HOUSTON — Carlos Boozer was back, in a big way.

But starting center Mehmet Okur was absent again on the offensive end, starting small forward Andrei Kirilenko was a non-factor and the Jazz simply did not have enough firepower in Monday night's 98-90 Game 2 loss to Houston at the sold-out Toyota Center.

At least not with swingman Tracy McGrady scoring 31 points that included 12-of-14 shooting from the free-throw line, fellow All-Star Yao Ming adding another 27, starting power forward Chuck Hayes chipping in a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double and the Rockets shooting more than twice as many free throws as the Jazz.

"When there is such a disparity in free throws," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said, "it is very difficult."

As a result of Utah's troubles, the Rockets now own a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven first-round NBA Western Conference series, which next moves to EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City for Thursday's Game 3.

"We're going to have to be better to beat this team," Sloan said. "We know that."

That Houston held on in Game 2 was certainly no fault of Jazz All-Star power forward Boozer, who followed a disappointing 11-point performance in Saturday's Game 1 with a 41-point, 12-rebound double-double Monday.

Boozer made 17-of-30 shots from the field, 7-of-9 from the line and dished another six assists to help Utah have a fighting chance in the fourth quarter.

"I felt like I let my team down in Game 1 by not making my shots," said Boozer, who hit 4-of-17 shots Saturday. "It was on me (Monday) to come out and be more aggressive and give my team a lift."

He did.

But with Okur continuing to struggle — he shot just 2-of-9 Monday, and is now 4-for-23 with only 10 points through the first two games of the series — and Kirilenko getting into early foul trouble, the Jazz's comeback bid sputtered in the late going.

Utah led for the final time at 58-56 late in the third quarter, and was tied again at 62 with one minute and 55 seconds remaining in the period.

After McGrady, however, knocked down a 3-pointer two Houston possessions later — his lone make from behind the line in eight attempts — the Rockets were up 65-62, and ahead to stay.

The Jazz did twice trim a 12-point Houston fourth-quarter lead to as few as four points, first when Boozer made a turnaround jumper with 4:05 to go and again when Gordan Giricek hit a 21-footer to make it 84-80 with 3:28 remaining.

McGrady, though, answered Giricek's jumper with two free throws stemming from a foul call on Giricek that some might argue was a classic case of superstar-gets-the-benefit-of-the-doubt.