Rockets Win Game 5

Finally! The Houston Rockets and the Utah Jazz played well at the same time during this first round playoff series. The Rockets defeated the Jazz 96 to 92 to take a 3 to 2 series lead. Game 6 is Thursday, May 3, in Utah. If necessary, game 7 will be Saturday, May 5, in Houston.

A lot of "firsts" happened in tonight's game: The Rockets' bench (key reserves Luther Head and Juwan Howard) had their first good scoring performance. Head scored eight points while Howard was a perfect 6-for-6 from the field for a total of 12 points.

Tracy McGrady attacked the basket and his teammates, for the first time in the series, shot great from the three point line. The Rockets shot 12 for 24 from behind the arc: Shane Battier made 5 of his 7 attempts (for a playoff career-high 15 points) while Head was 2 for 4; Rafer Alston made 3 of his 7 attempts and McGrady shot 2 for 5. McGrady finished the game with 26 points (11 for 25 from the field) and a playoff career-high 16 assists!

Andrei Kirilenko, for the first time in the series, played well. On offense and defense. Kirilenko scored 8 points on 4 for 5 shooting; pulled down four boards; dished out five assists; and blocked three shots. His four made shots tonight were two more than the two he made in the first four games of the series.

Though he struggled from the field (6 for 18) most of the game, Yao Ming scored 21 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. Alston scored 14 and Battier added 15.

Carlos Boozer led the Jazz with 26 points on 12 for 23 shooting from the field.

Utah led the Rockets 23 to 21 at the end of the first quarter. The Jazz shot 50 percent (9 for 18) in the period while the Rockets shot just 33 percent (6 for 18); however, the Rockets made all six free throws and 3 for 7 from the three point line. McGrady dished out 4 assists in the quarter; but, he left the game with 1:14 left after suffering a bruised right hip.

McGrady started the second quarter and attacked Utah's defense. McGrady's teammates capitalized on the open looks he created. McGrady picked up six assists in the second quarter to finish the first half with 10 assists. Juwan Howard scored eight points in the quarter and Yao Ming added six. Seven players scored for the Jazz in the second stanza; and, the Jazz recorded eight assists on their eight made field goals in the quarter.

Utah led 44 to 43 at halftime.

The third quarter was back and forth. Both teams began clicking on offense. The Rockets 60% (12 for 20) from the floor while the Jazz shot 57.1% (12 for 21) from the floor. McGrady scored 11 points and dished out 3 more assists in the third period. Boozer scored 11; Kirilenko scored six; and guard Derek Fisher scored five points to help the Jazz outscore the Rockets 28 to 25 in the quarter.

The Rockets trailed the Jazz 72 to 68 at the end of three quarters.

Luther Head hit a three point shot to put the Rockets ahead 76 to 75 at the 10:31 mark of the fourth quarter. Two minutes later, Head scored a reverse lay-up to tie the game at 79. Howard, McGrady, and Yao Ming led a 12 to 5 Rockets' run to put the Rockets ahead 91 to 84 with 3:58 remaining.

Neither team scored for one minute; then, Utah's Matt Harpring led a 6 to 0 Jazz run by hitting two baseline jump shots. Boozer's driving lay-up sliced the Rockets lead to one (91 to 90) with 1:49 remaining in the game.

After a timeout by the Rockets, Yao Ming scored a 7-foot jumper of the glass; but, Boozer scored another lay-up. Yao Ming was called for an offensive foul with 54.5 seconds left; however, Utah missed two jump shots during a 34 second span. Rafer Alston rebounded the missed jumper by Harpring; and, Alston was fouled with 20.5 seconds remaining.

Alston missed the first free throw and made the second attempt. Instead of calling timeout, Utah set up the offense in the front court; Derek Fisher drove from the left side of the floor into the paint; however, Rockets forward Chuck Hayes rotated toward Fisher; planted his feet; and Fisher collided with Hayes to earn the charging foul.

Yao Ming was fouled and hit the two foul shots for the final score.

Utah's Deron Williams shot just 4 for 16 from the field in the game. He scored 13 points and dished out 6 assists. For the game, Utah had 27 assists on their 37 made baskets.

The Rockets finished the game with 25 assists on 35 made baskets.

The Rockets out-rebounded the Jazz 42 to 39. The Jazz scored 44 points in the paint compared to 34 for the Rockets. The Rockets bench outscored the Jazz bench 20 to 19. The Rockets also picked up 12 steals in the game.

Rockets Programming Updates

A few television programming notes about the Rockets upcoming Game 6 versus the Utah Jazz:

From the NBA:

Here are the two possible schedule scenarios for Thursday, May 3.

If Game 6 is necessary in the Dallas - Golden State series...

Game 6 - Houston at Utah, 7:00 PM (CST) -- TNT.
Game 6 - Dallas at Golden State, 9:30 PM (CST) -- TNT.


If Game 6 is not necessary in the Dallas-Golden State series.

Game - 6 Houston at Utah, 8:00 PM -- TNT.

Subject to change.


From FSN Houston:
FSN Houston will televise Game 6 of the Houston Rockets-Utah Jazz NBA first-round playoff series from Utah on Thursday, May 3 at 7:00 PM CDT (8:00 PM CDT if the Dallas - Golden State series ends Tuesday).

To accommodate the change, Thursday’s Cincinnati Reds - Houston Astros game at 7:00 PM CDT, originally scheduled to air on FSN Houston, moves to KNWS Ch. 51. Tuesday’s (May 1) Astros - Cincinnati Reds game at 7:00 PM CDT, originally scheduled to air on KNWS-Ch. 51, moves to FSN Houston.

