Rockets Seek to Sweep the Jazz in Game 4
End the Music. Success for the Rest. No Time to Dance.
“Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?”, Jack Nicholson’s Joker asks in Tim Burton’s Batman. The iconic actor turns 82 today, and this quote from Jack is apt to describe Houston’s situation entering tonight’s matchup. The Rockets are coming off a grueling Game 3 win in Utah that gave them a dominant 3-0 series edge, entering Monday night’s matchup. Houston arrives for Game 4 with the goal of ending Utah’s season. Despite the sizeable lead in the series, the Jazz won’t go down without a fight, especially in Salt Lake City. Sweeps are rare in the NBA’s postseason, but even rarer for the Rockets. Houston has only swept a playoff series three times in the franchise’s storied history. It was 22 years ago, back in 1997, the last time the Rockets swept a playoff series. The Dream-led Rockets swept a Wolves squad with a young Kevin Garnett. Houston hasn’t had a broom night since.
Elimination games are the hardest games to win in the playoffs. Utah has nothing to lose, and the Jazz will be playing just as hard, if not harder, than they did in Game 3. Lucky for the Rockets, James Harden’s had enough of all that Jazz. Don’t expect the MVP to miss his first 15 shots, a la Game 3. The Beard will be better tonight. The question is, will his counterparts be as effective as they were in Game 3? Despite being down 0-3, the Jazz had countless opportunities to be trailing 1-2 in the series, but they couldn’t capitalize. Utah’s three-point shooting has been the worst among all teams that made the playoffs. The Jazz will find a rhythm sooner or later. Houston needs to end the music before it’s too late.
Being up 3-0, teams are prone to relax. Sure, the Rockets don’t need to win tonight. Houston needs just one more win, opposed to the Jazz needing four in a row to take the series. The Rockets need to approach tonight’s game with the same mindset they’ve had throughout this entire series. Houston has no time to play around with the Jazz. If Utah wins Game 4, the momentum in the series swings to the Jazz. It puts added pressure on the Rockets to win Game 5 at home, to avoid heading back on the road for a Game 6. Chris Paul, Houston’s coach on the floor, was demonstrative in making sure the Rockets didn’t cave in Game 3, when Harden’s shot wasn’t falling. Houston could have packed it in during Harden’s struggles, but the rest of the squad proved why these Rockets are true contenders.
Houston could pack it in tonight. Up 3 games in the series, they can afford to relax, right? Wrong. Letting your guard down, and losing focus in a game like this, against a desperate and lethal Utah team, would be equivalent to dancing with the devil for Houston. The Rockets need this game. Not just to advance past the Jazz, but a win tonight helps Houston in the future. The Rockets need as much rest as possible before they enter the bloodbath, and try and dethrone the Golden State Warriors. Closing out Utah tonight allows Houston added rest for the back-to-back Champs, and dodges a potential fluke injury in Game 5. Everyone knows the Rockets are injury prone. The less games Houston grinds through, the less likely they are to suffer a heartbreaking injury like they did last postseason.
Monday night’s matchup is a must-win for the Jazz. Their season ends with a loss. But, their season’s already over (unless they pull off the greatest comeback in NBA Playoff history, which isn’t going to happen). The Rockets need to get to the inevitable: finish the Jazz. Put away the Utah crowd early. Don’t let them become a part of the game. In Game 3, Jazz fans were the loudest Houston’s faced all season. They’re only going to be louder in Game 4, with Utah’s season on the line. The Rockets need effective communication on defense, and good ball movement. If Houston can stick to their game plan, and close out on open shooters, the Rockets should be able to tune out the Jazz for good. The Rockets have some spring-cleaning to take care of. Get the brooms, there’s no time to dance.
Vivint Smart Home Arena: Salt Lake City, Utah
Jersey Colors:
Houston Rockets (3-0): Black
Utah Jazz (0-3): White
TV: 9:30 PM CT – TNT, ATT Sportsnet SW