Fighting chance: Spirited Utah game play forces decisive Game 7 By Tim Buckley Deseret Morning News So many questions. So little space. Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Morning NewsUtah's Mehmet Okur is restrained by Andrei Kirilenko, left, as he goes after Houston's Juwan Howard Thursday. Howard was called for a technical foul. The flurry of postgame prodding and probing hit Deron Williams so fast Thursday night, he had to take a seat. The starting point guard was getting dizzy, and it was almost as if he couldn't handle the heat. Fortunately for the Jazz, Williams and crew were able to withstand the pressure when Houston made its own run at Utah in the fourth quarter their first-round NBA playoff series Game 6. By doing so, the Jazz notched a 94-82 victory at sold-out EnergySolutions Arena and forced a decisive Game 7 on Saturday night in Houston. "Now they're facing elimination as well," Williams said, "so it puts a little pressure on them." And it's all because the Jazz did not melt down after building an 11-point third-quarter lead on the Rockets, who got a practically predictable 26 points from Tracy McGrady and another 25 from Yao Ming. That was enough to keep things interesting, but not nearly enough to overcome a balanced Utah attack that included a team-high 22 points from Carlos Boozer, 19 from Mehmet Okur, 15 from Williams and 14 from revitalized Andrei Kirilenko. "I didn't think we lost control of the game at any point," forward Matt Harpring said, "so it was a good feeling." Even when the Rockets were able to trim what had been 65-54 Jazz lead to one on a couple of occasions in the fourth quarter, the second time when McGrady hit two free throws to make it 77-76 with four-plus minutes remaining , Utah played like it had no doubt the best-of-seven series would last one more game. "We knew they were gonna make a run, because all good teams are gonna make a run," Williams said. "But we were able to sustain it, hit some big shots, get the crowd back into it and take over." "Late in the game," added Houston's Rafer Alston, who scored 13 points but was the only Rocket besides McGrady and Yao with more than six, "they found that extra push — that extra energy level."Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Morning NewsJazz forward Carlos Boozer reacts after getting fouled in Game 6 action against Houston. Some of it came from Okur, who's struggled most of the postseason with his shooting and scoring — but hit 4-of-7 from 3-point range Thursday and wound up with a series-high 19 points. Some came from Boozer, who made 9-of-16 from the field and came up rebound shy of his fifth series double-double. Some came from Williams, who also had eight assists. But most came from Kirilenko, who besides posting his highest offensive output of the series also blocked five shots, pulled down five boards and nabbed three steals. "He's battled with confidence all year, and for him to step up on a big stage like this — I mean, he had a great all-around night," Williams said of Kirilenko, who was so frustrated after his reduced role and poor Game 1 play he was reduced the tears. "Not just scoring. He did everything. "That's the A.K. I know. That's the A.K. from last year," Williams added. "He's everywhere, cutting to the basket, posting up. He just got it done. He stepped up in a big way, and without him we wouldn't have won." With the Jazz clinging to their one-point lead, Kirilenko first cut to the basket for a Williams-dished layup. One Utah possession later he hit a 21-foot jumper, and with those two baskets the Jazz were off on an 11-2 run for which Houston had no answer. Why not? "We maintained confidence," reserve forward Paul Millsap said. "That's what Coach (Jerry) Sloan tried to install in our minds — when it gets hard , never bail on out it. So, we played until the end." As a result, the Jazz aren't finished just yet. They instead head to Houston for their first Game 7 since falling to Seattle in the 1996 Western Conference finals. Utah lost that one on the road , and in fact has never won a Game 7 away from home. Not that any of that seemed to matter in the hot, crowded Jazz lockerrroom Thursday. "We've been in every game we've played out there in Houston," said Williams, knowing Utah must overcome win for the first time on the Rockets' floor if it is to advance to its first second-round series since losing to Portland in 2000. "We've had a chance to win (there)," he added. "We've had 10-, 11-point leads — we just let them slip away. That's something we can't do now. Game 7 we've got to try to put a team away if we get 'em down." If not, there will be ample time for sitting. -- 再びジオンの理想を揭げるために !星の屑成就のために !ソロモンよ ! 私は歸ってき た !! --Anavel Gato --

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