Each night of the playoffs David Locke will keep a live blog of the Jazz playoff game.  Place your thoughts and comments about the game in the comment area.

FINAL SCORE -- JAZZ 86 Rockets 82
I think I am about to puke.  This is too much.
Deron went to the line with it 84-82 and 7.3 seconds left and missed both of the free throws
Memo got the offensive rebound and hit both free throws.
The last team to win a playoff game without hitting a three was the Denver Nuggets was in April of 2006.

:12.5 4th Quarter -- Jazz 84 Rockets 80
Korver just hit two free throws to make it a 2 possession game.
Jazz went up 82-73 with 2:10 to play when Deron Williams scored on back to back sick drives the basket the first with a dunk.
Then the Rockets hit three's from Battier and Alston to make it a 2 point game with :18 left.

2:42 4th Quarter -- Jazz 78 Rockets 73
Jazz are running pick and roll after pick and roll.  The side pick and roll has been much better than anything from the top.
Jazz have no field goals in three minutes
Jazz are in the penalty - Rockets have just 3 team fouls.
Crowd has been standing for the last 10 minutes.
Jazz have 6 turnovers in the Quarter same as they had in the first three quarters.

5:10 4th Quarter -- Jazz 76 Rockets 69
Jazz are 0 for 11 from three -- last time the Jazz had a playoff game with zero three's was in Chicago on June 6th 1998 in the NBA Finals.
Korver has been willing to come off the three point line and take the 17 footer and has hit it.
Jazz went on a 8-0 run.  Rockets missed 7 straight shots.
Harpring guarding McGrady so far this quarter.

8:13 4th Quarter -- Jazz 72 Rockets 67
Deron Wiliams with back to back amazing "I will will this team to a win" drives to the basket.
With that said I might rest Deron for two or three possessions to make sure he is fresh.  He looks gassed and he has had an elbow, back and wrist injuries in the this game.
The Rockets are going at Korver every time the thing is they aren't always scoring in fact they aren't scoring very well so it is almost a decoy, but they are beating him each time.
Jazz had just 6 turnovers in the first 3 quarters and have 2 already in the 4th
McGrady is back in, when he is in Rockets are +6, when on bench they are -11

End of 3rd Quarter -- Jazz 66 Rockets 61
These didn't hold last game but Jazz are now 34-2 when leading after 3 and the Rockets are 3-24 when trailing after 3.
McGrady is battling tonight.
Boozer has missed 7 straight shots and seems reluctant to shot.  He is just 2 for 11
Harpring got a great elbow bite on McGrady and they didn't call it. 
Jazz are 14 of 36 in the last two 4th Quarters.

4:01 3rd Quarter -- Jazz 59 Rockets 53
Rockets went over 12 minutes with just one field goal, they were 1 for 18 from the 7:52 mark 2nd Quarter to the 7:30 mark 3rd Quarter.   Then the Rockets hit 5 straight including three 3 balls.
Jazz scored on 7 of 8 trips but have gone cold on the last three trips.
Boozer is just 2 of 10 and doesn't look close right now.
Jazz were able to get the pick and roll a bit lower and that helped
The Rockets are closing on the three and the Jazz have zero in the game.
I warned all series about the three point advantage the Rockets get each night and tonight they have 5 three's and the Jazz have zero. 

Hafltime Stats
Pace:  45 possessions (fastest of the series)
Jazz Offensive Efficiency:  102 in half (low) 117 in the quarter (on the season average)
Jazz Defensive Efficiency:  86 in half (best of the playoffs)  73 in the quarter (best of the series)
Jazz Defensive Rebounding:  78% (fantastic)

Halftime -- Jazz 46 Rockets 38
Jazz close the half on a 17-6 run. 
Everything is so tough in this series.  These two teams are playing harder than any other teams in the NBA right now.  Wow.  I am just overwhelmed by it. 
Jazz got 8 straight defensive stops.
McGrady has been on the bench for 5:30 in that time the Jazz have outscored the Rockets by -11
Jazz got the ball to Boozer deep and he got to the line late in the quarter.
We are at the point where it is going to be star players and hustle plays that get points.  the other guys are not capable of getting looks against the scouting reports



2:54 2nd Quarter -- Jazz 38 Rockets 34
Jazz went on a 9-0 run.  The defense got stops on 8 straight possessions.  It was the offensive lulls that really hurt the Rockets in games 1 and 2.   They avoided it in Game 3.
Kyle Korver is having a tough time in the playoffs, the Rockets are going at him no matter who he is defending, he is battling but it it is tough.  On offense he is 2 for 5 and 9 for 21 in the series with just 3 three's and two of them were on back to back possessions in Game 1
Whenever McGrady leaves the game the Rockets have no offense.
The Jazz are defending very well and hard around the basket.
I no this will never be accepted but it seems to me the Jazz are getting a very favorable whistle tonight.


8:29 2nd Quarter -- Jazz 29 Rockets 27
In Game 3 the Rockets had 11 offensive rebounds at the half they have 2 right now.
Harpring is guarding T-Mac
Deron is being guarded by little Aaron Brooks and he is taking it to him in the post.

1st Quarter Stats
Pace:  24 possessions (fastest quarter of the series)
Jazz Offensive Efficiency = 88 (2nd worst Quarter of playoffs next to 4th in Game 3)
Jazz Defensive Efficiency = 96 (good)
Jazz Defensive Rebounding = 90%  (fantastic see keys to the game)


End of 1st Quarter -- Rockets 23 Jazz 21
I apologize for some technical difficulties that precluded me from blogging
The story of the Quarter is Tracy McGrady.  The score was 6-6 and McGrady left the game to go to the locker-room. With McGrady out the Jazz took a 14-9 lead.  Then McGrady returned and was great and the Rockets too the lead at the end of 1.  McGrady was terrific.  He hit three in a row and was driving to the basket.
Boozer had a poor 1st Quarter.  He was 2 of 6 from the field.  Boozer is just 4 of 12 in the last two games in the first quarter.   Jazz need more.
Rockets shot 48% Jazz shot 45%
Brewer makes McGrady play defense and that is a good thing.  He has been very good running the pick and roll.



Coach Has Better Keys than me
1.  Early start
2.  Don't lose the physical battle.


Keys to the Game
1.  Defensive rebound at a rate above 70% and maybe even 75%.
2.  Get the pick and roll going and get Boozer involved in the game.  Get into the pick and roll quicker than they did in Games 1 or 2.
3.  Keep McGrady off the free throw line. 
4.  Bench must dominate.   With Bobby Jackson back on the Houston bench they are much improved but this is an area.

Notes For Game 4
Jazz are just 14 of 36 from the field in the last two 4th Quarters.
Both teams are talking about a quick start.