Utah Jazz: Adelman can't get over Utah's tough tactics

HOUSTON — Houston coach Rick Adelman's complaints about the Jazz's supposedly physical play in their ongoing NBA playoff series with his Rockets did not end at the postseason game news conference following Saturday's Game 4.

Instead, the Houston Chronicle reported Monday, Adelman was talking about the subject again Sunday.

And he wishes the NBA would do something about it — preferably in advance of tonight's Game 5 in the first-round, best-of-seven series that Utah leads 3-1.

"You have to look at the tape and send it in to the league," Adelman was quoted as saying. "Hopefully they look at it and say this isn't right."

If they don't, he suggested, it's up to the Rockets to respond.

"Harder cuts and moving more make it more apparent to the officials," Adelman said in the Chronicle story. "They (the Jazz) were laying on (Rockets star) Tracy (McGrady). They were doing more things to him out on the floor than they do out on the post. That is something that has to be addressed by the league. It's gotten worse and worse.

"I don't think it should be allowed," Adelman added. "Tracy will have to adjust, and we have to adjust."

THREE'S NO CHARM: Jazz coach Jerry Sloan was asked Monday if the Jazz — who shot 0-for-14 from 3-point range in Game 4 — were taking ill-advised long-distance shots.

"I didn't advise them," he cracked.

Seriously, Sloan was sickened by some of what he saw Saturday.

"Some people think that's the only way you can win a game, by shooting 3-point shots. I think you sometimes have a better chance to win if you get the ball inside and score from there rather than taking 3-point shots," he said. "When you have that mentality that you are going to bury them with 3-point shots, you don't realize how fast they score on the other end. I've said that all along — I'd rather bury them with 2-point shots inside."

MEDICAL MATTERS: The Jazz said backup power forward Paul Millsap did not practice Monday because of a migraine headache. But Millsap did travel with the team to Houston, and is expected to play tonight.

Jazz rookie center Kyrylo Fesenko, who has been inactive for the first four games of the series, sprained his left ankle in practice Monday. He also traveled. Fesenko won't dress tonight, but he wasn't expected to anyway.