- T-Mac did go for 21 points, mainly by going 9-16 in the 2nd half after a 1-8 first half. Novak wound up playing the final 18 minutes of the game. He's now played all of 5 games this year. His 4 FG and 10 points are both career highs.
- Deron Williams didn't do much of anything until the 4th quarter, but he essentially won the game for the Jazz. After the Rockets cut the score to 78-76 with 5 minutes remaining, Williams led a 10-1 run, by assisting on 3 buckets, including a pair of 3's from Korver, a long jumper of his own just as the shot clock was expiring and grabbed a pair of defensive rebounds in the 2-minutes surge which ended the Rockets' hopes.
---------------UTAH WINS 97-89----------------
- Rockets are having trouble matching up against AK47, Deron Williams and Korver. Novak can't keep Kirilenko off the offensive glass, Williams keeps taking Brooks to the hoop and everyone is struggling chasing Ashton Kutcher through all the screens (UTAH 78-74, 5:06 4th)- You think 6-13 from the FT line will haunt the Rockets? Scola 3-8. (UTAH 74-72, 6:22 4th)
- Novak's hot shooting has rubbed off on his teammates, after their shooting dipped below 30% for the game, they've made 13-of-18 to have the game tight as can be (67-67, 8:42 4th)
- Wanna know how far Coach Adelman's trust in his young players has come? Starting lineup in the 4th quarter of a 1 point game is Scola, Brooks, Novak, Battier and Landry. This should be fun. Battier drops in a 3 to keep it close. (UTAH 64-62, 10:40 4th)
- Novak just scored 10 points in 6 minutes w/o missing any of his 4 shots. Through 3 quarters, Scola's 11 lead the Rockets, McGrady and Novak have ten apiece.
---------------END of 3rd, UTAH 60-59----------------
- Steve Novak apparently just bought out Larry Miller because he owns the Jazz!! Just drained his 2nd long 3' to give the Rockets their first lead since 26-25 early in the 2nd quarter (HOU 59-58, 0:25 3rd)- Make that a 13-4 run and a tie game with Novak in. He's 3-3 with a rebound and he drew a charge. The crowd, led by the Red Rowdies, is chanting Novak, Novak, Novak!! (56-56, 1:30 3rd)
- Rockets on 8-2 run since Novak checked in (UTAH 54-51, 2:41 3rd)
- Steve Novak checks in for only his second legitimate set of minutes on the season. Naturally the defense is focused on him on the first possession upon his entry into the game - it leads to a T-Mac dunk. Novak is +4, after he knocks down a baseline jumper at the shotclock buzzer. (UTAH 52-47, 4:00 3rd)
- As usual it'd go unnoticed, but I'm not going to let it. Hayes is playing excellent defense against Carlos Boozer. He's 2-10 having missed all of his shots in the paint against Hayes. Boozer has 7 points and Hayes has 2. I like the Rockets chances if Boozer only outscores Hayes by 5 points tonight. (UTAH 50-43, 5:45 3rd)
- Rockets open the 2nd half with Hayes posting up Boozer and not surprising missing. They've missed their first 6 shots of the half already and are shooting 29.8% for the game. Their season low is 34.1% vs. Orlando in December. (UTAH 43-35, 9:40 3rd)
---------------HALF, UTAH 41-35----------------
- It's 41-35 Jazz at the half after McGrady misses a runner at the buzzer. McGrady finished just 1-8 in the half, mostly on jumpers, but he did play well. Like I mentioned earlier, he could easily have 7-8 assists, but guys have not been able to convert. He's got 4 dimes, but the team missed 22 of their last 31 shots of the half after starting 5-10.- Props to the Rockets marketing group who put together an in-arena video of the democratic debate with Chuck Hayes as moderator. Hilarious. Chuck has some acting chops. Just so you know here's what it sounded like when the following candidates appeared in the video.
Kucinich - no response, but they did laugh as he forgot it was 2008.
Clinton - Boo!
Edwards - minimal favorable response
Obama - resounding applause.
- As usual Landry has been very effective, 5 points and 7 rebounds in the first half so far. The team is playing hard, but they seem a step slower than the Jazz tonight.
- Bonzi Wells apparently disgusted by something after he was taken out of the game, fired his water bottle into the ground, dousing the legs of assistant coached T.R. Dunn and Jack Sikma.
- This line-up is very athletic and active - also very turnover prone. It took just over 5 minutes for them to turn the ball over 5 times which led to 6 Jazz points. Bonzi threw an alley-oop to Landry who was well guarded, they've dribbled into trouble all quarter and just are not valuing their possessions at all. Also the Jazz getting Kyle Korver from the Sixers was an absolute steal. I have no doubt he'll be a Rocket killer for years in a Jazz uniform. (UTAH 31-26, 6:04 2nd)
- This group is really active and really trying to run. After Brooks hit another 3, Bonzi grabbed a loose ball under the Jazz bucket and led the break briefly before firing a perfect pass to a streaking Scola for a fast break lay-up.These are the kinds of things that we all assumed would be happening from day one with the new coach and the new roster. I guess no time like the present or better late than never. Pick your favorite cliche. (25-25, 8:19 2nd)
- It's basically all bench guys for Houston to start the 2nd, (Brooks, Head, Wells, Landry, Scola). Hey open the quarter with a Brooks 3-pointer and a pair of bad turnovers. (UTAH 21-19, 10:09 2nd)
---------------END OF 1st, UTAH 19-16----------------
- Rockets hit only 3 of their final ten of the quarter and now trail 19-16 after one. It was about as quick and uneventful a quarter that I can recall. Remember, Houston fell behind 20-8 in the 1st quarter of their only previous meeting this year before storming back and winning 106-95. The teams play just 3 times this year, so a win tonight will give the Rockets the tie-breaker over the Jazz should the teams end up tied and that appears to be a real possibility even with this much season remaining. (END of 1st, UTAH 19-16)- Landry is the first guy off the bench for the Rockets. If you weren't aware, Landry has hit 25 of his last 28 shots. Let's see if he can keep that incredible stretch going. (Hou 14-13, 2:47 1st)
- McGrady also back in the starting line-up for the first time since returning from his knee problems. I've been pretty hard on him throughout the season, but he is noticeably making an effort to push the tempo more, both in the halfcourt and initiating the fast break. That is very promising. He could easily have had 5 first quarter assists.
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No Yao Ming tonight - he's out with an upper respiratory infection. He's probably fine - he's just worried Mehmet Okur might break his foot again. Luis Scola makes his first start of the season, so also of his career.
-------------- WEX
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