The AP reports: The Houston Rockets didn’t need a big fourth quarter from Tracy McGrady to stay alive in their playoff series with Utah. McGrady scored 29 points and got plenty of help, and the Rockets staved off elimination Tuesday night by routing the Jazz 95-69 in Game 5 of their first-round series. Luis Scola added 18 points and 12 rebounds, Rafer Alston scored 14 points and Dikembe Mutombo grabbed 10 rebounds as the Rockets cut their series deficit to 3-2 and forced Game 6 in Utah on Friday night… The Jazz, meanwhile, endured their worst offensive performance of the season, setting a season-low point total by eight. They shot 36.5 percent (27-of-74), went 2-for-9 from 3-point range and 13-for-23 from the free throw line. They also committed 18 turnovers and were outrebounded 46-38… Carlos Boozer led Utah with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Deron Williams had 13 points and six assists… The Rockets used a 12-0 run to stretch their lead to 70-48. McGrady swished a jumper over Matt Harpring with eight seconds left in the third quarter to put Houston up 74-55. Harpring stepped out of bounds at the other end, a fitting end to another dismal quarter for Utah.

The AP reports: Mehmet Okur can expect to get something nice from teammate Deron Williams. Okur bailed out Williams when he missed two free throws with 7.3 seconds left, then Okur made two from the line to seal an 86-82 win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday that put the Jazz up 3-1 in the best-of-7 series. “Memo saved my butt. I ought to give him something. I ought to buy him a car or something,” Williams said. Okur had 18 rebounds, Carlos Boozer added 14 and the Jazz made up for some dismal outside shooting by controlling the lane… Williams scored eight of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, starting an 8-0 run after Houston had trimmed a 16-point lead to just one with 10:39 left… Tracy McGrady, who is 0-6 in playoff series, scored 23 points to lead the Rockets. McGrady was taunted with the chant “Over-Rated!” when he went to the foul line late in the game. He scored just four points in another quiet final quarter… McGrady also led Houston with eight assists and 10 rebounds, but the Rockets were outrebounded 48-41… Andrei Kirilenko added an exclamatory block as the buzzer sounded and the Jazz left the court one win away from advancing. Kirilenko scored 11 and Ronnie Brewer had 12 points and two blocks as all five Utah starters scored in double figures.

The AP reports: Scoring seven points in a quarter is normally nothing for Tracy McGrady. With his team down 2-0 in the opening round of the playoffs, it meant everything to the Houston Rockets. McGrady scored all of those seven in the final 3:29, finally snapping out of a fourth-quarter slump and finishing with 27 to lead Houston to a 94-92 victory over the Utah Jazz on Thursday night that gave the Rockets life in a series that could have been headed for a sweep… Rafer Alston added 20 points and five assists in his first game in nearly two weeks. Carl Landry had 11 rebounds and two blocks, swatting away Deron Williams’ shot that could have won it for the Jazz just before the buzzer. Landry also sacrificed his left front tooth, courtesy of an elbow from Utah’s Carlos Boozer in the second quarter, and had a huge gap in his post-game grin… The Rockets, who are without 7-foot-6 center Yao Ming, outscored Utah in the paint 40-26… Carlos Boozer had 15 points and 13 rebounds, and Mehmet Okur scored 12 and pulled down 11 boards for the Jazz, whose poor free throw shooting caught up with them in the fourth quarter when McGrady started scoring. The Jazz went 20-for-33 from the foul line, getting 11 more chances than Houston (16-for-22) but failing to capitalize.
InsideHoops.com Stat Notes: For the Rockets, T-Mac had 27, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. Alston had 20 points (4 threes) and 5 assists. Luis Scola (just 4-of-13) had 16 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks. Carl Landry grabbed 11 rebounds. For the Jazz, Deron Williams had 28 points and 12 assists. Boozer had 15 with 11 rebounds. Mehmet Okur (just 3-of-13) had 12 with 11 rebounds.

The AP reports: Deron Williams shrugged off an ankle injury and scored 22 points and Mehmet Okur added 16 points and 16 rebounds as the Jazz beat the Rockets 90-84 on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series… Tracy McGrady, a seven-time All-Star who has never advanced past the first round of the playoffs, had 23 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists to just miss his first postseason triple-double. But he went 0-for-4 from the field and scored only one point in the final quarter as the Rockets lost to the Jazz for the eighth time in the last 10 meetings… Bobby Jackson rebounded from a 3-for-15 effort in Game 1 to score 18 points… Carlos Boozer added 13 points and Deron Williams had five assists for the Jazz, who closed the game with a 14-8 run.

