Game two of the playoff series between the Rockets and the Jazz will take place tonight at Toyota Center. After what happened in game one, I really don't see a silver lining for the home town team. The Rockets may win a close one tonight on sheer guts and determination but they won't win the series. Utah is too deep and too healthy.

I was doing a television interview yesterday with a crew from KUTV in Salt Lake City. They were asking about my thoughts on game one and what would happen during the rest of the series. It's pretty simple to me. I told them you can't take, who many consider the best center in the NBA, Yao Ming, out of the line-up, along with your starting point guard, Rafer Alston, and survive. Raf had been playing brilliant basketball. He was the MVP during the 22 game winning streak and not having him create scoring opportunities for other players, kills a team without a dominant center. That's not even addressing how well he was playing on the defensive side of the ball.

It was so noticeable how much the Rockets missed Yao inside during game one. The Jazz are big, strong and tough. They totally controlled the battle in the paint. It was a helpless feeling watching Utah get so many second chance opportunities.

Then I said to this visiting TV crew, "You take Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams off Utah's team and play Houston with a healthy Yao Ming and Rafer Alston and it's a whole different ball game."

The Rockets have been miracle workers this year with what they have accomplished considering their injuries, but when it comes down to it in the postseason, you better have a
full compliment of players or reality will hit and hit hard.

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