"We've just got to keep it simple," he said. "Throw it to Yao ( Ming) in the post; get ( Tracy) McGrady in some pick-and-rolls; get the right spacing. If you're guarded, pass or drive. If you're not, shoot."

That sounds simple. And after the Rockets made just 39.1 percent of their shots and committed 15 turnovers, finding the root of the problem was simple, too.

"We had a lack of offensive energy in the first half, which caused us to be sluggish and inefficient in the first half," Shane Battier said. "We're at our best when we're attacking early and attacking with quick-striking plays involving Tracy and Yao. Sometimes when other guys aren't running as hard as they should be, spacing and timing gets messed up, and you're not going to run good offense."

Off the hook

With his phones and other communication devices switched off for the playoffs, Tracy McGrady said he has enjoyed the quiet so much that he plans to keep it that way for a while.

"Everything is off," McGrady said. "I notice the difference, but I'm so focused now, it really doesn't matter."

McGrady said he plans to keep everything off "until I'm home watching the games ¡ª if that's possible."

The implication was that he would watch games only if, when the Rockets' season is over, there are games left.

Too excited

With the Rockets escaping their first playoff game with a win, the problem with nerves is now behind them.

"I was excited to get out on the basketball court and play and participate and try to shut all the critics up ¡ª just excited about being back in the playoffs," Tracy McGrady said. "Sometimes things don't go your way. It's good we had guys that picked me up in the first half. In the second half, I think all of us got it rolling, and we were fortunate enough to get the victory. We got the jitters out with the first game and should be OK in the second.

"Emotion is still going to be high. We're at home, so we feel good about our chances."

Whether it was nerves or tension, coach Jeff Van Gundy said the Rockets did not have the right mindset, a problem he did not expect tonight.

"I don't know if we felt burdened a little bit by expectations, either individually or from outside our team," Van Gundy said. "Sometimes you can want something so bad it has a negative impact."

Reason for hope

Having relived the details of their Game 1 loss, the Jazz emerged from the film room and, as movie-reviewers, said it wasn't the anticipated disaster flick.

"I'm not one to say I'm going to guarantee this win (in Game 2)," said forward Matt Harpring. "I'm not into that kind of stuff. I just know that watching the film, I feel confident that if we get the same shots, the same looks that we got in Game 1, we can come away with a victory.

"After watching the film, I was actually more optimistic. Because there were plays every game you want to take back and do something different. But we really feel there was a three- or four-minute gap in the third quarter where the game swung. If we just controlled that gap, we'd be in control."

Changes in attitude

Utah head coach Jerry Sloan might have been channeling Jimmy Buffett, who played at Minute Maid Park on Saturday night, when he said all the Jazz really needed are changes in attitude.

"When you look at those two guys ( Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady) out there on the floor and who we're trying to guard, this is a heck of a team for us to try to match up against," Sloan said. "We played, executed, got decent shots and stayed in the game.

"But we lost our energy, couldn't make shots and couldn't defend. I would like for an adjustment to be that we give a full 48 minutes with that kind of play. We have to have it."

What's in a stat?

It is significant to note that the Game 1 winner has taken 273 of 348 (78.7 percent) NBA playoff series.

It is just as significant to note that the Rockets are prominent among the 21.3 percent of the losers. They won the first two games in Dallas in their last trip to the playoffs in 2005 but still lost the series to the Mavericks.

Fight fire with fire

Jazz coach Jerry Sloan concedes he doesn't have much up his defensive sleeves to counter Tracy McGrady's offense. Except, maybe, his own offense.

"He could go for 40 in 40 minutes every night," Sloan said. "This guy is a supertalented athlete, and that's something we can't do anything about. ... I can't worry about that. We can't have all of our intentions to just play him. We have to play the Houston Rockets. ... If he's making baskets, we have to make baskets. ... We'd like to be able to get shots in the process while he's scoring in bunches, so hopefully, we can stay in the ballgame."

The Jazz have been blitzed by big scoring two-guards all season. Michael Redd got 57 points against Utah for the Bucks, Kobe Bryant scored 52 for the Lakers and Gilbert Arenas totaled 51 for the Wizards.