Mehmet Okur tallied 19 points and nine boards, and Andrei Kirilenko came up big with 14 points and five blocked shots for the Jazz, who have recorded all three of their wins at home in this series. However, they will have to win on Saturday in Houston if they are to advance out of the opening round for the first time since 2000.
Deron Williams had 15 points and eight assists, and Okur nailed 4-of-7 shots from three-point range for Utah, which is in the playoffs for the first time since 2003, but has lost three consecutive times in the conference quarterfinals.
"I was really pleased with the effort our guys put in to try and win the game," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. "They had their backs to the wall. I thought they did a fine job."
Tracy McGrady ended with 26 points and 10 assists, but struggled by shooting 1-for-8 from the field in the second half for the Rockets, who also haven’t been past the first round in a long time. They’ve lost four straight times in the opening round, previously advancing in 1997, when Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley and Clyde Drexler were on the team.
Yao Ming contributed 25 points, but had eight of Houston’s 19 turnovers. Rafer Alston scored 13 in a losing cause.
"Our defense let us down," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "Our turnovers continue to plague us."
Shane Battier’s three-pointer had the Rockets within 75-74 with 8:15 remaining, and Houston had its opportunities to go in front. After a Battier steal, Juwan Howard missed a layup. McGrady then missed a three and then turned the ball over twice. The last one, a steal by Kirilenko, lead to a Boozer layup with 6:07 left.
"I think we were rushing too much," McGrady said. "When you’re down the whole game and you put yourself in that position, the most important thing to do is take one possession at a time, make sure you execute. I think we were so anxious to take the lead and go from there. It didn’t work our way."
Two free throws by McGrady had Houston within 77-76, but Kirilenko came up with two straight baskets, the second following an offensive foul from Yao.
"It’s amazing how hard work can take care of a lot of problems," Sloan said about Kirilenko. "I was so happy for him. We need that for our team to have a chance to beat this team."
Yao’s dunk made it 81-78 with 3:38 remaining, but Boozer nailed a pair of free throws, and after McGrady and Yao missed shots, Okur hit the dagger, a three to make it 88-78 with 2:08 left.
Now the focus shifts to Game 7, where the Jazz haven’t been involved in such a game since falling to Seattle in the 1996 West finals. Houston lost to Dallas in a Game 7 two years ago.
"It really is a true win or go home for both teams," Boozer said. "They’re fortunate to have it on their home court. I know it’s going to be a huge challenge for us, especially after losing three games over there already. The pressure is on both teams."
The winner Saturday will have home-court advantage against Golden State in the second round, as the eighth-seeded Warriors completed one of the biggest upsets in playoff history with a 111-86 victory over Dallas in Game 6 of that series.
The Rockets used a 10-2 burst to bolt to a 12-8 lead, with Alston’s three capping the flurry. Houston led 22-20 after the opening quarter.
The intensity was turned up a notch in the second, a period in which the Rockets were ahead by as many as seven. McGrady’s jumper moved the margin to 33-26 with just over seven minutes left in the half. However, the Jazz came back with the ensuing seven points.
Alston then hit a running jumper, and tensions ran high moments later when Howard was issued a technical foul for giving a hard foul to Okur, who was in the act of shooting a jumper. Howard’s right forearm came down on the head of Okur, who immediately got off the floor to confront Howard. Dick Bavetta then whistled the technical on Howard, who continued to argue with the official at close quarters.
Yao’s jam moved the Rockets ahead 43-41 with a minute left in the half, but Gordan Giricek accounted for the final five points of the stanza with a three and a pair of free throws. That gave the Jazz a 46-43 edge at the break.
The Jazz, who have led at halftime in every game of this series, quickly extended to a 60-50 lead following a layup from Boozer with 8:12 left in the third. A three-pointer from Okur made it 65-54 before the Rockets got within 68-62 entering the fourth.
Game Notes
McGrady has never advanced out of the first round of the playoffs in five previous tries...Sloan (81-83) moved alone into sixth place on the NBA’s all- time playoffs win list, passing Lenny Wilkens...Including the regular season, Houston has lost 21 of its last 23 games at Utah.
Houston Rockets 
Utah Jazz 