Jazz Tie Series at Two

Sometimes numbers don't mean a thing. Saturday night, for the first time in their series with the Utah Jazz, the Houston Rockets shot above 40% (42.1%, 32 for 76) from the field. Unfortunately, the Rockets defense took a siesta and the Utah Jazz rolled the Rockets with a solid 98 to 85 victory to tie the first round series at 2. The final score is definitely misleading because the Rockets' deep reserves outscored the Utah's deep reserves 12 to 3 to finish the game. Those 12 points helped the Rockets win the fourth quarter 23 to 15; but, the game was over well before the final 12 minutes.

Utah's Deron Williams finally had an effective and efficient ball game for the first time in the series. Williams shot 10 for 14 from the field and added seven assists. Williams led all scorers with 25 points.

Forward Matt Harpring came off the bench to score 17 points; Mehmet Okur scored 16 points and Carlos Boozer added 15 points. Okur's 16 points were the most points he's scored in one game thus far in the series.

Yao Ming scored 20 points; but, he committed five turnovers. Tracy McGrady made just six of his 18 field goal attempts and scored 18 points. Rafer Alston led the Rockets with nine rebounds; but, Alston's poor defense on Williams was a big key which helped Utah's offense finally begin to click.

Both teams played in the first half; but, for the fourth time in the series, the Jazz went into the locker room with a lead (50 to 45) at halftime. The third quarter proved to be the decisive quarter once again. The Jazz beat the Rockets to every loose ball; blitzed the Rockets in the third period; and outscored the Rockets 33 to 17 to lead 83 to 62 heading into the fourth quarter.

Game 5 is Monday night in Houston. Tip-off is set for 7pm.

Game 3 Highest-ever FSN Ratings

I have to assume these numbers dwindled when the fans realized the Rockets' offense wasn't going to get any better in the fourth quarter last night versus the Jazz...

Game 3 of the Houston Rockets-Utah Jazz NBA Western Conference first-round playoff series Thursday, April 26 set an all-time record for households on FSN Houston. An average of 154,800 homes in Houston watched the telecast, breaking the previous high of 143,300 on Nov. 12, 1996, against the LosAngeles Lakers. The game averaged a 7.8 Nielsen household rating and a 12 share and was the day's highest-rated cable television program in Houston. It ranks as the ninth best Rockets rating of all-time on the network, and the highest since a 7.9 on Dec. 4, 1996, against the Boston Celtics.

The telecast peaked with a 9.4 HH rating (185,300 homes) from 9:00-9:15 PM and again from 10:00-10:15PM CT, during which time it was the second most watched program in Houston behind CBS' "Shark" and the CBS 11 News at 10.

NBA Awards Update

Denver Nuggets center Marcus Camby was named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year today.

Yesterday, Golden State's Monta Ellis edged Kevin Martin, my pick, for the NBA's Most Improved Player of the Year.

Toronto's Sam Mitchell was named Coach of the Year. (I picked Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy.)

On Monday, Phoenix Suns guard Leandro Barbosa was named the league's Sixth Man of the Year.

Here are the rest of my picks: HRR NBA 2007 Honors.

Jazz Take Game 3

The Utah Jazz defeated the Houston Rockets 81 to 67 in game 3 of this first round playoff match-up. Game 4 will start at 9:30 pm in Utah.

Game 5 will be in Houston. Tip-off time is set for 7pm.

Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming combined for 50 points. Shane Battier scored 11 and Rafer Alston added six. Add it up -- 67 points from four players.

Chuck Hayes was held scoreless and kept in check on the boards with just seven rebounds. Luther Head and Juwan Howard combined to miss all 10 of their shots.

The Rockets' bench was outscored 33 to 0!

Houston's 67 points set a franchise low for points scored in a playoff game.

The Rockets made 21 of 64 shots from the field for a frigid 32.8%. The Jazz didn't light up the scoreboard on offense either as they shot 38.8% (33 for 85) from the field.

Utah led 23 to 17 at the end of the first quarter and 48 to 42 at halftime. In games 1 and 2, the Rockets won the third quarter which helped catapult them to the 2 - 0 series lead. The third time was the charm for the Jazz tonight. Though the third quarter was a horrible display of professional basketball, the Jazz won the quarter 13 to 10.

Jazz forward Carlos Boozer scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

The Rockets turned the ball over 19 times. Yao Ming committed eight of those turnovers.

Despite going scoreless on seven consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter, the Jazz kept the Rockets at arms' length thanks to the Rockets woeful performance on offense.

McGrady after Practice

Before the Houston Rockets fly to Utah for Game 3 of their first round playoff series, the team held practice today.

Tracy McGrady spoke with the media after the practice.

Hear are his comments.

Rockets Beat Jazz in Game 2

Utah, you have a problem.

The Houston Rockets defeated the Utah Jazz 98 to 90 Monday night in game 2 of the Western Conference first round playoff match-up to take a 2 games to 0 lead in the best-of-7 series.

Utah's Carlos Boozer led all-scorers with 41 points. Tracy McGrady led the Rockets with 31 points; but, he made only 9 of his 29 field goal attempts. McGrady attempted 14 free throws and made 12. Yao Ming scored 27 points; and, he also struggled from the field making just 9 of his 24 attempts.

Boozer dominated the Rockets; however, he could have scored more. He started the game with 15 points in the first quarter. Boozer shot 7 for 11 from the field on mostly jump shots. He missed all three of his jump shots in the second quarter; but, he did attempt four free throws in the period. He finished the first half with 19 points including 5 for 5 from the foul line.

