Playoffs Live-Blog: Intro and First Quarter

Here we are at the playoffs. So many storylines, so little time:

• Will Jerry tighten up his rotation for the playoffs and only play the necessary 11 players?
• Will Harpring's lockdown defense he learned in his youth against AI resurface?
• Will Carlos Boozer continue his consistent inconsistency or simply collapse in a pile of pulled hammies and acne?
• Will Okur be hung over?
• Will AK play more than 30 minutes? In a four-game series?
• Will Fisher turn into Playoffs Fisher and raise his FG% a full three points?

We will soon find out. As soon as the Jazz game is on. Which should be soon.

So...um...

-Jazz players are merely laughing at T-Mac's "it's on me" assertion. Not because it's arrogant, because it's an assertion of personal responsibility.

-Back in the days of old, I'd fear an Overtime game between the Pistons and Magic because it would cut into the few times I got to see the Jazz play. Now I realize all I will miss is AK's first half minutes. All six of'em.

-Houston up 2-0, 10:15 remaining. I haven't seen any of the game yet, but I'll guess Derek Fisher has missed a shot already.

-Checked a boxscore, he's 0-2.

-We've got a live feed, now. I already miss the boxscore.

-Announcer: "How long will Jerry Sloan wait until he takes a timeout?" Jerry Sloan, listening: "Oh, crap, I keep forgetting I can call those. 20 second!"8-0, Rockets.

-Fantastic block from AK on Yao. I'm waiting to see Harpring jump off the bench.

-Utah on track for 40 points in the game. That seems a bit high, but give it a few minutes. Fisher hasn't gotten too involved yet.

-Timeout. Utah shooting 27.3%, Houston shooting 33.3%. It's like the Derek Fisher Shooting Drills invitational.

-Fisher fouled by Rafer Alston. Another baby black hole is born.

-Fisher 2-4 in the first quarter. He's worth every penny of that contract, baby. Turns it ON in the playoffs. Sure, they might be on Houston's court right now entirely due to his inability to hit a basket in the last twenty games of the season, but he's going to give the team AT LEAST 4 more points over the course of the next four games than he would have in four similar regular season games.

-That last comment brought to you by the number 4.

-Tonight's game brought to you by Deja Vu. Singularly apropos thus far.

-The Jazz just ran a play for Jarron Collins, which ended with a banked jumpshot from the top of the key. Jerry Sloan scribbles out Millsap on his depth chart, writes in "Collins."

Just kidding, Millsap's not on his depth chart.

-Giricek defends McGrady for a full seven seconds before someone realizes he's having an epileptic seizure.

-Wow, that 2-for-1 offense worked really well. 35 seconds for a shot, run to the corner, double-pump, and airball a three against double coverage. But on the bright side, the Jazz will have a shot with five seconds to go. Oh, wait, Houston rebounded their own miss and hit a last-second shot.

But it's the thought that counts.

-Houston up 20-18 after one quarter. So far, this has been the kind of fantastic play that one can expect from a game that features Matt Harpring, Derek Fisher, Rafer Alston, and Chuck Hayes.