The Houston Rockets are currently down 0-2 against the Utah Jazz in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs. After suffering two consecutive home losses to start the best-of-seven game series, the Rockets find themselves in an opposite scenario as last year at this time.

That's right. These two teams have history. Having also faced off against one another in the first round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs, the Rockets and Jazz know each other quite well. The difference, however, being the fact that Houston was able to win the first two games at home in the Toyota Center last year. Eventually the Rockets lost the series in seven games thanks to the heady play of Jazz power forward Carlos Boozer and his ability to annihilate Houston's weak front line, led by 7'6" center Yao Ming. During that series Boozer experienced his "coming out party" of sorts by carrying the Jazz over the Rockets and proving to the NBA that he was the rightful heir to take over Karl Malone's throne. In Game 2 of last season's series, Boozer scored a career high 41 points, and in the clinching Game 7 victory, the former Duke standout notched 35 points and 14 rebounds while hitting two key free throws to ice the game. The Rockets were unable to stop Boozer for seven straight games, and Yao's defense was exposed as fraudulent against bruising big men. It was clear that the Rockets would need to stockpile talented power forwards if they ever wanted to compete in the West again.

And that they did. In the 2007 NBA Draft Houston drafted Carl Landry (6'9" and 248lb) out of Wisconsin, then pried away 28-year old rookie Luis Scola (6'9" and 245lb) from the San Antonio Spurs. After a year of seasoning, the powerful duo appeared prime to contain the Rocket-killer known as Boozer. With Yao forced to miss the postseason with a stress fracture in his left foot, Scola and Landry found even more pressure heaped upon themselves to ensure that Boozer would not run roughshod over the Rockets again in the postseason. So far the rookie power forwards have done an admirable job of keeping Boozer in check. In Game 1 of this year's series Boozer put up 20 points and 16 rebounds . In Monday night's Game 2 he scored just 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds.

Thus the Jazz have been forced to look elsewhere to identify Houston's weakness. And that they have. By simply scanning Houston's roster one can see that the point guard position, manned by the slight-framed 6'0" and 160lb. rookie Aaron Brooks out of Oregon and 35-year old Bobby Jackson, is the team's biggest debility. With starting point guard Rafer Alston sidelined with a lingering hamstring injury, the Rockets have been forced to trot out the inexperienced and minuscule Brooks alongside the much older Jackson.

Fortunately for Utah, their roster includes a budding superstar point guard in Deron Williams. At 6'3" and 205lb. Williams has been able to demolish Jackson and Brooks. By posting up the smallish Brooks in the paint and driving to the hoop against the aged legs of Jackson, Williams has carried the Jazz en route to back-to-back wins. In Game 1 of the series Williams scored 20 points and dished out 10 assists while shooting 62% from the field. The former first round draft pick followed up his stellar play with a 22 point, 5 assist, 2 block outing in Game 2, while also hitting three of five 3-pointers and converting 60% of his field goal attempts.

Until the Rockets are able to devise a game plan to stop (or slow down) Williams, the hometown heroes will soon be finding themselves watching the rest of the playoffs at home in front of their HDTVs, just like the rest of us.

Photo: flickr user jeffbalke