The Rockets won this game because they were the aggressors in the second half. Trailing 41 to 39 at halftime, the Rockets outscored the Jazz 28 to 21 in the third quarter. Houston took 14 free throw attempts in the period to Utah's robust total of zero. The Jazz were whistled for nine fouls in the third period to just three third quarter fouls for the Rockets.

"We were able to get to the line," Rafer Alston said. "We were able to establish getting into the penalty early in the quarter. When you do that, that puts a lot of pressure on the defense to guard you as the quarter goes on."

After the game, Utah's head coach Jerry Sloan noted the difference in free throw attempts; however, Coach Sloan's team simply needs to be more aggressive and attack the basket instead of shooting jump shot after jump shot.

Houston's Chuck Hayes kept the Rockets in the ball game in the first quarter because of his activity. Hayes led the Rockets with 6 first quarter points and 5 first quarter rebounds.

The Rockets trailed by two at halftime mainly because of the 11 offensive rebounds they collected which led to 10 second chance points.

McGrady went into attack mode in the third period and scored 12 points (2 for 7 from the field, 7 for 8 from the foul line).

The Rockets took their first lead of the game (55 to 54) after McGrady swished three free throws. (He draw a shooting foul on Jazz guard Derek Fisher while attempting a three-point jump shot.) The Rockets finished the third period leading 67 to 62.

Houston scored 9 of the first 11 points in the fourth quarter to stretch their lead to 12 (76 to 64) with 9:19 left in the ball game. After a time-out, the Jazz scored six straight points; but, McGrady hit two free throws to keep the Jazz at arm's length. The Jazz pulled within four points two times during last few minutes of the ball game; however, making 10 of 12 from the free throw line and one made field goal allowed the Rockets to win the ball game 98 to 90.

Hayes finished the game with 12 points (perfect 5 for 5 from the field) and 12 rebounds. Shane Battier scored 10 points. Both Hayes and Battier scored more points than Utah's starting center Mehmet Okur (4 points, 2 for 9 from the field). Okur seems to have no legs on his jump shot after expending so much energy guarding Yao Ming. If Okur continues shooting poorly, this series won't last much longer.

"I don't know the reason but they are all good shots that I was making during the season," said Okur. "It's very tough to try to defend Yao (Ming) for 30 minutes a game. I need to work on my shot and I can't give up but keep working. I don't feel like I am in a slump."

Utah's Andrei Kirilenko was a non-factor once again. He finished the game with zero points (0 for 3 from the field); three rebounds; five fouls; two turnovers; and two blocked shots.

Houston's Rafer Alston scored 11 points (3 for 9 and 1 for 6 on threes); grabbed six rebounds; and dished out five assists.

Jazz guard Deron Williams scored 15 points (6 for 13 from the field); pulled down seven boards; and handed out seven assists. However, Williams attempted just two foul shoots which indicates he did not attack the basket nearly enough.

Utah's bench outscored the Rockets' bench 21 to 7.

Houston won the battle of the boards 50 to 42. The Rockets finished the game making just 30 of their 83 field goal attempts including a frigid 4 for 24 from the three-point line for an icy 36.1%. Houston shot 89.5% (36 for 38) from the foul line. Utah attempted 17 free throws and made 13 (76.5%).

"Obviously we didn't really have a shooting clinic tonight," said Shane Battier. "We tried to go to the rack a little bit more. Mac (Tracy McGrady) did a great job of cutting to the basket and getting to the free throw line. That's the only way that we can survive 36% shooting."

Rockets Beat Jazz in Game 1

Pretty it was not.

The Houston Rockets defeated the Utah Jazz 84 to 75 Saturday night to win game 1 of their Western Conference First Round match-up. Neither team shot 40 percent for the ball game. Houston's Big Two, Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, combined for 51 points while Utah's Big Two, forward Carlos Boozer and center Mehmet Okur, combined for just 17 points. Booker and Okur made just six of their 31 field goal attempts including a woeful 1 for 14 in the second half.

Tracy McGrady scored 23 points -- 22 in the second half. McGrady missed all six of his field goal attempts in the first half. Yao Ming scored a game-high 28 points and pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds.

Houston led Utah 20 to 19 at the end of the first quarter after forward Juwan Howard made a jump shot as the game clock expired.

The Jazz owned the second quarter and outscored the Rockets 23 to 13. The Rockets made just two out of 13 shots while the Jazz shot 45.8% (11 for 24) in the period. The Jazz dominated the rebounding as well with 15 boards compared to just seven for the Rockets. Utah finished the first half out rebounding the Rockets 27 to 20.

The third quarter was a completely different story. Houston played lock down defense and limited the Jazz to a frigid 4 for 22 from the field and zero assists! McGrady made his first shot of the quarter, a 20-foot jumper, to end his drought from the field. Then, Rafer Alston dished to McGrady for an assist. McGrady caught fire and made five more baskets in the quarter. He scored 16 points during the third period and outscored the Jazz by himself: 16 to 11.

"I told myself at halftime to calm down," said McGrady after the game. "I had to take a couple of deep breaths and gather myself together because I was on a high. Even before the game, coming to the arena, I'm sitting in the car and my palms were sweating and I just calmed myself down the 2nd half. Coming out of third quarter I was more relaxed and just more relaxed on my offense and on my jumpers."

The turning point of the quarter occurred during a 10 second span late in the period. While clinging to a one point lead (53 to 52), Utah's Mehmet Okur picked up a steal from a bad pass by McGrady; Okur passed the ball ahead to guard Derek Fisher; Fisher led a four-on-one fast break; instead of passing to a teammate; Fished missed his lay-up attempt; and Okur missed the putback. Rafer Alston rebounded the missed shot and passed the ball to a wide open Yao Ming. (Yao Ming was open because he never crossed half court.) Once he caught the pass, Yao slammed the ball home to give the Rockets a 54 to 53 lead which put the Rockets ahead for the first time in the ball game since leading 20 to 19 to start the second quarter.

