Houston Rockets v. Utah Jazz 2007 NBA Playoff Predictions


June 5, 2008 | Posted By Larry Cook

Houston is off to an early 2-0 advantage, defending their home court just as they needed to. It hasn’t come easy though, and free throw shooting has made all of the difference in the world. In Game 2, Houston converted on 34 of 38 free throw attempts hitting nearly 90% of their freebees. Jeff Van Gundy makes his team convert on 10 consecutive free throw attempts before they leave practice each day. Great job coach, this drill has definitely paid off.

Carlos Boozer did everything in his power to keep the Jazz in the game, scoring 41 points to match his career high. He finished 17-for-30 from the floor, making Yao Ming look silly the whole game. He also grabbed 12 boards and 6 assists. Utah knows they have the talent to get back in this series, they just have to step up and get the job done. The problem is the chips are stacked against them.

The Jazz have played well enough on the defensive end to win each of the first two games. They held the Rockets to just 30-for-83 shooting in Game 2 and just 4-for-24 from downtown. If we would have seen that stat line without seeing the final score, we would have definitely bet on the Jazz to win outright. Their 29 fouls committed made the difference though. Houston is getting to the rim at will and the Jazz have no answer for Yao Ming. Yao finished with 27 points while TMac added 31 points in Game 2. McGrady also got to the line 14 times, which is something he will want to continue if the Rockets are to move on. Utah wants him to settle for jumpers. He has to be aggressive and the Rockets will have no problem.

“We find some way to keep ourselves in a game, despite shooting the ball extremely bad,” said McGrady, who went 9-for-29 from the field. “But we hit big shots when we needed them. We’re doing a great job of getting to the free throw line.” Of Houston’s 38 free throw attempts Carlos Boozer said, “If that’s how the series is going to be called, we have to adjust a little bit,” Boozer said. “But that’s how we have to play them. They’re two superstars.”

Since 2001, only six teams have rallied from an 0-2 deficit to win a series. The Rockets were one of the teams that blew a 2-0 lead, losing four of five to Dallas in 2005. The Jazz have never come back from an 0-2 deficit to win a playoff series. They have now lost 16 of their last 17 road playoff games. So even if the Jazz can sweep at home, they still have to prove that they can win on the road. I believe the Rockets will win in 5 games.

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