Sports / Basketball
Jazz stifle Yao, tie series with Rockets
(AP)
Updated: 2007-04-29 13:49
Mehmet Okur broke out of his scoring slump with 16 points, stifled Yao
Ming defensively, and the Utah Jazz evened their first-round series with
a 98-85 victory over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night in Game 4.
Deron Williams added 25 points, including 11 in the third quarter. Utah
outscored Houston 33-17 in the period and again flustered the Rockets
into a listless second half while tying the series at two games apiece.
Yao scored 20, his lowest total of the series, and had to fight through
Okur and Jarron Collins all night. Tracy McGrady added 18 points before
Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy pulled his starters.
Houston Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy watches the action with his
team in Game 4 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2007
NBA Playoffs at EnergySolutions Arena on April 28, 2007 in Salt Lake
City, Utah.[AP]
Game 5 is Monday in Houston, where the Rockets won the first two games of
the series.
Carlos Boozer finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Matt Harpring
added 17 points as the Jazz ensured there will be at least one more home
game this season.
Okur hadn't scored more than seven in the first three games of the series
and ended up tying his career playoff high. His defense, however, was
much more important, as he made Yao miserable again, keeping him from
getting inside much and swiping the ball away with quicker hands several
times.
Yao had finally had enough by the fourth quarter and landed an elbow to
Okur's chin while trying to get him out of the way for a shot in the
lane. Yao was called for an offensive foul on the play.
In the third quarter, Okur frustrated Yao by knocking the ball from his
hands and starting a break, which Williams ended with a three-point play
as Yao was protesting the no-call at the other end.
Andrei Kirilenko had four blocks and four assists for Utah, which went
26-for-33 from the line in the first game the Jazz had more free throw
attempts than the Rockets in the series.
Houston finished with 16 turnovers, leading to 18 points for Utah.
Rafer Alston scored 12 and Shane Battier had 10 points for Houston. The
10 Rockets who scored were six more than in a humbling loss Thursday, but
nobody scored nearly enough.
Williams drove around Yao for a layup just before the end of the second
quarter, then the Jazz pulled away with the first eight points of the
third period and the demoralized Rockets didn't make much of a threat
from there.
Okur hit a 17-foot jumper at the beginning of the third, Boozer tipped in
a rebound and Williams added a jumper and two free throws as Utah's
five-point lead grew to 58-45.
The Rockets didn't score in the third until Yao's turnaround jumper
nearly 3 minutes into the period.
Utah was 11-for-18 from the floor during the third and added a 10-1 run
late in the quarter after Houston had gotten within 80-62 on a 3-pointer
by Luther Head.
The Rockets had a 2-on-1 going right after that, but Fisher broke it up
with a steal that started a break for Utah. Gordan Giricek finished it by
setting up for a 3-pointer just before the buzzer and Utah led 83-62.
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