Utah didn't score any more points in the third quarter. The Rockets outscored the Jazz 26 to 11 during the period and took a 59 to 53 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Jazz pulled within two points of the Rockets four times early in the fourth period; however, with 8:41 left in the ball game, the Rockets went on a 15 to 3 run to stretch their lead to 14 points (80 to 66) with 3:34 left in the game. Alston, Luther Head and McGrady each knocked down three-point shots during the decisive run.

Both teams went scoreless for 94 seconds until Harpring ended the drought with a 14-foot jump shot with two minutes left in the game. Alston, McGrady, and Head missed jump shots; but, the Rockets rebounded each missed shot which ultimately resulted in a loose ball foul called on Utah's Matt Harpring. After a turnover by Juwan Howard, Derek Fisher hit a three-point shot to trim Houston's lead to nine (80 to 71) with 1:08 left. Yao Ming missed a 10-foot jump shot and Fisher drained another three-point jump shot with just 32.2 seconds remaining. Instead of fouling the Rockets quickly, the Jazz allowed 17 seconds to run off the clock before fouling Tracy McGrady with 15.3 seconds in the game. McGrady split the two free throws to give the Rockets a 81 to 74 lead.

Deron Williams, Jazz point guard, split two free throws to close out the scoring for Utah with 8.7 seconds to go. Yao Ming hit two free throws and Luther Head split two attempts for the final points score by the Rockets.

The Rockets out rebounded the Jazz 26 to 21 in the second half.

Williams finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Including the four games of the regular season, Williams is averaging 8.4 assists in five total games against the Rockets this season.

"We played a good game for the most part but didn't hit shots down the stretch," Williams said after the game. "We can play a lot better and we know we can beat them."

Rafer Alston finished the game with nine points, a career-high 11 rebounds, and 8 assists.

Houston held Utah to its lowest point total in the all-time playoff annals between these two clubs. The previous low was in an 80-78 win by the Rockets at Utah (5/29/94).

1st round Predictions

Eastern Conference
#1 Detroit Pistons vs. #8 Orlando Magic -- Pistons in 5.
#2 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. #7 Washington Wizards -- Cavaliers in 5.
#3 Toronto Raptors vs. #6 New Jersey Nets -- Nets in 6.
#4 Miami Heat vs. #5 Chicago Bulls -- Heat in 7.
Note: The Bulls own the home court advantage in this series because of a better regular season record than the Heat.

The complete first round schedule is posted here.

Western Conference
#1 Dallas Mavericks vs. #8 Golden State Warriors -- Mavs in 5.
#2 Phoenix Suns vs. #7 Los Angels Lakers -- Suns in 5.
#3 San Antonio Spurs vs. #6 Denver Nuggets -- Spurs in 7.
#4 Utah Jazz vs. #5 Houston Rockets -- Jazz in 7.
Note: The Rockets own the home court advantage in this series because of a better regular season record than the Jazz.

The complete first round schedule is posted here.

Jazz - Rockets Analysis

Obviously, the Rockets have two distinct advantages over the Jazz:
Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming.


Starters
I believe Jazz forward Carlos Boozer is going to have a big series. He has to in order for the Jazz to be successful. Boozer is a better player than the Rockets power forward tandem of Chuck Hayes and Juwan Howard. Period. However, if Boozer doesn't punish them on the block and make his open perimeter shots consistently, Utah is in trouble.

As long as Yao Ming avoids foul trouble, he'll dominate Utah simply because the Jazz do not have an answer for defending him.

However, Mehmet Okur is a better perimeter player than Yao Ming; so, when Utah runs the pick-and-roll with Okur, Memo's ability to hit the outside shot as well as attack the basket should give Yao Ming and the Rockets trouble. Okur should not settle for jump shots. He needs to attack and get to the foul line as much as possible.

Andrei Kirilenko is an important player in this series. He has not played well for much of the season; however, his long arms can, at least, give T-Mac something to think about when McGrady shoots from the outside. Therefore, McGrady needs to be aggressive and attack Kirilenko by driving into the paint in order to get a lot of free throw attempts as well as break down Utah's defense to free up open shots for his teammates.

Shane Battier needs to be aggressive and shoot the open looks he'll get when the Jazz rotate on defense. Shane should not be shy when it comes to shooting the ball in this series.

A key match-up in this series will be at the starting point guard position. Deron Williams is quicker and stronger than Rockets' guard Rafer Alston; therefore, Alston must be smart and quick in order to keep Williams in front of him and out of the paint. Neither Williams nor Alston are consistent threats from the perimeter; however, both can get hot from the outside. Whichever guard plays better overall (including limiting turnovers) in the series, could very well help lead his team to winning the series.

Veteran guard Derek Fisher is not a star player. Fisher is a strong guard who, though he's shorter than McGrady, can push T-Mac further out from the basket when McGrady tries to post him up. Fisher will try to do just about anything in order to disrupt McGrady's jump shot. If Fisher makes any perimeter shots, it's a plus for the Jazz.

Tracy McGrady needs to play aggressively from the opening quarter throughout this series and show he's the best player in the series.


Bench
Utah's bench is more physical than Houston's bench. Forwards Matt Harpring and Paul Millsap like to use their strength when defending their opponents. Millsap (6'8) is a slightly taller version of Chuck Hayes which means he keeps loose balls alive and does the little things coaches and teammates love. Guard Gordan Giricek is a streaky shooter. His defense is shaky; so, the Rockets need to attack him as much as possible.

