European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 25, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 36 stars and stripes wednesday april 252007 rockets gain Edge at free throw line the associated press Houston each of the Houston rockets have to make 10 consecutive free throws before they Are allowed to leave the prac Tice floor every Day the often frustrating Drill paid off monday night As the rockets used an exceptional game from the line to offset Carlos boozers 41 Points and beat the Utah jazz 9890 to go up 20 in the first round playoff series Tracy Mcgrady scored 31 Points for the rockets who hit 34 of 38 free throws to win for the 10th time in 14 games Boozer matched a career High Point total tossing in jumpers from All angles Over 7foot6 Yao Ming he finished 17for30 from the Field and had 12 rebounds and six assists it want enough though As Houston shot poorly from every where but the foul line and still managed to win we find some Way to keep our selves in a game despite shooting the Ball extremely bad said Mcgrady who went 9for29 from the Field but we hit big shots when we needed them were doing a great Job of getting to the free throw line Yao had 27 Points and hit All nine of his free throws Mcgrady went 12for14 from the line the rockets shot 36 percent from the Field including going 4for24 from three Point Range the jazz were charged with 29 personal fouls most of them failed efforts to contain Houston Allstar duo Boozer said Utah has no Choice but to defend Yao and Mcgrady that Way if that5s How the series is going to be called we have to adjust a Little bit Boozer said but that s How we have to play them there two superstars Chuck Hayes whose wife gave birth on saturday had 12 Points and 12 rebounds for the rockets who have won seven of eight play off series when they led 20 Hayes grabbed seven offensive rebounds a catalyst for the Rock ets 15 second Hance Points the first half we were really struggling to score and Chuck gave us some great Sec on Chance opportunities hous ton coach Jeff Van Gundy said tremendous Hustle game 3 is thursday night in Salt Lake City since 2001 Only six teams have rallied from an 02 deficit to win a series the rockets were one of the teams that blew a 20 Lead los ing four of five to Dallas in 2005 the jazz have never come Back from an 02 deficit to win a play off series they have lost 16 of their last 17 Road playoff games were going to have to be bet ter to beat this team we know that Utah coach Jerry Sloan said we need everybody on our team to perform Well in order to try to beat them the rockets struggled to get open looks against the stingy de sense that become utahs Trade Mark under Sloan but the strategy backfired this time and Houston a 75 percent free throw shooting team during the regular season made 29 of 32 free throws in the second half Utah went Only 13for17 from the line David j the Houston rockets Yao Ming 11 goes up for a shot As utahs an Drei Kirilenko right defends during the fourth Quarter monday night in Houston the rockets beat the jazz 9890 to take a 20 series Lead when there is such a disparity in free throws Sloan said it is very difficult the jazz have dropped eight of their last 13 a late swoon that Cost them Home court advantage in this series Boozer looked right at Home on monday night scoring 15 of utahs first 17 Points he had Only la Points in game 1 he was More aggressive than in the first game Yao said i was putting my hand almost right there and he would still make the shots i think i need to move quicker and try to get close to him but he played a great game pistons 98 magic 90 Rich Ard Hamilton scored 22 Points to Lead four pistons with at least 17 and Detroit took a 20 series Lead Chauncey Billups had 21 Points eight assists and Only one turnover for the pistons while Tayshaun Prince scored 18 Points and Rasheed Wallace had 17 Points 11 rebounds and three blocks hero Turkoglu scored 22 Points and Grant Hill had 21 for visiting Orlando but Dwight Howard who coach Brian Hill said was bothered by a stomach ailment was held to eight Points and didst score in the second half until me final minute the pistons were in control for much of the game but just like the Orlando rallied late to make the final score look respect Able Detroit led by 15 Points Early in the fourth Quarter but was ahead by just six with 1 minutes left on the ensuing Possession Bil Lups ended the magics comeback Hopes with a three Point play game 3 is thursday night in or Lando Mitchell voted top coach Barbosa wins sixth Man the associated press Sam Mitchell was honoured As the Aba coach of the year on tuesday after leading the Toron to raptors to a fran  47 victories and their first Atlantic division title he won the red Auerbach Tro Phy in a decisive vote Over utahs Jerry Sloan Mitchell picked up 49 firs place votes for a total of 394 Points in balloting by 128 basketball writers and broadcasters Sloan had 301 Points followed by Dallas Avery Johnson with 268 Mitchell is the sixth coach in the teams history he guided the raptors to an Babest 20game improvement 2755 Over the 200506 season Toronto trails new Jersey 10 in a first round playoff series during a 13year playing Ca reer that ended in 2002 Mitchell was held in High regard around the league As a student of the game following two seasons As an assistant he was hired As the rap tors coach on june 292004 Hes done a great Job with the Ball Forward Morris Peter son said monday Hes really grown a lot Over is first couple of years coaching if anybody in the Aba deserves it its him Hes proved a lot of people wrong guard to