calkins's Blog

Shaking and stirring while always recomending Bubba's Sports Bar & Grill for quality liquid refreshment during reved-up Rockets playoff viewing.

Enjoy with a discerning friend.  Or an attractive stranger.

Now that was playoff win to enjoy.

That was simply the biggest late-game game-deciding block party since Hakeem shocked John Starks to essentially swing the world roundball title to Clutch City for the first-time ever.

That was simply the Rockets largest single-game playoff notch since closing out the defending Western Conference champion Sonics in a Game Seven stare-down at the Summit in 1997.  The last playoff series your NBA heroes won, by the way.

That was Rocketball 94-92 over Utah in the somewhat wee-hours of Friday morning that perhaps returned the round one slugfest to an actual series.  Perhaps.  Check back Saturday when midnight roughly rings, Houston standard time, to see if the set is either break-even or the Rockets are once again teetering on the brink.

For now, simply relish all the ethic and effort that resulted in reducing the Jazz to not exactly all that, not exactly the invincible home court bully headed to a break-out-the-broom sweep.

Absolutely applaud all-that-rookie Carl Landry all lathered-up in those finals ticks.  Once Deron Williams turned the corner and down the lane, Utah down one point, no doubt he thought the game was done.  He had only torched sliced and diced the Rockets throughout the night throughout the series throughout the last two playoffs.

Landry (with the obvious limited playoff reps) could have instinctively pounded Williams to the floor to prevent the game-winning all-but-round one winning bucket.  Williams at the line in cuttin' time is all but guaranteed to make one of two, likely two of two, game-set-series to the Jazz.

But Landry instead opts for the rejection on Willaims within close range of the rim.  All block on the ball and no harm.  And not a mammoth swat into the high-dollar row, but a Bill Russell-sort of block that can be retrieved.  Which Landry does on the quick silver second bounce off the floor after the stunning last stand.  Then a flash-flip to Scola that seals playoff survivial.

In review, in the final five ticks of Game Three, rave rook Landry comes off the ball for the block, the retrieve, the save, to save the Rockets season.

Anything else?

In a word, yes.

Mr. McGrady emerging from his fourth-period hibernations, seven points during a 10-0 Rocket run, seven of his game-high 27, plus a sizeable defensive board and block of his own.

Rafer returns for three triples first period that assured a set-the-tone start.  When your first three-ball of the night is banked home, it promises to be a good night.

And for a change Utah shot horribly at the start (37.5% first quarter) and the end (37.5% fourth quarter).  For once, the Rockets earn the free throw ad (10-13 fourth quarter and in the bonus the final 10:00 while the Jazz a mere 2-6).  For only the fourth time in the last two seasons, the Rockets rally for a win after trailing after three periods.  Now four and 45. 

Read that again.

Four and 45 when trailing after three periods.  And the fourth comes against an outfit that had lost but four games on the vaunted home floor all season.  With the season absolutely at stake.

And every single last drop of it all and much more needed to win by two.

And now we buckle again for Game Four in Salt Lake that will reveal just how meaningful all of the above actually is.