The Utah Jazz | as seen by Basketball John

Game 7, of course Basketball John is here.

Beware the red pom-poms.  Was this thought up by the same company that came up with the Miami heat white shirts?  Jazz in the baby blue, nice.  Why is Fisher on McGrady again?

=========
1st Quarter
=========
10:42 - AK gets back to break up the one-on-one fast break.  Is there anyone that could score on him in that position?
9:36 - First foul on Yao.  Unbelievable!  Yao no foul!
8:47 - Williams looks like he’s on a mission tonight.  He’s got that look.
7:04 - First foul on Fisher.  They’re calling everything tonight.
6:10 - Battier’s second three.  If he’s hitting those, we’re screwed.
5:36 - First TV timeout.  The Jazz are 6-7 and don’t appear to be showing the jitters that they have in the past that does them in.
NBA Commercial - How does David Blaine have anything to do with the NBA?
5:07 - Nice move by Boozer around Yao.  He could do that against him all night.
4:20 - Shouldn’t Deron carry a roll of tape with him so that after he breaks someone’s ankles he can throw it at their feet?  That would be a sweet commercial.
2:50 - Dikembe’s first bucket.  Is it too much to ask to see a dunk on Mutumbo tonight and his finger to be broken?

Back from commercial.  Tracy backtracks and says  this is the biggest game of his career after he said after game 6 that this game 7 would be no different from any other.

2:10 - Goaltending not called after Boozer made a sweet move.  Mutumbo picked it off the glass.
1:23 - Nice play by Giricek.  He denied the pass to McGrady and TMac thought he was getting fouled and walked with it.
:07 - Nice play at then end of the quarter.  The Jazz set up the pick and roll with Millsap and Williams.  Instead it’s a quick pass to Giri for the three.

First quarter recap - The Jazz are shooting well and are doing what they need to do.  Okur looks like he’s going to be hitting shots and Boozer is being Boozer.  I’d like to see them pull away in the second half and build a comfortable lead.

==========
2nd Quarter
==========
11:10 - Williams is starting hot.
10:55 - If they keep Yao outside, he can’t hit jack.
9:50 - AK with a nice shot in traffic.
7:43 - Yao looks like he’s being affected by AK being in there. 
7:30 - Williams for threeeeee, yes!
6:34 - McGrady tweaks his ankle and gets fouled.  Misses both free throws.
6:05 - Yao can’t buy a bucket.  Looks like he got away with a walk when he bobbled the ball.
5:32 - When’s Yao going to get called for an over-the-back?
3:37 - Another 3 by Houston.  That’s the only thing keeping them even remotely close in the game.
3:15 - That shuts them up.  Boozer makes a nice spin for a bucket
3:18 - Back in it after another Battier three.
1:45 - Not a good sign, McGrady with his eighth assist.
:34 - They have no answer for Boozer.  One of the best dunk I’ve ever seen.
:02 - Nice floater by Williams over Yao.  How as no foul called on that?

1st half recap - Dominating performance by Boozer.  They don’t have anyone who can stop him.  Williams has that can’t lose attitude/look about him.  Yao is very frustrated.  He can’t get crap to drop.  The only reason why the Jazz are only up ten right now instead of of twenty is because Battier has been camping on the three point line.  He’s 4-6 from there.  I don’t know if I’ve seen him take a two point shot this entire series.  Sloan seems to be sticking to his starting 5.  Williams has played the entire game.  What’s been most impressive though is that the Rockets have made a couple runs and got the crown into it with a lot of threes but the Jazz have answered and haven’t fallen apart.  I expect another run by the Rockets.  Let’s see how the Jazz handle it.  And I don’t see Deron sitting more than three minutes in the second half unless it turns into a blowout at the end.  Even then, Sloan leaves him in usually until the last two minutes or so.

Twenty-four more minutes until round two!

==========
3rd Quarter
==========
9:23 - Back late from the break.  Bath time for the boy
9:23 - We have a Yao down, I repeat, we have a yao down.  I don’t know if this is good news or not.  I don’t want to see McGrady playing the one man game because he can take over.  But it looks like he’s going to stay in.
8:47 - Can’t seem to get any loose balls.
8:40 - The lead is down to five.  Let’s see how the Jazz respond.
7:10 - Giricek obvously can’t guard McGrady tonight.  Time to get AK back in there.
5:30 - They’re witholding the charge pretty good.  But Giri is getting killed out there.
4:46 - Boozer is on fire.
4:14 - That’s four on Yao and he’ll have to come out.  The last few threes haven’t been falling for the Rockets.  As a result they’ve fallen behind by 11.  AK is back in.
1:28 - Boozer with a nice baseline dunk.  And he was fouled twice.
0:36 - Williams follows up his own missed shot.  Beautiful!

==========
4th Quarter
==========
Haven’t seen much Millsap and my webhost just went down it looks like.
10:47 - Here’s comes the late charge.  Let’s see if the Jazz can kill the momentum again
10:33 - One point game - 75-74
10:15 - Harping puts the Jazz back up 3.
9:58 - Yao blocked and goes down…
9:49 - Yao comes out.  Where the hell is AK?
8:47 - Webhost back up.  Two point game and Fisher misses 1 of 2.  Makes the second.  Three point game.
8:35 - We’re tied with a three from Alston.  Damn.
8:05 - Rockets take the lead with two free throws from Yao. 
7:36 - Rockets are in the bonus the rest of the way.  Where have we heard that before?  And where is Millsap?
7:15 - Now nothing is falling for Utah.  They’re out of sync.
6:55 - Count it!  That’s five on Yao and Boozer goes to the line.  We need more Boozer.
6:45 - Looks like the roster for the rest of the game is Boozer, Williams, Okur, AK, and Harpring.  Don’t know what Millsap did to only play 6 minutes tonight.
6:09 - And one for McGrady.  There was absolutely no contact from Harpring on that one.  And they just got the rebound from the free thrown miss.
5:23 - We’ll let Howard take those all night.  Good miss.
5:05 - AK for threeeeeeeeeee!  That shot took a lot of guts.  88 all.
4:25 - Nice D on McGrady by AK
4:15 - And it counts!  Boozer fouled and 1!
4:15 - Yao back in.  Three point lead for the Jazz
4:04 - Yao bumps into Okur and gets the foul and one.
3:51 - Webhost down again
3:36 - Airball Yao
3:22 - Okur for three!  Nice time to come on
3:04 - Nice travel, foul, and dunk by Yao.
2:37 - Nice drive by Williams
2:00 - And Harpring is in there why?
1:40 - Another no call travel for Houston that leads to a layup.  How do they think he made it that far under the basket without dribbling the ball?
1:27 - Nice rebound and hustle by Boozer
1:11 - Okur for three!  He’s got no conscience.
57.8 - Nice hard foul by Harping on Yao.  Almost got him clean.  Two point lead.
0:40 - Nice save rebound by Matt.
19.9 - Two missed threes by Okur, but two huge rebounds.  Now Boozer to the line
19.9 - Free throw one, good.  Free throw two, good!  Four point lead.  TO Houston
17.7 - Mcgrady makes two.  Inbounds pass and Houston is fouling.  They can’t get to anyone.  Now there’s only 1.7 left and AK just made the first for a three point lead.  ONe more and it’s over.

IT’S OVER.  103-99 with 1.7 left.  Jazz v. GS in the next round.  Boneheaded Houston play by not fouling after the McGrady free throws cost them the game.  Recap coming.