Game 5

Like many of you, I'm sure, I am none too pleased that the Jazz are headed back to Houston for a game 5. I had very high hopes that after unexpectedly winning games 1 and 2 in the Toyota Center, the Jazz would capitalize on that momentum, and run the Rockets in 4 games. So props to Houston for coming into Utah and punching the Jazz square in the teeth. I have no idea why I would ever think that a Jazz-Rockets series could ever end in a sweep... There's an entire Wikipedia article dedicated to the Jazz-Rockets rivalry, specifically the heavily contested playoff series the two teams have had over the years (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockets-Jazz_rivalry). Game 4 was yet another testament to the fact that this is not going to be series that anyone is going to simply walk away with.

Unlike a few of my friends in the JazzNation, I do not despise or disrespect the Houston Rockets; they've been one team that has truly impressed me all year long, what with their ability to string off the streak they did with one of their megastars out. That takes a certain level of grit and determination that Utah fans are notorious for holding in high regard; and that grit has not abandoned this Rockets team in the playoffs either, it has only seemed to intensify as the series goes on. So as we turn our focus towards tonight's game (which has been shoved off the TNT airwaves and will only be shown on NBAtv, which is a topic worthy of its own post), I am quite apprehensive as to what the outcome will be. If I were to drive down to Vegas and throw a few bucks down a basketball game, I'd have to leave this one alone, because your guess is as good as mine.

I would have to agree with the assessment of ESPN.com's Scouts Inc for this game (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2008/columns/story?page=ScoutingRocketsJazz-Game5)... You can basically flip a coin for this one.

As much as I'd like to put on my "homer hat" and say "WOOOOO JAZZ iz guna KILL ya fools in hoston!!!!11 T-mac suxx soo bad!" -- okay, now that's a lie, I have absolutely NO desire to ever put on my homer hat and sound like that... At all. I'm fairly certain I'd have to censure myself for eternity if I ever sounded like that... In fact, if any of our good readers here at Jazz Hype find themselves writing anything similar to that on the ESPN.com or any respective website's "Conversation" sections following the game, please email us at jazzhype@gmail.com for a free lesson on how to not sound like an ignorant d-bag when rooting for your team.

But I digress... I fully expect game 5 to look like games 1-4. A physical, low scoring, intense game. I lean towards giving Houston the edge in this one based on the fact they have home court, but that seems to have not been a real factor for either team thus far. Look for Houston to continue to clog the middle, and make the Jazz absolutely battle for every point in the paint. Cross your fingers that the Jazz don't go 0-for from behind the arc, hope that Houston doesn't find a way to solve D-Will's absolute dominance of any point guard they throw at him, and pray that McGrady disappears in the fourth yet again... If most or all of those scenarios fall in Utah's favor -- the Jazz are looking towards LA -- if they fall in Houstons', however, we're coming back to Salt Lake for a game 6.