T-Mac scores 29 as Rockets beat Jazz 95-69 to stay alive

[April 30, 2008]  HOUSTON (AP) -- Tracy McGrady scored 29 points, Luis Scola added 18 points and 12 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets staved off elimination Tuesday night by routing the Utah Jazz 95-69 in Game 5 of their first-round series.

Dikembe Mutombo grabbed 10 rebounds as the Rockets cut their series deficit to 3-2 and forced Game 6 in Utah on Friday night.

Now, the Jazz can end the series at home, where they went 37-4 during the regular season. But it's no guarantee -- Houston was the first team to beat Utah in Salt Lake City during the regular season and won Game 3 there last Thursday.

The Rockets did everything they hadn't done for most of the series. They shot well, hit their free throws and got valuable production off the bench.

Houston came into the game with the lowest scoring average of any playoff team (85.5) and was shooting only 39.9 percent from the field and 65.7 percent from the free throw line in the series. In Game 5, the Rockets shot 47 percent (37-of-79), went 15-of-19 from the line and outscored Utah's bench 26-9.

The Jazz, meanwhile, endured their worst offensive performance of the season, setting a season-low point total by eight. They shot 36.5 percent (27-of-74), went 2-for-9 from 3-point range and 13-for-23 from the free throw line. They also committed 18 turnovers and were outrebounded 46-38.

Carlos Boozer led Utah with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Deron Williams had 13 points and six assists.

Houston coach Rick Adelman had Shane Battier and four reserves on the floor to start the second quarter and the second unit took control of the game.

Backup point guard Bobby Jackson, who shot 1-for-10 in Game 4, swished a 3-pointer with 10:24 left in the first half to give Houston its largest lead of the series at 25-16. Jackson picked up a loose ball -- Utah's seventh turnover -- and hit two free throws a minute later.

Late in the half, Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko fought for an uncontested rebound and lost it out of bounds, a sign of how Utah's night was going.

Houston led 43-32 at the break without much help from McGrady, who scored 11. The Jazz mustered a season-low point total for a half after the Rockets' bench outscored their reserves 18-0.

McGrady hit a jumper 14 seconds into the third quarter, but then gave away two careless turnovers to help Utah cut the lead to seven. But McGrady drove for a layup and Scola converted a three-point play as Houston rebuilt a double-digit lead.

The Rockets used a 12-0 run to stretch their lead to 70-48. McGrady swished a jumper over Matt Harpring with eight seconds left in the third quarter to put Houston up 74-55. Harpring stepped out of bounds at the other end, a fitting end to another dismal quarter for Utah.

The Jazz couldn't make a serious threat in the final quarter as they continued to miss easy shots and bobble away turnovers. Sloan benched his starters with 3:42 left and Houston ahead 87-67.

Adelman took out his starters with 2:08 left. McGrady and Alston smacked hands with their teammates as they confidently walked to the bench.

Notes: The Rockets led at halftime for the first time in 12 playoff games against Utah over the past two seasons. ... The Jazz had won their last three Game 5s when holding a 3-1 series lead. ... Mutombo had at least 10 rebounds in a playoff game for the first time since 2005. ... Boozer has double-doubles in four of the five games.

[Associated Press; By CHRIS DUNCAN]

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