams with 3:17 remaining.
* * *
Just for a little perspective, only 13 teams have ever come from 2-0 down to win a best-of-seven series in NBA history, including the Jazz last year against the Rockets.
Only three teams have ever come home with a 2-0 lead and ever blown it - - Golden State in 1969 against the L.A. Lakers, Phoenix in 1994 to Houston and Houston in 2005 to Dallas.
--Ross Siler
2:00 AM
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2 Comments:
After the complaining of the offensive call on Scola, I hear no mention of the non-call that sent Deron to the locker room, or the other end when it looked like AK's face was a punching bag while Houston was going for a rebound. Yeah, AK exaggerated, but apparently he needed to exaggerate to finally get the right call. I would gripe as well if I was a Rockets fan, but a little less griping from the analysts would be nice.
ESPN is going nuts with this "flop". They never EVER mention the Jazz but they have a field day with this nothing of a play. Ginobli flops everytime he takes the court but they dont take 10 minutes to talkabout it on 1st and 10. Mike and Mike in the morning spent the whole show whining about AK "flopping". I hate ESPN. When they have an agenda, look out!
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