NBA Roundup : Jazz Wins as Rockets Can’t Find Range

The Utah Jazz exploited the Rockets’ biggest weakness--lack of outside shooting--at Houston Friday night and became the first visiting team to win in the opening round of the playoffs.

Clogging up the middle with intimidating 7-4 Mark Eaton, the Jazz, with Adrian Dantley scoring 34 points, charged back to gain a 115-101 victory in the opener of the best-of-five series after blowing a 19-point lead.

Although the Rockets dominated the boards, getting 65 rebounds, including 24 by Ralph Sampson, to 48 for the Jazz, they shot only 38% from the field. Utah shot 47.7%

“You’ve got to be able to shoot from the outside,” said Houston Coach Bill Fitch, who remarked before the series that he was not happy about facing the Jazz. “The only outside shots we made were those by John Lucas after we were already out of the game.

“When we tried to go inside, that big guy (Eaton) was there. They are a tough team for us to play unless someone hits from the outside.”

Utah raised a 17-point halftime lead to 19 early in the third quarter, but with Sampson scoring 11 points, the Rockets outscored the Jazz, 28-9, to tie the score, 71-71. A Dantley surge enabled Utah to regain an 81-76 lead after three quarters.

Thurl Bailey, who scored 25, and Dantley led a 12-3 spurt at the outset of the fourth quarter that put the Rockets away.

“We were scared coming into this series,” Dantley said. “We had heard some experts say the Rockets could go all the way in the West, and we knew they were favored over us. They have all that talent and fresh legs to throw at us.

“I had to adjust my game for Sampson and (Akeem) Olajuwon. I had to drive quicker and stronger than usual. We’ve got to run to win against them, we know that. We executed well on offense, and the shots fell for us.”

Although he scored only 9 points and had 9 rebounds, Eaton blocked 8 shots and seemed to bother Olajuwon. The latter, making 6 of 14 shots from the field, had 14 points and 14 rebounds.

“I can’t say too much because I get mad when I think about it,” Olajuwon said after his first playoff game. “We just didn’t get the job done.”

Milwaukee 109, Chicago 100--Sidney Moncrief, long regarded as one of the top defensive players in the game, welcomed Bull rookie Michael Jordan to playoff basketball in this series opener at Milwaukee.

Moncrief, while scoring 30 points, shut down Jordan, a star of the regular season, in the second half. Jordan didn’t make a field goal and scored only four points in the second half. For the game, he made only 7 of 19 shots.

Moncrief pressed the Bulls’ star full court and also found time to make 9 of 14 shots and get 6 assists. He scored 23 of his points in the first half before he really started to harass Jordan.

The victory was the 17th in a row at home for the Bucks, but it was hard-earned despite Jordan’s weak performance.

Quintin Dailey came off the bench to score 25 points, sinking 12 of 20 shots and keeping the Bulls close most of the way.

The Bucks had an 80-73 lead after three quarters, and a 13-4 spurt led by Paul Pressey enabled Milwaukee to take charge.

NBA PLAYOFFS

AT A GLANCE

LAKERS VS. PHOENIX

FIRST ROUND (BEST-OF-FIVE SERIES)

Game 1 Lakers 142, Phoenix 114 Game 2 Phoenix at Los Angeles Game 3 Tuesday at Phoenix 6:30 p.m. Game 4 Thursday at Phoenix 6:30 p.m. Game 5 April 27 at Los Angeles 12:30 p.m. NOTE: Game 4 and Game 5 if necessary. All times PST.

INSIDE

OTHER SERIES

SATURDAY’S GAMES

Portland at Dallas

San Antonio at Denver

Cleveland at Boston