Ford said Mitchell puts his Faith in the players Hes going to give us the Struc Ture offensively and defensively but if s up to us to go out there exe cute he said he puts it in our hands and lets us control it Hes been great in that aspect on monday Leandro Barbosa among the fastest players in the Aba ran away with the leagues sixth Man award the brazilian blur received 101 of a possible 127 firs place votes from a Media panel the Honor came one Day after Barbosa matched his career play off High with 26 Points in the Phoe Nix suns 9587 Victory Over the los Angeles lakers sunday in game 1 of their opening series give him a soccer Ball the lakers Kobe Bryant said when asked what could be done to Stop Barbosa Tell him brazilians should be playing soccer not basketball Barbosa was a Reserve in 62 of the 80 games he played this sea son adding extra Speed to the Al ready fast suns its a fun team to win so Many games Barbosa said coach Mike Dantoni gives me a lot of minutes and i try to do every thing right so i can stay there on the court in very Happy Ive never been Happy like i am right now in my life in his fourth Aba season the 24yearold Barbosa averaged a Ca ree High 181 Points shooting 43 percent from three Point Range Barbosa credited his one none work with Danton is older brother Dan who took the brazilian under his Wing after joining the coaching staff two seasons ago Barbosa had 578 Overall Points in the Media voting san Antonio guard Manu Gino Bili was second with 269 Points and Dallas guard Jerry stack House was third with 210 Barbosa is the fourth suns player to win the award joining Eddie Johnson Danny Man Ning 199798 and Rodney Rog ers its Good for him and his coun try Good Friend Steve Nash said and Hes got an incredibly Bright career ahead of him its a lot of fun to see a great Guy do so Well the suns obtained Barbosa in 2003 selecting him with the 28th and final first round pick acquired in a Trade with san Antonio Aba scoreboard playoffs first round Besto seven Eastern conference Detroit is Orlando saturday april 21 Detroit 100 Orlando 92 monday Detroit 98 Orlando 90 Detroit leads series 20 thursday Detroit at Orlando saturday Detroit at Orlando tuesday May 1 Orlando at thursday May 3 Detroit at saturday May 5 Orlando at Cleveland is Washington sunday Cleveland 97 Washington 82 Cleveland leads series 10 wednesday Washington at Cleveland saturday Cleveland at Washington monday april 30 Cleveland at washing ton wednesday May 2 Washington at Friday May 4 Cleveland at sunday May 6 Washington at Toronto is new Jersey saturday april 21 new Jersey 96 Toronto 91 new Jersey leads series 10 tuesday new Jersey at Toronto Friday Toronto at new Jersey sunday april 29 Toronto at new Jersey tuesday May 1 new Jersey at Friday May 4 Toronto at new sunday May 6 new Jersey at Miami is Chicago saturday april 21 Chicago 96 Miami 91 Chicago leads series 10 tuesday Miami at Chicago Friday Chicago at Miami sunday april 29 Chicago at Miami tuesday May 1 Miami at thursday May 3 Chicago at saturday May 5 Miami at Western conference Dallas is Golden state sunday Golden state 97 Dallas 85 Golden state leads series 10 wednesday Golden state at Dallas Friday Dallas at Golden state sunday april 29 Dallas at Golden state tuesday May l Golden state at thursday May 3 Dallas at Golden saturday May 5 Golden state at Phoenix is la lakers sunday Phoenix 95 larakers 87 Phoe Nix leads series 10 la lakers at Phoenix thursday Phoenix at la lakers sunday april 29 Phoenix at la lakers wednesday May 2 la lakers at Friday May 4 Phoenix at la sunday May 6 la lakers at san Antonio is Denver sunday april 22 Denver 95 san Antonio 89 Denver leads series 10 wednesday Denver at san Antonio saturday san Antonio at Denver monday april 30 san Antonio a Denver wednesday May 2 Denver at san Friday May 4 san Antonio at sunday May 6 Denver at san Utah is Houston saturday Houston 84 Utah 75 Monda Houston 98 Utah 90 Houston leads series 20 thursday Houston at Utah saturday april 28 Houston at Utah monday april 30 Utah at thursday May 3 Houston at saturday May 5 Utah at if necessary monday pistons 98 magic 90 Orlando Turkoglu 1014 00 22 Battle 2712 5 Howard 39 23 8 Hill 510 913 21 Nelson 312 23 9 Milicic 5900 10 Dooling 23115 Ariza 14 02 2 Arroyo 38 22 8 to tals 35761726 90 Detroit Prince 713 1218 Wallace 715 0017 Webber 48 2310 Hamilton 5141214 22 Billups 712 56 21 Mcdyess 211 56 9 Murray 0100 0 Delfino 03 12 1 Hunter 01 00 0 totals 3278 2633 98 Orlando 22 22 is 3190 Detroit 2819242798 three Point goal Orlando 38 Turkoglu 23 Nelson 14 Arroyo Detroit 819 Prince 33 Wallace 35 Billups 25 Delfino 01 Hunter 01 Mcdyess 01 Hamilton fouled out Turkoglu rebounds Orlando 52 Howard Detroit 51 Mcdyess Wai lace assist Orlando 19 Arroyo Ghisi Detroit 22 Billups total fouls Orlan v do 24 Detroit 22 technical Orlando defensive three second Detroit defensive three second flagrant rockets 98 jazz 90 Utah Kirilenko 03 00 0 Boozer 1730 79 41 Okur 29 00 4 Fisher 4811 9 will iams 613 2215 Harpring 714 0114 Collins 00 12 1 Jiricek 26 00 4 Millsap 01 22 2 Brown 00 00 0 totals 38841317 90 Houston Battier 37 22 10 Hayes 55 22 12 Yao 924 99 27 Mcgrady 929 1214 31 Alston 39 45 11 head 03 12 1 Mutombo 00 22 2 Snyder 12 00 2 Howard 04 22 2 totals 3083 3438 98 Utah 26 15 21 2890 Houston i7 22 28 3198 three Point goals Utah 19 Williams 13 Jiricek 01 Kirilenko 01 Okur 02 Fisher Houston 424 Battier 26 Alston 16 Mcgrady 18 Snyder 01 head fouled out Jiricek rebounds Utah 51 Boozer Houston 56 Hayes assists Utah 26 Williams Houston 15 Alston Mcgrady total fouls Utah 29 Houston 15 techno Cal Houston defensive three second