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Boozer, Jazz look for first playoff win vs. Rockets

Apr 26, 2007 - 3:26 PM Houston at Utah 9:00 pm EDT Western Conference First Round Game Three

SALT LAKE CITY (Ticker) -- Carlos Boozer needs some help if the Utah Jazz hope to beat the Houston Rockets in Game Three of their Western Conference series on Thursday.

Boozer scored a playoff career high 41 points in Utah's 98-90 loss at Houston in Game Two.

However, Andrei Kirilenko has been virtually invisible for the Jazz. Kirilenko, who averaged 8.3 points this season and 15.3 points as recently as 2005-06, has tallied a total of two points and four rebounds in a little over 35 minutes in both games.

The 6-9 Russian has been so ineffective that Jazz coach Jerry Sloan has been using Matt Harpring for the bulk of the minutes at the small forward position.

Utah's Mehmet Okur has also been a disappointment, averaging just five points on 4-of-23 shooting in the first two games after making the Western Conference All-Star team this season. The Turkish center, who averaged 17.6 points in 2006-07, has had his hands full trying to guard fellow All-Star Yao Ming.

Yao has dominated the paint, averaging 27.5 points and 11.0 rebounds. He has converted 21-of-23 free throws.

Seven-time All-Star Tracy McGrady has also made a major impact for the Rockets, averaging 27.0 points, seven rebounds and six assists as he tries to extinguish the pain of never getting out of the first round of the playoffs.

Houston is two wins away from advancing to the Western Conference semifinals for the first time since 1997.

Game Four is here Saturday.