Luther Head is a big key for the Rockets in this series. Luther has a tremendous ability to make clutch shots in the fourth quarter; and, he is also good at coming off then bench in the first half and providing the Rockets a much needed offensive boost. Luther should try to mix up his game with some drives to the basket in order to complement his outside shooting.

Juwan Howard will be a key because of his ability to make the open mid-range shot; however, Howard needs to be a positive force on the boards for the Rockets. Juwan's rebounding will help ease the burden on Hayes and Yao Ming.

Dikembe Mutombo's minutes should not be extensive because if Deke is playing a lot of minutes, Yao Ming must be in foul trouble. However, Mutombo simply needs to maximize the minutes he does receive and be a consistent force on defense.


Head coaches
Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan and Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy are no nonsense coaches. Neither man seeks excuses for poor play. Neither team will be unprepared in this series because both men are extremely detailed in their preparation. Sloan and Van Gundy want efficient offense with solid screens and good, hard cuts. The pick-and-roll (defending it, too) will be HUGE in this series.


I believe this series will be hard fought and competitive throughout. Rebounding should be very important in this series.


HRR Prediction: Jazz in 7. While I'm not as confident in my "Jazz over the Rockets in 7" prediction as I was April 2, I'm not going to change the prediction. No money is involved. If I'm wrong, I'll have the opportunity to cover the Rockets in the Western Conference semi-finals which is not a bad thing at all.

Rockets-Jazz Start April 21

The Houston Rockets and the Utah Jazz will square off in game 1 of their first round NBA playoff match-up this Saturday, April 21. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 pm.

This series will be the sixth time the two teams have met in the playoffs with Utah holding a 3 to 2 lead in the playoff meetings:

1985: Utah won 3 games to 2 -- Western Conference First Round.
1994: Houston won 4 games to 1 -- Western Conference Finals.
1995: Houston won 3 games to 2 -- Western Conference First Round.
1997: Utah won 4 games to 2 -- Western Conference Finals.
1998: Utah won 3 games to 2 -- Western Conference First Round.

Here's the schedule for the 2007 Western Conference First Round match-up:

Utah vs. Houston
Game 1 - Saturday, April 21, Utah at Houston, 8:30PM -- ESPN.
Game 2 - Monday, April 23, Utah at Houston, 8:30PM -- TNT.
Game 3 - Thursday, April 26, Houston at Utah, 7:00PM -- NBATV.
Game 4 - Saturday, April 28, Houston at Utah, 8:30PM -- ESPN.
Game 5* - Monday, April 30, Utah at Houston, TBD -- TBD.
Game 6* - Thursday, May 3, Houston at Utah, TBD -- TBD.
Game 7* - Saturday, May 5, Utah at Houston, TBD -- TNT.

* - if necessary.

The complete first round schedule is posted here.

Owls Sign Braimoh

The Rice Owls have signed a prep kid!

Suleiman Braimoh, Jr. has signed a national-letter-of-intent to play for the Rice Owls and head coach Willis Wilson.

Braimoh, a 6' 8," 235-pound power forward, graduated from the United Nations International School in 2006 and spent the 2006-07 season at The Lawrenceville School, a preparatory institution in Lawrenceville, N.J.

Read the school's press release.

Pick and Roll

Rockets fans complain about their favorite team's poor job defending the pick-and-roll; well, here's a comment from Detroit Pistons' head coach Flip Saunders which I thought was enlightening:

"Our defensive concern is the same as each of the 16 teams in the playoffs -- how to play the pick and roll," he said. "We have been giving up a lot of points at the basket, but a lot of times, the ball ends up at the basket after our coverage faltered on the pick and roll."

(The quote is from an article in The Detroit News written by Chris McCosky.)

I've always believed if the pick-and-roll is run correctly with the right players, there's no defense which can stop it. All a defense can do is force a perimeter shot to be taken -- instead of lay-ups -- and rebound the missed shot (if there is one).

NBA Suspends Crawford

Though I agree Mr. Crawford was wrong for his actions during Sunday's game between the Mavs and the Spurs, I'm stunned by this move by the NBA and Commissioner David Stern:

NBA referee Joey Crawford has been indefinitely suspended for improper conduct toward Tim Duncan during the San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks game on April 15, it was announced today by NBA Commissioner David Stern. The conduct included Crawford's assessment of a second technical foul and ejection of Duncan following laughter by the player while he was seated on the bench, and inappropriate comments made to Duncan during the game.

Crawford's suspension will cover at least the remainder of the 2006-07 season, including the NBA Playoffs and Finals.

"Joey Crawford's handling of this situation failed to meet the standards of professionalism and game management we expect of NBA referees," said Stern. "Especially in light of similar prior acts by this official, a significant suspension is warranted. Although Joey is consistently rated as one of our top referees, he must be held accountable for his actions on the floor, and we will have further discussions with him following the season to be sure he understands his responsibilities."

The incidents occurred with 1:04 remaining in the third period of the Mavericks 91-86 win over the Spurs on Sunday, April 8, at American Airlines Center.

Wow!

HRR NBA 2007 Honors

Note: These are The Houston Roundball Review's honors -- not an official ballot for the NBA's honors.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER:
The player who has the most value to his team. In other words, if this player missed games for an extended period of time, his team would experience a dramatic fall off in performance and / or wins.

MVP -- Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns.


MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER:
The player who has the best season statistically for his team throughout the league and also contributed the most to his team’s success. In order to be eligible for the MOP, the player must play in at least 62 games of the regular season.

MOP -- Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers.


COACH OF THE YEAR:
The coach who best maximized his team’s talent, overcame any team adversity, and had a successful season.

