Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz to face off in 1st round
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Eighty-two games later, the Houston Rockets are finally heading into the postseason.
James Harden and company learned they will face off with Utah Jazz in the first round of the Western Conference side of the NBA Playoffs.
The Rockets are the No. 4 seed.
Houston (53-29) ended its regular season Tuesday night with a heartbreaking loss at Oklahoma City, in which the Rockets blew a double-digit lead and were done away with a go-ahead three-pointer by the Thunder's Paul George.
Games 1 and 2 will be in Houston on Sunday and Wednesday, April 17, respectively. Games 3 and 4 will be played in Salt Lake City on April 20 and April 22, respectively.
Games 5-7 will be played if necessary in this best of seven series.
The two teams split the season series, each taking a home and a road victory. The two Houston victories came in the latter half of the series. The Rockets took a 5-point win at home on Dec. 17, 2018, in which James Harden scored 47 points. Houston, then, blew out the Jazz, 125-98, in Salt Lake City on Feb. 2. That game marked Harden's 26th consecutive game of scoring 30 points or more. He had 43.
In last season's playoffs, Houston eliminated Utah from the West semifinals in five games.
Tickets for the first two games at the Toyota Center are available.
ROCKETS-JAZZ SERIES SCHEDULE
- Game 1: at Houston, Sunday, April 14, 8:30 p.m.
- Game 2: at Houston, Wednesday, April 17, 8:30 p.m.
- Game 3: at Utah, Saturday, April 20, 9:30 p.m.
- Game 4: at Utah, Monday, April 22, 9:30 p.m.
- *Game 5: at Houston, Wednesday, April 24
- *Game 6: at Utah, Friday, April 26
- *Game 7: at Houston, Sunday, April 28
* - if necessary
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