# Regular Season Game 82 Thread: Houston Rockets @ Utah Jazz



## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

​*(52-29)/(50-31)*

When/Where:
*Wednesday, April 18, 8:00 p.m.*
*EnergySolutions Arena*​












































*Alston / Head / Battier / Hayes / Howard*














































*Williams / Fisher / Kirilenko / Boozer / Okur*



*PREVIEW

Nearly two weeks ago, the Rockets figured to be arriving in Salt Lake City for Wednesday's regular season finale with home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs on the line.

So much for the drama.

Having secured the fourth best record in the Western Conference thanks to Monday's triumph over the Phoenix Suns, the Rockets' latest showdown with the Utah Jazz should be a tamer affair than expected.

Regardless of what happens Wednesday night in Salt Lake City, the Rockets and Jazz are locked into their playoff spots and know they'll be opening the postseason this weekend in Houston.

Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming and others are expected in uniform for Wednesday's game, but Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy was noncommital about his starters' playing time for the finale following Monday's game.

Depending on how much playing time the starters get from each team, the final game of the regular season could be more of a rehearsal than playoff preview for the upcoming series between the two franchises.

"Any time you go out there, you owe it to whoever you're playing in front of to go out and play as hard as you can," Van Gundy said. "I'll decide what I think is best after I have time to think about it."

The Rockets (52-29) have received a much-needed confidence boost heading into the playoffs over the past two weeks.

Since enduring a small slide to begin the month, the Rockets have put together a five-game winning streak and surged past the Jazz in the race for home-court advantage. They already earned their best record since 1997.

The Rockets might not want to take a chance of disrupting that rhythm by resting their starters on Wednesday.

"You always play to win," Rockets point guard Rafer Alston said. "You don't want to look at is as you're locked into the matchup. You want to sharpen up your skills and sharpen up things that you need to work on. And for us being on a winning streak, we want to stay in a rhythm. We need to go out and stay in a flow that we like."

The Jazz certainly have some incentive to not treat Wednesday's game as a scrimmage.

Unlike the Rockets, Utah has been struggling to the finish. They've dropped seven of their past 10 games and couldn't make a 2 1/2-game lead over the Rockets for the fourth best record in the West hold up after beating Houston on April 1.

The Jazz have won two of three meetings from the Rockets so far this season.

"We consider it an eight-game series," Rockets coach Yao Ming said. "It depends on how we're going to treat it. We can play hard for a confidence advantage or we can rest. It's up to coach. If he puts me out on the court, I'm just running like (I did against Phoenix)."

How much Yao and Co. play will depend on their coach's line of thinking. But if the Rockets' starters are mere spectators on Wednesday night, they'll certainly use the rest wisely considering what's ahead.

"We know it's going to be a physical series," Alston said.*

_*Next Games*_


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

Let's go for #53 baby! :banana:

Say what they like, we'd be stupid not to rest our starters. Same goes for Utah.


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## sherwin (Mar 21, 2005)

irrelevant game...... starters shouldnt even fly to utah.


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

I hope they go in with minutes locked.

Tsaklidis(36mins)Mutombo(12mins)
Novak(36mins)Howard(12mins)
Snyder(36mins)Spanoulis(12mins)
Head(36mins)Spanoulis(12mins)
Lucas(36mins)Spanoulis(12mins)

Rest: Yao,Hayes,Battier,McGrady,Alston

The idea they will lose their form in less than a week is ridiculous


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## kisstherim (Jul 15, 2004)

sherwin said:


> starters shouldnt even fly to utah.


agreed


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## ztpc_lukui (Mar 3, 2006)

A training game before the playoffs . It's time to regulate the state of the bench .
The bench would play a crucial role in the playoffs.


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## zxuan (Apr 1, 2007)

Need rest.


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## Legend-Like (Mar 25, 2006)

Lets Steve Novak play today.


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## AllEyezonTX (Nov 16, 2006)

No letting up
Yao Ming said he will accept whatever decision Jeff Van Gundy makes about his playing time tonight. But if he plays, he vows to go as hard as he did against the Suns on Monday. 

*"It depends how you treat it," Yao said. "You can, if you want confidence, play as hard as you can. You can rest. It's Coach's call. If he puts me on the court, I'm running like (Monday)."*


*Sloan wants to win*

Just because there is nothing left at stake in the standings or for home-court advantage, that doesn't mean Utah coach Jerry Sloan is changing his lineup or his approach to tonight's game. 