COY -- Jeff Van Gundy, Houston Rockets.


EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR:
The executive who made the best personnel decisions which led to his team’s improvement this season compared to the previous season.

Exec -- Bryan Colangelo, Toronto Raptors.


ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:
Ideally, the rookie who helped his team improve (no. of wins) from the previous season. However, circumstances may not make that possible; therefore, the rookie who had the best season statistically and helped make his team better.

ROY -- Brandon Roy, Portland Trail Blazers.


DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
The player who disrupts the opponent’s offense more than any other player. He is not necessarily the best man to man defender in the league.

DPOY -- Marcus Camby, Denver Nuggets.


SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR:
The player who provides an offensive punch as well as any intangible things such as diving for loose balls, making the extra pass, etc. while coming off the bench. In order to remain eligible, the player cannot start more than half his team’s games.

6th Man -- Leandro Barbosa, Phoenix Suns.


MOST IMPROVED PLAYER:
The player who improved the most over last season statistically and became a major contributor toward his team’s success.

MIP -- Kevin Martin, Sacramento Kings.

Rockets top Suns 120 to 117

The Houston Rockets accomplished two things tonight at Toyota Center: first, the Rockets defeated the Phoenix Suns 120 to 117 for Houston's first win over Phoenix this season; and, second, the victory clinched the 4th seed and home court advantage in the first round versus the Utah Jazz.

The Rockets (52 - 29) were led by The Big Two -- Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. McGrady scored a game-high 39 points while Yao added 34 points marking the second time this season Yao and Tracy McGrady have reached 30 points in the same game. They combined to shoot 28 for 51 from the field. McGrady added 11 rebounds and nine assists. Yao Ming pulled down nine boards.

Phoenix led the Rockets 25 to 24 at the end of the first quarter. McGrady played all 12 minutes of the quarter and scored 12 points on 5 for 8 shooting from the field. Though he turned the ball over four times, he was definitely in attack mode from the opening tip.

"I know how important it is for a team to be playing extremely well going into the playoffs," said T-Mac. "That's why I wanted to take my game to another level."

Suns' center Amare Stoudemire scored 10 points (4 for 5) in the first period.

McGrady scored 13 more points in the second quarter and Stoudemire added 10 points for the Suns -- including a jump shot as the half time buzzer sounded to pull Phoenix within two points (56 to 54) at halftime.

The Rockets blitzed Phoenix in the third quarter with a 29 to 16 run to lead 85 to 70 with 2:52 left in the third quarter. McGrady and Ming combined for 20 of Houston's 35-third quarter points. The Rockets outscored Phoenix 35 to 25 to take a 91 to 79 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Rockets kept the Suns at arms' length for much of the fourth quarter. Phoenix used a 11 to 4 scoring run to pull within five points, 97 to 92, with 8:12 left in the game; however, one three point basket each from Shane Battier and Luther Head helped the Rockets lead 105 to 94 with 6:27 remaining in the quarter.

McGrady banged in a 26-foot three-point jumper to give the Rockets a 113 to 103 lead with 3:53 remaining; however, Steve Nash hit a three 18 seconds later and the Suns began making one final push. After a three-second call on Yao Ming, Nash hit a 13-foot jumper, to trim the Rockets lead to 113 to 108. Yao tipped in a miss by Battier; then, Battier swished a three-point shot to give the Rockets 118 to 108 with 2:13 remaining.

The Suns refused to quit; and, scored seven straight points to trail just 118 to 115 with 48.5 seconds on the game clock. McGrady missed a long jump shot with 28.9 seconds remaining; but, Stoudemire missed a 10-foot bank shot.

Yao Ming and Suns' forward Shawn Marion were tied up for a jump ball. Phoenix gained possession and called two twenty-second times-out. Nash missed a three point shot; but, Phoenix kept possession of the ball as it bounced out of bounds. After a twenty-second Rockets' time-out, Houston's defense (or indecisive Suns' offense) forced Stoudemire to shoot a three-point shot -- which is well outside of his range. The shot was short; but, Marion rebounded the miss with 1.7 seconds remaining. However, instead of passing the rebound back to a teammate for a three-point shot attempt, Marion scored a lay-up with just one second left in the game. Without any times-out left, Phoenix was forced to foul Rafer Alston with just 0.3 seconds remaining. Alston made both free throws for the final score of 120 to 117.

On "Fan Appreciation Night" the Rockets sent the raucous sell-out Toyota Center crowd home with a much needed win.

"The fans were great tonight," said Rockets forward Shane Battier. "It was fitting that it was Fan Appreciation Night; they were awesome and we appreciated it. They know that we need them at their best."

Battier scored 17 points (5 for 6 from three point range).

Rafer Alston scored 11 points and added nine assists.

"There was a lot of energy in the building," said Alston. "It was electrifying out there. You have 2 All-Stars who were just outstanding tonight. On the flip side, Phoenix practically made every shot that they shot. They shot a high field goal percentage and yet we came away with the victory."

Steve Nash finished the game with 15 points and 15 assists -- in just under 34 minutes.

"We played hard but not great," Nash said after the game. "It was a big game for them but not for us. Our guys just wanted to win the game. We didn't dictate the pace as well as we did in other games. We match up well with them. We seem to have the answers against this team."

The Suns shot 57.3% (47 for 82) from the field for the game; however, the Rockets out rebounded Phoenix 46 to 31.

Battier added, "We really played poorly against Phoenix the last 3 times on the boards and so we really wanted to come out tonight and establish ourselves. That's their biggest weakness and we wanted to exploit that. We did an awful job of that the last 3 games (against Phoenix) and it made a big difference for us."

