Rafer Alston plans on playing in tonight's Game 3 of the Jazz-Houston Rockets first-round NBA playoff series.

But Alston, Houston's usual starting point guard, said this morning that he did not know if he'd be starting or playing a reserve role.

Utah leads the best-of-seven series 2-0, and returns tonight to EnergySolutions Arena, where it went 37-4 in the regular season.

"Some more scoring off the bench — that is definitely needed," said Alston, who missed the first two games of the series with a pulled right hamstring. "So hopefully having one more body, one more person coming off the bench, will help us."

But, Alston added after Houston's morning shootaround, "if he (Rockets coach Rick Adelman) wants me to start, I'm going to be prepared for that as well."

With Alston out, veteran combo guard/point backup Bobby Jackson started Games 1 and 2 — and struggled with his shooting, hitting a combined 10-of-32 from the field.

Rockets star Tracy McGrady said Alston — known as Skip To My Lou in streetball circles — can "knock down deep shots" and "initiate the offense."

But even with him in the lineup, the Jazz won't alter their approach, starting point Deron Williams suggested this morning.

"We just stay with our game, regardless of who they throw out there or who's starting, who's not," Williams said. "You know, we're just gonna play our basketball."

Alston looks forward to finally getting to match up with Williams again in the postseason — Utah won a seven-game playoffs series with last year — but knows he's have his hands full.

"He's a tough cover for anybody," the relatively sleight-of-build Alston said of Williams, who had a team-high 22 points in Game 2 and a 20-point, 10-assist double-double in Game 1 of this year's series. "He's strong. He's like a fullback — and I'm like a wide receiver trying to guard him."

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