This Jazz team can no longer be called a young one

HOUSTON — Could we have a moment of silence, please? Not for the Jazz, who have advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time 2000. Nor should there be silence for the Houston Rockets, either, who remain bedeviled by the playoffs — so much so that a certain cab driver greeted a group of Salt Lake media this week by saying: "So, you've come down to watch Utah beat the Rockets, eh?"

The moment of silence should be for the Jazz's youth. It's gone. Left yesterday. Funny how time flies. One day you're just a bunch of kids and young adults, not all that responsible for what happens. Next thing you know you're all grown up.

Those baby steps the Jazz were supposed to be taking are getting longer by the day. They probably don't even realize how close they came to losing, before hanging on to beat Houston 103-99 in Game 7 of the playoffs, Saturday.

That's life when you're young.

You don't always know when you're in trouble.

At the same time, they looked shockingly grown up at the end of the game.

If not young in age, nearly all the Jazz players were certainly young in playoff experience. In any case, almost everyone — young and not-as-young — played well.

Thus, the Jazz held a lead of 16 points then blew it, 12 points and blew it, trailed by six in the fourth quarter and came back, then hung on in the clutch.

"I thought this was a great win for our young guys. I couldn't be happier for a group of guys since we've been here," said Jazz coach Jerry Sloan.

Now they're playoff veterans. So long, Houston Control, hello Nob Hill. The Jazz are moving ahead to play Golden State in the second round.

As the poet/playwrite Rabindranath Tagore noted: "Age considers; youth ventures."

Boy, are they venturing.

So it's on to the Western Conference semifinals. After a harrowing late season, they stabilized and are back in the second round for the first time since 2000. That's right, it's been seven years since they went this far in the post-season.

Those reconstruction projects around the house can really take time, can't they?