T-Mac Named Player of the Week

Not this time, Kobe:

Houston Rockets guard / forward Tracy McGrady was named today by the NBA as Western Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, Apr. 9 through Sunday, Apr. 15. It marks the fifth time with the Rockets and the 10th time in his career to be named the NBA's Conference Player of the Week.

McGrady averaged 28.0 points, 7.3 assists, 6.7 rebounds and 3.0 steals in helping guide Houston to a 3-0 week. He scored 27 points, including 21 in the first half, while adding five rebounds, five assists and three steals in a 95-90 win at Seattle (4/9/07). McGrady also notched 32 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals in a 99-95 victory at Portland (4/11/07). With the game in the balance at 101-96 vs. the Hornets (4/14/07), McGrady scored 11 consecutive points for Houston from the 4:21 to the 2:04 mark of the fourth quarter, which put the Rockets in position to push their lead back into double digits with less than two minutes remaining in the game.

HRR All-NBA Honors

All NBA Teams - (regardless of position)

First Team
F - Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs.
F - Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks.
F - LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers.
G - Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers.
G - Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns.

Second Team
F - Carlos Boozer, Utah Jazz.
C - Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns.
C - Yao Ming, Houston Rockets.
G - Gilbert Arenas, Washington Wizards.
G - Tracy McGrady, Houston Rockets.

Third Team
F - Zach Randolph, Portland Trail Blazers.
F - Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets.
F - Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves.
C - Marcus Camby, Denver Nuggets.
G - Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat.


All Rookie Teams - (regardless of position)

First Team
F - Andrea Bargnani, Toronto Raptors.
F - Adam Morrison, Charlotte Bobcats.
F - Rudy Gay, Memphis Grizzlies.
G - Brandon Roy, Portland Trail Blazers.
G - Randy Foye, Minnesota Timberwolves.

Second Team
F - Craig Smith, Minnesota Timberwolves.
F - Tyrus Thomas, Chicago Bulls.
F - Paul Millsap, Utah Jazz.
C - LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers.
G - Marcus Williams, New Jersey Nets.

Third Team
F - Walter Herrmann, Charlotte Bobcats.
F / C - Shelden Williams, Atlanta Hawks.
F - Rodney Carney, Philadelphia 76ers.
G - Jorge Garbajosa, Toronto Raptors.
G - Raljon Rondo, Boston Celtics.


All Defense Teams - (regardless of position)

First Team
F - Tayshaun Prince, Detroit Pistons.
F - Shane Battier, Houston Rockets.
C - Marcus Camby, Denver Nuggets.
G - Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers.
G - Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia 76ers.

Second Team
F - Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs.
F - Shawn Marion, Phoenix Suns.
F - Ron Artest, Sacramento Kings.
C - Ben Wallace, Chicago Bulls.
G - Raja Bell, Phoenix Suns.

Rockets Outgun Hornets

Anyone in attendance Saturday night at Toyota Center did not see a defensive battle between the Houston Rockets and the New Orleans / Oklahoma City Hornets. Houston (51-29) defeated the Hornets (37-43) 123 to 112. Ten players (six for the Rockets, four for the Hornets) scored in double figures -- including seven players scoring twenty or more in the game.

Yao Ming led the Rockets in scoring with 30 points on 11 for 16 shooting. Hornets forward David West led all scorers with a season-high 33 points (14 for 19)

Defense was not at a premium in this game at all. For much of the first quarter, both teams were shooting 70 percent from the field -- not the foul line, from the field! The Hornets ended the quarter shooting 68.4% (13 for 19) while the Rockets made 13 of 21 (61.9%) from the field. Houston led 32 to 30 at the end of the first 12 minutes.

Houston's defense improved and the Hornets cooled off in the second quarter. Houston limited the Hornets to just 7 for 21 from the field in the second quarter and outscored the Hornets 25 to 20 to take at 57 to 50 lead into halftime. Hornets' guard Devin Brown scored 17 of his 21 points in the first half.

The shootout began in the third quarter as both teams scored 28 points in the period. West scored 14 points in the quarter while Ming scored 10 for the Rockets. Tracy McGrady and Rafer Alston each dished out five assists in the third stanza. Houston led 85 to 78 at the end of three quarters.

The fourth quarter was simply wide open basketball as the teams combined for 72 points (38 for Houston adn 34 for the Hornets). Veteran big man Marc Jackson scored 15 points in the period on 7 for 8 shooting. Most of Jackson's shots were a result of good pick-and-roll offense by the Hornets combined with poor pick-and-roll defense by the Rockets. Jackson made his first seven shots in the period. His only miss was a wide open 21 foot jump shot. Jackson equaled his season high of 22 points, which he first set at Dallas (12/30/06).

Alston said, "My defense could have been better in containing (Chris) Paul on the pick and roll. We've got to do a better job on our pick and roll coverage and I think from here on out, that's what we're going to see."

The Hornets trimmed the Rockets' lead to four points (107 - 103) with 2:41 left in the quarter; but, McGrady scored five straight point (21-foot jumper plus a dunk and a free throw) to give the Rockets some much needed breathing room. McGrady's three-point play seemed to suck the life out of the Hornets as Houston increased the lead to as many as 15 points during the last two minutes of the game.

The Rockets set or tied its season highs in field goals made (49, tied), field goal percentage (.583), assists (33), fourth-quarter points (38) and second-half point (66). Tonight was also the sixth time in 2006-07 that the Rockets reached the 30-assist mark.

McGrady and Alston became the first pair of Rockets teammates to each reach 10 or more assists in the same game since Steve Francis (11) and Cuttino Mobley (11) accomplished it vs. the L.A. Clippers (12/30/99). Alston recorded 21 points (5-10 3FG) and a season-high 13 assists, which marks his third double-double of the season.

