Once-calm series is now edgy

HOUSTON — It was just a few days ago that Jazz starting shooting guard and NBA postseason veteran Derek Fisher was lauding both his own teammates and the Houston Rockets for the way everyone has kept their composure in a long, pressure-packed playoff series.

"The emotional component of it, I think, has been very well-managed," he said.

In Thursday night's Game 6, however, blood began to boil just a bit.

When Rockets reserve big man Juwan Howard yanked Jazz starting center Mehmet Okur to the floor in Thursday's opening half, Okur popped right back up and leaned into Howard to express his displeasure.

Referee Dick Bavetta wound up tagging Howard with both a personal foul and a technical for the way he reacted, and Okur — who escaped without a foul — went on to hit 3-of-3 free throws that stemmed from the play.

Asked Friday if that helped get him going en route to a series-best 19-point scoring night, Okur admitted it did "a little bit."

That's fine by Jerry Sloan, though the Jazz coach hopes it won't take anything like that to get Okur and the rest of club going tonight.

"What gets you going is yourself, to start with," Sloan said. "Some guys are affected that way — that pumps 'em up. But I hope he was pumped up to start with. That's what your job is."

As for this evening, no one with the Jazz expects things to get out of control — even after Utah and Houston face each other, including their regular-season finale, for the eighth time in 18 nights.

"I'm not sick of them yet," Jazz power forward Carlos Boozer said of the Rockets. "I want to see them one more time, and then we can move on."

FISHER READY: After being excused from Thursday's morning shootaround to tend to what the Jazz described only as "a personal matter," Fisher hit just 3-of-11 shots from the field Thursday night.

Fisher, who did not speak with the media after Game 6, was back at practice Friday morning and said he would be good to go for Game 7 tonight.

Fisher cited "a family situation" and "just personal stuff" as the reason for his absence. He elaborated somewhat but offered scant details.

"It involves our children," he said, "but until we really get some more Information we won't really be able to make any statements or anything."

MOVIN' ON UP: With Thursday's Game 6 win, Sloan notched his 81st all-time NBA playoff coaching victory and moved into a tie on the league's all-time list with K.C. Jones.

The Jazz coach trails only Phil Jackson (179),Pat Riley (171),Larry Brown (100) and Red Auerbach (99).

Sloan's all-time postseason record is 81-83, including games with the Chicago Bulls. His playoff record as coach of the Jazz is 79-79.