Sunday, April 20, 2008

   Andrei Kirilenko came into the playoffs having averaged 11.0 points a game this season. That left him the fifth-leading scorer on the team, below Ronnie Brewer and just ahead of Kyle Korver. A complementary player, in other words.

    But Kirilenko was the Jazz's difference maker against the Rockets. In fact, he might have played his best two-way game of the season in scoring 21 points (on 8-for-12 shooting) and holding Tracy McGrady to 20 (on 7 of 21 shooting).

    When he scored, Kirilenko did it in a variety of ways. He hit an 18-footer, 22-footer and three-pointer and thanked Jeff Hornacek afterward for working with him on his shooting. He drove on Shane Battier and spun past Steve Novak for a layup.

    Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer and Jerry Sloan each had nothing but praise for Kirilenko after the game.

    Sloan: "He seemed to be so much more relaxed. He played so much more relaxed. He played with a great deal of determination. [Shane] Battier came out of the gates quick on him and kind of got him off-balance a little bit, but I was happy after that happened, when Battier made the first couple shots he took, that he was able to stay in there and stay competitive and not let that take him out. That was the encouraging thing."

    Boozer: "He was the MVP of the game. He gave us a huge lift. He hit big shots, made free throws, got blocks. He was phenomenal. Phenomenal."

    Williams: "I thought he was definitely the X factor coming into the playoffs and we go as he goes, because he's our defensive stopper. But he did it on both ends tonight. He was very aggressive, hit shots from the outside. He definitely has that advantage on the inside when he posts up against smaller guys. And he was very effective going to the basket. He went up strong and I was definitely proud of the way he played tonight."

    The Jazz stuck to their game plan against McGrady, with Kirilenko (and Brewer) providing the first line of defense and the rest of the team being quick to help when McGrady looked to drive or double him when he held the ball. McGrady is now 14 of 42 his last two games against the Jazz.

    "I don't think it's my job. I think it's a team job," Kirilenko said. "We've been active as a team on him. We help each other, we switch at a time, we double-team at a time, we take him out of the rhythm. That's what we were supposed to do."

    I thought the key play with McGrady happened in the third quarter when he fired a bullet pass to Chuck Hayes, who was open under the basket. Hayes couldn't catch the pass, however, and you could see McGrady's shoulders slump.

    Two other Jazz players got in on the act against McGrady: Kyle Korver blocked one of McGrady's shots from behind and Matt Harpring put up a good fight on defense when he found himself having to guard McGrady one-on-one.

    The Jazz are now clearly in the driver's seat in the series and can make short work of the Rockets if they win Game 2 on Monday. It's hard to imagine the Jazz losing at home in this series unless McGrady can take over like he did for five minutes in the third quarter.

    "We need to win," Kirilenko said, "and kind of set up the tone so they can't even think about winning in Salt Lake. But again it will be tough to do."

    * * *

    According to the Jazz, Isiah Thomas' firing marked the 200th coaching change around the league since Jerry Sloan took over in Salt Lake City nearly 20 years ago. Milwaukee's Larry Krystkowiak and Chicago's Jim Boylan were Nos. 198 and 199.

    --Ross Siler