If the Utah Jazz hope to bounce back in Game 2 of their Western Conference Semifinals matchup against the Houston Rockets, there are four particular areas in which they’ll need to improve.
With just a day off between an emotional Game 6 and the start of a new series against the top-seeded Houston Rockets and without their starting point guard in Ricky Rubio, the Utah Jazz fell short in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals. While the loss was somewhat expected considering all these factors as well as the fact that Houston has been a powerhouse all year long, the manner in which it occurred was without a doubt somewhat discouraging.
The Jazz were absolutely manhandled by the Rockets, trailing by as much as 27 before finally being defeated by a score of 110-96. Houston annihilated the Jazz from deep, finishing a mind-blowing 53.1 percent from 3-point range and James Harden was sensational, going 12-of-26 (46.2 percent) from the floor and 7-of-12 (58.3 percent) from behind the arc.
With that being the case, there is obviously plenty for the Jazz to look to adjust in preparation for Wednesday’s Game 2 bout. As such, here’s a look at the top four things the Jazz need to do in order to improve their chances of knotting the series at two games apiece.