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Well-rounded Jazz ready for Rockets

Apr 19, 2008 - 1:12 PM Utah at Houston 9:30 pm EDT Western Conference first round

HOUSTON (Ticker) - The Utah Jazz may be the most complete team in the NBA playoffs. The Houston Rockets, conversely, are minus one of their biggest players.

The fourth-seeded Jazz and fifth-seeded Rockets open their best-of-seven series on Saturday in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

The dynamic duo of point guard Deron Williams and power forward Carlos Boozer helped the Jazz put together a 37-4 record at home - the best in the NBA - and have Utah poised for a title run, after they were ousted in the conference finals by the San Antonio Spurs last season.

Quietly, Williams has put together a remarkable season, averaging nearly 19 points and more than 10 assists per game while Boozer finished sixth in the league with 51 double-doubles, just one behind Williams.

Seven-footer Mehmet Okur gives the Jazz a dominating presence in the lane as well as a center that can stetch the floor and should flourish against aging Dikembe Mutombo, who has done an admirable job filing in for Yao Ming but is not the player he once was.

Yao, who is out for the rest of the season after suffering a stress fracture in his left foot on February 25, was having an MVP-caliber season at the time of the injury, averaging 22 points and almost 11 rebounds a game.

Despite Yao's absence, the Rockets still managed to put together a 22-game winning streak and finished the season with a 55-27 record.

"Considering all the stuff we've been through this year, to get ourselves in a great position (for the playoffs) is a fantastic job on our part, despite losing Yao," Rockets guard Tracy McGrady said.

McGrady is looking to move through the first round of the playoffs for the first time in his career and is likely looking for revenge in the process.

The Rockets were ousted by the Jazz in the first round last season after suffering a disappointing loss at home in Game Seven.