THE STORY LINE
The Jazz-Spurs season series was split at 2-2. San Antonio averaged 94 points per game and shot 36.1 percent from 3-point range in the season series while Utah averaged 89 points. … Keep an eye on the stellar point guard matchup between Spurs all-star Tony Parker and Utah’s Deron Williams, who recently accepted an invitation to play for Team USA. … The Jazz haven’t played since knocking off Golden State last Tuesday while San Antonio is playing with one day off after eliminating Phoenix. … Jazz all-star Mehmet Okur averaged a team-best 16.8 points against the Spurs in the regular season. … Spurs forward Robert Horry will be available today after serving a two-game suspension for shoving Suns guard Steve Nash. … Utah forward Andrei Kirilenko, a defensive standout who averaged 16.2 points in the second round, could be an X-factor in the series. … Utah has won all three series (1994, 1996, 1998) played against San Antonio.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Jazz forward Carlos Boozer
The NBA all-star averaged 24.4 points, 12.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists during the first two rounds of the playoffs. But in Spurs all-star forward Tim Duncan, a 2007 all-NBA defensive first-team selection, Boozer faces arguably the best post defender in the league. Boozer averaged 16.7 points on 48.8 percent shooting and 11 rebounds in three games against San Antonio in the regular season. The 6-foot-9, 258-pounder will also have his hands full guarding Duncan, who averaged 21.5 points on 53.7 percent shooting in four games against Utah in the regular season. Leading the Jazz to the Finals by overcoming Duncan would vault Boozer into superstar status.
MARC J. SPEARS