*"We'll do everything we can to try to win," Sloan said Tuesday. "Why else would you do it any other way? You've got people who pay $200 and $300 a ticket to watch guys who are supposed to play. And they don't play?*

*"That's one thing I've always had problems with as long as I've been in basketball. If I paid as much money as these people do for season tickets and you're holding guys out, whether it's for a playoff game or an exhibition game, I wouldn't like it."*


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## Krimzon (Feb 26, 2007)

hroz said:


> I hope they go in with minutes locked.
> 
> Tsaklidis(36mins)Mutombo(12mins)
> Novak(36mins)Howard(12mins)
> ...


Agree. If JVG does play the starters, they should get no more then five minutes. It's time for the bench to get some playing time. They will need it.


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

Oh c'mon Jerry, I'm sure fans would appreciate seeing CJ Miles, Dee Brown, and Hoffa Araujo in action.


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## Pimped Out (May 4, 2005)

hroz said:


> I hope they go in with minutes locked.
> 
> Tsaklidis(36mins)Mutombo(12mins)
> Novak(36mins)Howard(12mins)
> ...


no way should novak play all 48 minutes. i dont even think he is capable of that. either give juwan more minutes, or more likely than not, suit up chuck


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## hitokiri315 (Apr 30, 2004)

def don't want any of the starters playing major min. don't need any kind of freak chance of something horrible happening. playoff wins are all that matters now. thinking big picture here.


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## jdiggidy (Jun 21, 2003)

JVG likes his starters to stay in rhythm. Starters will play 1st quarter and maybe a bit of the second quarter with their usual rotations in order to work on defending the pick and roll. The bench will take over around the 7 minute mark of the second period and we won't see the starters for the rest of the night.

Really hope JVG doesn't try and make this a statement game and play his starters the whole game.


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## hitokiri315 (Apr 30, 2004)

that sounds fine to me if that happens just give the jazz a taste of the arse beating that they will get from us in the playoffs.

hehe


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

26-13 Rox with 3 min to play in the 1st


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

We're beating Utah without T-Mac and Yao, at Utah? Ouch to Utah!

Deron Williams is not at 100%


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

LOL Novak gets pulled for getting into foul trouble :laugh: 4 fouls in 9mins, that's Jerome James territory!

Utah's got a lot of good young talent. Deron's only in his 2nd year. Brewer, Millsip, and Dee Brown are all pretty solid. Araujo may have some potential left in him as a back-up C, and CJ Miles can still grow.


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

50-47 Utah @ half. There's a reason why our reserves don't get to play much... Kill Bill and Novak a combined 18mins, 2pts (0 fgs), 0 rebs, 2 assts, 3TOs, and 4PFs. :no:


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## Krimzon (Feb 26, 2007)

I know the game doesn't mean to much, but the bench players should play like it matters. I hope the bench players can win this game.


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## Krimzon (Feb 26, 2007)

Close game so far.


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

Look at Billy man, had he only been hitting his shots, he would have had a 20+ point game. He shot 11-12 from the FT line. That is VERY good sign because it shows he is willing to drive and is aggressive...

JVG needs to give this guy a chance next year...


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## Krimzon (Feb 26, 2007)

101-91. Jazz wins. Not bad. Can't wait for the first round to start.


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

OneBadLT123 said:


> Look at Billy man, had he only been hitting his shots, he would have had a 20+ point game. He shot 11-12 from the FT line. That is VERY good sign because it shows he is willing to drive and is aggressive...
> 
> JVG needs to give this guy a chance next year...


He's got the drive and determination, but he just needs better control. I'd really hesitate playing him on a consistent basis.

Poor Novak, he really needs to develop his game... I wonder if we'll re-sign him for next season.


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

Yao Mania said:


> Poor Novak, he really needs to develop his game... *I wonder if we'll re-sign him for next season.*


Novak isn't a free agent, so he should be back next season.


Semi-OT: I'll try to make a thread for the playoffs on Friday, unless someone else wants to make one.


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

Cornholio said:


> Novak isn't a free agent, so he should be back next season.
> 
> 
> Semi-OT: I'll try to make a thread for the playoffs on Friday, unless someone else wants to make one.


How long did we sign him for again?


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

Yao Mania said:


> How long did we sign him for again?


2 years, with a team option for a third year.


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

meh

havent watched this game havent read about this game havent really cared about this game


Here come the playoffs.


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