• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Utah Takes Game 1 in Houston Behind Williams, Boozer

Posted on: Sunday, 20 April 2008, 03:00 CDT

Deron Williams scored 20 points and tallied 10 assists as the Utah Jazz rolled to a relatively easy 93-82 win over the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series.

Game 2 is Monday night in Houston.

Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 16 rebounds, and Andrei Kirilenko scored 21 points for the Jazz, who are trying to bounce the Rockets in the first round for the second straight season. Utah edged Houston in seven games last year.

Tracy McGrady scored 20 points and had seven assists for the Rockets, who played without starting point guard Rafer Alston. Alston is out for at least the first two games of this series with a pulled right hamstring. Shane Battier scored 22 points for the Rockets, who rallied from down 13 in the first half to take the lead in the third quarter, only to see the Jazz jump back on top.

McGrady has never won a playoff series, as his clubs have been eliminated in the first round six times. Preventing unlucky number seven will be hard, as Houston will now have to win at least once in Utah to advance. The Jazz were the best home team in the NBA this season, with a 37-4 mark in Salt Lake City. The Rockets were one of the four clubs to beat them there, however, back on November 1.

The Rockets came out strong in front of the home crowd in the second half, moving in front with seven straight points early in the third quarter. A McGrady layup capped that push, and gave the Rockets a 53-51 lead with 8:29 remaining.

Boozer responded by scoring six straight points, though, giving the Jazz a 57-53 lead. The Jazz lead was cut to 61-59 on a Bobby Jackson jumper with 2:49 left in the third, but Kyle Korver came off the bench and drained consecutive threes, the second giving Utah a 67-59 lead with just under a minute left in the quarter.

Korver scored 11 points for Utah.

The Jazz led 68-60 entering the fourth quarter, and never relinquished the edge. The Rockets cut to within nine points early in the quarter, but Williams knocked down a three to push Utah ahead 75-63 with 9:29 remaining.

Battier drained two threes later in the quarter, but each time the Jazz answered. His first three cut the deficit to 81-70, but layups by Matt Harpring and Boozer put Utah up by 15. Battier's second three cut the Utah lead to 85-73 with 4:09 left, but Williams dropped in a layup and made two free throws, boosting Utah to an 89-73 lead with 3:26 left.

The Jazz shot 52.1 percent from the field, while the Rockets struggled to a 36.7 percent performance.

Kirilenko led the Jazz early, scoring nine points in the first quarter as Utah took a 23-18 lead into the second.

The Utah lead reached double figures early in the second frame, as the Jazz opened the quarter with a 9-2 push. Harpring bookended the spurt with baskets, and his layup gave Utah a 32-20 lead with 9:25 left.

The Jazz lead reached 13 points later in the quarter, but a Dikembe Mutombo dunk and a McGrady three in the final minute cut the deficit to 47-41 at the intermission.

Game Notes

This is the seventh postseason meeting for the squads. Houston defeated Utah in the first round of the postseason in 1995 and in the 1994 West finals. The Jazz knocked out the Rockets in the opening round of 1985 and 1998, as well as the 1997 conference finals...During the regular season, the Jazz were 2-1 against Houston.

04/20 01:11:53 ET

Source: The Sports Network

More News in this Category