Hornets head coach Byron Scott said, “This game shows how important Tyson Chandler and Desmond Mason are to the success of this team. It’s a little patchwork with what we’re working with now. In the last week our defense has really suffered because of the players that we’ve had missing from our line-up.”

Coogs Sign 6'6 Klimovic

The Houston Cougars announced the signing of 6'6" forward Milos Klimovic of Hillsborough Community College today.

Coogs' head coach Tom Penders said, "He (Milos) is like a lot of the European players I see in the NBA. He has unlimited range and will help stretch out the defenses and create some room for (big man) Marcus Cousin."

Full release

Hopefully, Milos will have a positive and immediate impact on the Cougars for the 2007 - 2008 basketball season.

Updated (April 16, 2007): Enjoy Milos' MySpace...

Coogs O Drafted in USBL

Congratulations to Houston Cougar senior guard Oliver Lafayette for being selected in the second round of the United States Basketball League (USBL) Draft earlier this week.

Lafayette, a two-time All-Conference USA second team selection, was the 15th overall pick and drafted in the second round by the Kansas Cagerz. The 6-foot-2 guard from Baton Rouge, La., also picked up conference honors as a member of the 2006-07 C-USA All-Defensive Team and was selected to the 2007 C-USA All-Tournament Team, leading the Cougars to the Championship final. This season, he averaged 14.3 points per game and led C-USA in steals with 2.36 per game. As a junior, he set the Conference USA and UH season steals record with 3.39 steals per game, ranking second in school history behind Clyde Drexler with 105 total on the season.

Rockets Tix on Sale April 12

Houston Rockets Playoff tickets for the first two home games will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 12, 2007. Date and opponent of the Western Conference First-Round games will be announced by the NBA at a later date when determined. (Although we know the Rockets will face the Utah Jazz in the first round.)

Individual tickets for Playoff Game A and Playoff Game B start at $12 and may be purchased at www.rockets.com, by calling 713-627-DUNK (3865), at Toyota Center Box Office, and Select Randalls locations. A maximum of six tickets per game, per person may be purchased.

In conjunction with the announcement of Playoff ticket sales, the team launched “Get Red ‘N Rowdy,” a new logo and slogan designed to encourage fans to wear red as a show of support. “Get Red ‘N Rowdy” was officially unveiled by Clutch, the Rockets Bear on Wednesday afternoon and will be used as long as the Rockets remain in the Playoffs.

Owls' Wilson to Hawaii?

Fox 26 Sports is reporting the University of Hawaii is interested in Rice's Willis Wilson to fill their vacant head coaching position.

I don't doubt the story one bit; but, I am curious if Coach Wilson's family (wife and three children) would immediately move to Hawaii with him. I'm not sure of the ages of his kids; but, I don't believe his twin sons are of college age, yet, which means the boys would leave friends and start school in a new place. Obviously, moves like this involving family are made all the time; so, it's just a point I was pondering.

If Coach Wilson is hired by Hawaii, Rice University would have to fill the newly vacant head coaching spot. I'd have to believe the current assistants (Marty Gross, Todd Smith, and Marty Gillespie) would be considered for the job; however, I do know Rice's current Athletic Director Chris Del Conte has ties with the University of Arizona program which could mean Josh Pastner (asst. coach on the Wildcats' staff under head coach Lute Olsen) may be one person considered for the Rice Owls head coaching job, too. Pastner has ties to the Houston area; he graduated from Kingwood High School; and, he's heavily recruited the Houston area's high school basketball players, too.

Plus, since Autry Court will be undergoing renovations for basically the next two seasons, the team will be a virtual nomad within Houston playing games at Reliant Arena and other gyms around town. I doubt too many established coaches would be interested in the head coaching job working with such nomadic conditions.

Bonzi Fined and Placed on Inactive List

Houston Rockets guard/forward Bonzi Wells has been fined by the team for missing last night’s game at Seattle (4/9/07) as an unexcused absence.

Additionally, Wells has been placed on the team’s inactive list and is not expected to be activated for the remainder of the 2006-07 season.

Good luck in free agency this summer, Bonzi.

No Yao Ming, No T-Mac, No win over Blazers

The Houston Rockets' record fell to 1 and 11 overall when both Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady do not play in the same game. Houston (47 - 29) lost 85 to 78 Friday night to the Portland Trail Blazers (31 - 44) at Toyota Center in front of the 23rd announced sellout crowd. Yao Ming missed the game due to a sore lower back while McGrady sat out the game with a stiff lower back.

Blazers' rookie guard Brandon Roy led all scorers with 24 points (10 for 20 from the field, including 2 for 3 from the three point line). Roy's backcourt mate, Jarrett Jack, added 23 points on 7 of 9 shooting from the field.

Luther Head led the Rockets with 19 points (7 for 16 shooting, 3 for 8 on threes).

Houston shot an ice cold 30% (6 for 20) in the first quarter and trailed the Blazers 23 to 14 at the end of the first quarter. The 14 first quarter points set a new season low for the Rockets. The Rockets managed just two assists on those six made baskets.

In the second quarter, the Rockets picked up just two more assists (8 for 20 from the field); but, the team managed to outscore the Blazers 19 to 17 to trail just 20 to 33 at the half.

Portland increased the lead to 11 (56 to 45) with 3:58 left in the quarter after a 17-foot jump shot by Brandon Roy. Luther Head trimmed the lead to eight with a three-point shot. Rafer Alston followed that shot with a lay-up to pull Houston with six (56 to 50) points. Portland finished the third quarter with a 17 foot jump