The Rockets win at home 100-93! TMac and Yao combine for 60+ points and the Rockets move up in the standings. Oh, and does anybody know if Luther will be back against the Jazz?
Odd, the guide of TWC shows the game on FSN from 7:30-8. I missed most of last Sunday's game because I relied on the guide. Not this time. FSN 5PM
Damn, I can't find any streaming internet channel for Rox game today...guess I'll have to get on chat and watch the internet box score.
This is this season's most critical game for both Houston and Utah. Utah's strengths at PG (Deron) and PF (Boozer) will likely give Rockets fits all day. I pray that Rafer will play the game of his life especially on defense today and that Chuck Hayes stays out of foul trouble. Luckily Houston's strengths at C with Yao and SG with TMAC can potentially be the factors to squeeze a close victory over the Jazz. With the Rockets propensity to play close games in key matchups, this will be no exception. This game will come down to the wire with numerous lead changes and ties all the way to the end with Houston winning by 2.
man this is one of those games where we can use bonzi. bonzi can play guys like harpring or giricek, moving battier to play okur. we give up rebounding but it's decent. yao/deke can take a chance w/ boozer. at least he plays close to the basket most of the time.
That ain't how it happened last time we thought it would. But yeah both teams are playing hard today, but the Rockets will own the Jazz. T-Mac and Yao are superstar matchup problems, Williams and Boozer are just star matchup problems.
thats totally weird My TWC program guide shows it at 5pm, and has since I first checked it three days ago. 5pm on FSN (channel 37 on houston TWC) Rockets Live Pre-pregame at 4:30 Rockets are 1-0 when I am in attendance in a suite (first time was the 13 in 35 Spurs game)...so if that trend continues, we will win in a close game.
Salt Lake Tribune link Jazz seek comfort on road With the playoffs approaching, the Jazz are looking for a solid performance in Houston By Phil Miller The Salt Lake Tribune HOUSTON - The mind-bending paradox of today's playoff-preview matchup is this: The Jazz desperately want to prove they can beat a playoff team on the road. Yet by doing so, they might not have to, at least for awhile. Game 7 of a now-inevitable first-round series between the Jazz and Rockets will be played in the arena of whichever team has a stronger closing rush. Today's game in the Toyota Center (4 p.m., KJZZ) and the season finale in Salt Lake will play a lopsided role in breaking that virtual tie, so there is plenty of extra incentive to snap Houston's six-game home winning streak. "We know the importance of it," confirmed point guard Deron Williams. "They could be right there with us." (To be technical about it: Fourth-seeded Utah leads fifth seed Houston by a half game, with home-court advantage going to the better record, despite the Jazz being locked into the higher seed by virtue of their division title. Head-to-head results are the potential tiebreaker, but if the teams split - and they are 1-1 now - a superior conference record would earn Utah the extra home game.) But the real urgency for the Jazz today has nothing to do with the postseason. Nothing to do with the Rockets, actually. The Jazz have problems that need to be addressed before the playoffs arrive, they acknowledged over the past couple of days, or their postseason stay will be short and unsatisfying. The playoffs are "still an eternity away," said Jazz guard Derek Fisher. Today's showdown, even if it is played with a playoff fervor, "is not really as important [for] looking forward. It's important right now, in terms of developing our ability to beat the top teams in their buildings. We just haven't consistently been able to do that, and if we're considering ourselves one of the top teams in the NBA, that's something we've got to be able to do." He's got a point. Utah visited five arenas in March that are currently seeded to host postseason games later this month, and the Jazz lost every time, by an average of 12.6 points. Funny thing is, in their five previous playoff-quality road games, the Jazz went 5-0. Safe to say, the five recent losses have generated far more angst in the Jazz's locker room than the five straight wins produced euphoria. "Good teams are always more critical of themselves than maybe even is warranted sometimes," Fisher asserted. "You want to take the times when things aren't quite right and attempt to correct what's [wrong], rather than just accept that everything is wonderful when you're winning. You have to keep moving forward and keep learning. . . . Even champions try to improve." And champions don't often go through six-game road losing streaks, as the Jazz are enduring now for the first time in a couple of seasons. Which is why playing today's game with your mind on the playoffs is a big mistake. "It doesn't matter one iota to have home-court advantage if you still can't win a game on the road," Fisher said. "Every team is capable of winning a game in your building, [so] you have got to be able to win games in their buildings. We're still learning. I'm not saying we're supposed to be there now, but we have to show signs that we're moving in that direction." They had, until recently. The Jazz are 8-10 on the road against playoff teams, including 2-0 in Phoenix. There is one other imperative for the Jazz today, one other reason to shore up a defense that has allowed 100 points in five of their last six games or fix an offense that has hit 43 percent or worse in half of the last 10 games. Utah would like to demonstrate some toughness for its first-round opponent, make it clear that the series will be brutally physical and mentally challenging. "Of course it's important to . . . show them we're stronger," said Andrei Kirilenko. That didn't happen the last time the Jazz visited Houston. The Rockets opened a 23-8 first-quarter lead by raining in three-pointers, then feeding the ball to Dikembe Mutombo down low. The Rockets' lead was nine at halftime, and just kept increasing from there.
if i didnt have to work till 6:30 today, a buddy had a really good ticket for me. so sadly, what i want to know is: you guys tell us how the atmosphere is in the TC! are people going nuts?! thats what i wanna know. i'm hoping its loud, and out of control.
any way to listen to this game on AM 610 if i live in the austin area? i can't pick up the station here with my crappy "boom box."
