Preview - Utah Jazz @ Houston Rockets, game 1

Which Jazz team will show up? The 12-1 team that started the season or the Jazz of the last three months that have not been themselves for what ever reason. The things the Jazz have going for them:

1. The regular season is over. They can start anew and not have to worry about seeding, etc.
2. They’ve beaten Houston on their floor without playing their best game. Yao was unstoppable, but they contained McGrady pretty well.
3. Deron Williams

Here’s what they’ll need to win:
1.  Deron Williams and Fisher need to hit their shots.  This will open up the paint for Boozer
2.  Boozer needs to get to the foul line.
3.  Okur needs to become “Money” again.  If he’s hitting his shots, Yao has to come out to guard him.
4.  On defense, there’s not much you can do, nor that we have, to stop McGrady.  Giricek has done pretty good against him.  Although it looks like AK will be getting the assignment most of the time.  The only problem that causes is now one of the guards has to cover Battier.  Why isn’t Brewer in the lineup?  AK will do the best against McGrady, but wouldn’t Ronnie do great on Battier? 
5.  I don’t know how you stop Yao except to get him out of the game.  Pounding it down low and the pick and roll should cause some matchups that could put him in foul trouble.  The only other way is for a repeat performance from last year when he broke his foot at Utah.
Here’s to a six-game series win for Utah.

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