The AP reports: The Utah Jazz failed to secure home-court advantage for their playoff series with Houston. Maybe they won’t need it after all. Andrei Kirilenko scored 21 points, Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 16 rebounds and the Jazz beat the Rockets 93-82 to take a 1-0 series lead Saturday night. Deron Williams had 20 points and 10 assists as Utah, 17-24 on the road during the regular season, won its second straight playoff game in Houston. The last victory came in Game 7 last season, and that was when Houston had Yao Ming… Kirilenko hit 8 of 12 shots and Utah’s reserves also contributed, outscoring Houston’s reserves 28-17… Shane Battier scored 22 and Tracy McGrady had 20 points for Houston, which shot 37 percent (29 of 79). The Rockets are also playing without starting point guard Rafer Alston, who strained his right hamstring late in the season. His backup, Bobby Jackson, scored seven points on 3-for-15 shooting.

Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker is confident the Utah Jazz will win the first round of the NBA playoffs against the Houston Rockets.  He’s so confident that he’s engaged in a friendly wager with Houston Mayor Bill White
 
The Mayors have each offered the other a treat from their city if the opposing team loses the series.  If the Jazz win the series, Mayor White will send Mayor Becker pecan pies made by Good Company Barbecue in Houston – one pie for every game the Jazz win over the Rockets.
 
If the Rockets win the series, Mayor Becker will send Mayor White two Ski Salt Lake Super Passes. The passes entitle the Houston Mayor to two all-day passes at any of Salt Lake City’s four ski resorts; Alta, Brighton, Snowbird, or Solitude, as well as round-trip travel on UTA city buses, ski buses, and TRAX light-rail during his trip to Salt Lake City.  Mayor Becker has also offered to ski with Mayor White during his visit.
 
“Salt Lakers skied on Memorial Day last year and enjoyed watching the Jazz play past that weekend, well after the Rockets ended their season. I think the Jazz are going to take this series again. I’m looking forward to enjoying those pecan pies from Mayor White when they do,” remarked Becker.
 
Mayor White had this to say, “My wager, Mayor Becker, we’re coming back at you again this year, Last year was a close series. They scraped by.  But I’m gonna bet, I’m gonna place a wager on this game. My wager is gonna be if I lose you are going to get some pecan pie from Good Company Barbecue. It’s good Texas food.”
 
To which Mayor Becker replied, “It’s going to be a great series, The Rockets had a run that was unbelievable in the middle of the season and we’re glad they got that out of their system. We feel like Utah has proven itself. It’s time for Houston to step to the plate.”

The Houston Chronicle reports: Jazz center Mehmet Okur was charged with a flagrant-1 foul of San Antonio Spurs center Fabricio Oberto on Wednesday. The play could have been subject to league review and, if upgraded to a flagrant-2, would have netted a one-game suspension. The NBA quickly ruled, however, that the foul will remain a flagrant-1 penalty, NBA spokesman Tim Frank said.

The AP reports: The San Antonio Spurs wrapped up the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference playoffs in dominant fashion, routing the Utah Jazz 109-80 on Wednesday night. The Spurs will face the sixth-seeded Phoenix Suns in the first round. The Jazz will take on the Houston Rockets… Tony Parker had 24 points and 12 assists for San Antonio in the easy win. Tim Duncan added 14 points and 11 rebounds, and four other Spurs scored in double digits. C.J. Miles led the Jazz with 12 points. Mehmet Okur scored 11 and Carlos Boozer had 10 rebounds… Utah guard Deron Williams, who shot 2-of-6 from the field in the first half, didn’t play in the second half. He bruised his tailbone Saturday against Denver.

The AP reports: The Jazz went 37-4 at home, where they hope to be playing this weekend in the first round of the playoffs. “It changes every day, so we’ll see what happens,” said Carlos Boozer, who had 21 points and 11 rebounds in his 51st double-double of the season Monday… Mehmet Okur added 12 points and 13 rebounds and Deron Williams finished with 17 points and nine assists for the Jazz, who won for the sixth time in seven games and finished with their best home record since winning 38 games in 1996-97. Tracy McGrady and Luis Scola scored 22 each for Houston, which fell short with a late rally after trailing by 17 at the end of the third quarter. The Rockets made six 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to make it closer, but couldn’t overcome Utah’s huge lead.

The AP reports: Mehmet Okur had 20 points and 15 rebounds, Deron Williams added 19 points and 11 assists, and the Utah Jazz beat the Denver Nuggets 124-97 Saturday night to strengthen their hopes of home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs… Carlos Boozer and Ronnie Brewer each scored 20 points and Jason Hart added 12 for the Jazz, who improved to 53-27 and have their most wins since going 53-29 in 2000-01. Allen Iverson scored 28 and Carmelo Anthony had 22 points for the Nuggets, who rallied from a 16-point deficit to take a brief lead but never recovered after a 12-2 run by the Jazz late in the third quarter.