To anyone who watched these two teams this year it is no surprise that Utah won the first game. The Jazz have been tagged as a terrible road team and a great home team. Although their record indeed supports such claims, Utah seemed to lose away games to teams like Minnesota. Quality road blowouts against the Hornets and minor league champins Boston Celtics show the true potential of the Utah Jazz - away or at home.
Regardless of the above mentioned argument, the Rockets seem to be a road favorite for the Jazz whose travel issues do not seem to apply to that particular team. All is well in the Jazz land and the Jazz nation will sleep good tonight.
First game MVP - Andrei Kirilenko who not only scored twenty one points to lead the Jazz (Boozer and Williams had 20 a piece) but played an effective defense on McGrady who was not a factor in the crucial fourth quarter.
Overall, Utah Jazz squad does not have a 40-point scorer or a last minute hero or a front page dunk slamming star. Utah Jazz is a team that plays team and hard defense oriented basketball and maybe that is why it is the Jazz who are the favorites to win the West (at least in Las Vegas which is usually a very good indicator
).
Until next time Jazz nation. One down, fifteen to go.
