Rockets fail to clinch homecourt in 105-96 loss to Jazz

[KFDM COOP]

Rockets fail to clinch homecourt in 105-96 loss to Jazz

SALT LAKE CITY – As eerily and disconcertingly familiar as it looked, the Rockets left Utah with a more troubling thought.

In a few days, they might be back.

The Rockets’ 105-96 loss to the Utah Jazz on Monday will likely cost them homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs should they meet the team with the NBA’s best home record again to start the post-season.

But beyond even losing for the seventh time in eight games in EnergySolutions Arena, including the three games lost in last season’s first round, they lost the way they had so often when playing the Jazz on the road.

They had several long offensive breakdowns, stretches long enough for the Jazz to take control of the game. Rather than taking the Jazz from behind to a win, they allowed them to play from in front for most of the night, and by as much as 21.

The Rockets did give themselves a late, longshot chance, outscoring the Jazz, 8-2, to pull within seven in the last minute. But Tracy McGrady, who had 22 points but made just 7 of 21 shots, missed a 3-pointer with 53 seconds left. The Rockets fouled Kyle Korver, a 91.3 percent free throw shooter, and he iced the win at the line.

With the loss, the Jazz moved into a tie with the Rockets in the race for homecourt advantage should they meet again in the first round of the playoffs beginning this weekend, with the Jazz taking the head-to-head tie-breaker.

The Rockets end the regular season Wednesday against the Clippers. The Jazz will play the Spurs.

Heading into the regular-season finale, it was all the Rockets could do to keep from being completely blown out.

Trailing by 15 at halftime, the Rockets were lifeless defensively to start the second half and quickly fell behind by 21. But with the Jazz holding a 72-51 lead, the Rockets scored the next nine points, all at the line, to close to within 12 with the Jazz protesting every whistle.

All that did, however, was incite the Jazz to turn up the defensive pressure again. In their next four trips down the floor, the Rockets turned it over three times with their only shot, a Scola drive, blocked. The Jazz easily pushed the lead back to as much as 19.

As unlikely as building a comeback entirely on free throws had seemed, it had no chance if the Rockets were unable to stop the Jazz at the other end.

Utah scored its way into the fourth quarter, but with a few minutes of defense, the Rockets climbed back to within a chance. They moved to within 86-74 with the ball, then did not score at all for the next four minutes, missing five-consecutive jumpers, three from beyond the arc.

The Jazz did not shoot much better, allowing the Rockets to hang around. But they never seemed to have much of a chance, having spent so much of the night on the brink of a blowout.

The Rockets had withstood their terrible offensive start, when they made 1 of 7 shots with every starting missing at least one attempt in the first three minutes.

They withstood the start to the second quarter, when they went with their young bench and were outscored, 15-7, in four minutes, with Paul Milsap in particular having his way with the Rockets young reserves.

They Jazz were getting good shots from the opening tip, while the Rockets got little going offensively other than McGrady’s 10-point first quarter and a few 3s they drained around him.

Still, they were within four points midway through the second quarter. Then their offense broke down nearly as completely as it had the night before in Denver. The defense soon followed. A day after they were down 17 at halftime, they went to the locker room 15 points off the Jazz pace. But this collapse was even more sudden.

In the last six minutes of the half, McGrady missed two free throws, two 3-pointers and a layup. Luis Scola missed a layup. One possession ended when Bobby Jackson had to chase a loose ball into the backcourt and throw up a 60-footer to beat the shot clock buzzer. Another ended with Deron Williams stripping the ball from Jackson.

The Rockets’ only field goal of the last six minutes of the half came when Carl Landry picked up a loose b all to hit a foul-line jumper. The Rockets were outscored 14-3 on their way to the locker room, seeming as in disarray as they were in Denver.

In Utah, for much of the night, they were simply overmatched, which with the playoffs just days away, might have been worse, or at least more foreboding.

[Guest A-TOWN]

Its tough winning at the Delta Center, i couldnt believe the Chicago Bulls won their title at Utah back in 96