Open Your Third Eye.

1) Big games from the big two: 재즈는 더블팀 헬핑을 자제하는 수비를 펼칠 것이다. 이런 류의 끈적끈적한, 재즈의 수비로부터 오픈 샷 부족 문제를 해결하기 위해서는 야오와 티맥이 많은 득점을 올려줘야만 한다.

2) Drop the hammer:  로켓츠가 홈에서 4쿼터 리드를 하고 있을때, 게임을 마무리 지어야만 한다. 재즈는 4월 1일 도요타 센터에서 역전승을 거둔 바 있고, 플레이오프에서 로켓츠가 유리한 고지에 있을 때 끝내야만 한다.

3) Don't get picked apart by the pick-and-roll:  재즈는 리그 최고의 픽앤롤 팀중 하나이다. 로켓츠는 적어도 레이업하기 위해 골밑으로 뛰어드는 Roll 역할의 선수를 막아야만 한다.

4) Clean the glass: 로켓츠가 리바운드에서 상대를 압도할 때, 거의 항상 승리를 가져왔다. 로켓츠는 리그 최고의 수비 리바운드 팀이지만, 재즈 역시도 리그 최고의 공격 리바운드 팀이다.

5) Own home: 재즈는 리그에서 가장 터프한 홈구장을 가지고 있지만, 로켓츠는 그렇지 않다. 홈 게임을 반드시 잡아야 한다.

... and for the Jazz

1) Be chairmen of the boards: 재즈는 공격 리바운드/총 리바운드 비율에서 리그 최고의 팀이다. 상대의 빅맨을 끌어내고 리바운드를 장악한다.

2) Big games from Boozer: 오직 야오만이 부저가 기록한 5번의 30+ 득점, 15+ 리바운드를 기록했다. 그 말은 부저는 야오만큼 도미넌트하다는 말.

3) Put Yao on the defensive: 데론 윌리암스의 스크린 플레이나 부저의 컷인 플레이를 통해서, 야오가 수비에 신경쓰게끔 만들고 파울 트러블에 빠뜨려서 야오의 출장 시간을 제한해야만 한다.

4) Tie up the loose balls: 재즈는 루즈 볼을 따내는 데 있어 리그 최고의 팀중 하나이고, 그것은 더 많은 포제션을 가져다 주고 상대팀으로 하여금 수비에 더 에너지를 더 소모하게 만든다.

5) Sharpshooting: 재즈는 리그에서 3번째로 정확한 슈팅을 갖춘 팀이다. 오쿠어의 3점슛과 부저의 20핏 점퍼는 막기 어렵다.

Center: Okur vs. Yao

Mehmet Okur has had a career year, with too much range for most centers and too much size for most forwards. Yao Ming, the league's top-scoring center each of the past two seasons, has returned to his offensive form before his injury. Yao likely will match up more against Carlos Boozer to be able to stay inside, with Okur, Boozer and Jarron Collins taking turns on Yao.

Edge: Rockets

Power forward: Boozer vs. Hayes

As much as anyone, Boozer's relative good health this season has keyed the Jazz turnaround. Boozer was an All-Star this season and has had a breakthrough season. The Rockets' Chuck Hayes, in just his second season, became the starter as a complement to Yao Ming. An energetic rebounder and strong defender, he added an ability to cut to take passes inside from Tracy McGrady.

Edge: Jazz.

Small forward: Kirilenko vs. Battier

With Andrei Kirilenko coming back Monday, the Jazz get an active shot-blocking and rebounding force, even though he has struggled at times. The Rockets' Shane Battier has had a similar impact defensively and his best season from beyond the arc.

Edge: Rockets.

Shooting guard: Fisher vs. McGrady

After one season with Golden State, Derek Fisher, long a clutch postseason player, has helped stabilize the Jazz's backcourt even though he struggled with his shot in April. Tracy McGrady came back from last season's back spasms to become as much of a driving force as a playmaker as he is as a scorer.

Edge: Rockets.

Point guard: Williams vs. Alston

Deron Williams has grown into one of the league's top young point guards, enough for Jerry Sloan to go back to much of the offense as he ran it with John Stockton as the Jazz have become one of the league's most efficient offensive teams. Rafer Alston has done well running the offense and limiting turnovers, but he can be incredibly streaky with his shot.

Edge: Jazz.

Bench: Jazz vs. Rockets

With Andrei Kirilenko and Gordan Giricek returning from injuries, Matt Harpring moves back to coming off the bench and the Jazz get deeper and stronger off the bench. Jarron Collins can add some defensive help on Yao Ming. Luther Head had an outstanding season from 3-point range with Juwan Howard and Dikembe Mutombo often providing a needed lift. Basically, Head and Harpring, and Giricek and Howard cancel each other out, with Mutombo getting the edge on Collins.

Edge: Rockets.

Coach: Sloan vs. Van Gundy

Jerry Sloan is fourth in wins among active coaches, twice taking the Jazz to the NBA Finals. Despite missing Yao, McGrady or both for half the season, Jeff Van Gundy has led the Rockets to their best record since 1996-97, and he also has taken a team — the 1999 New York Knicks — to the Finals. Both have their teams playing their way and seem to have the complete confidence of their players, with Sloan getting the edge in seniority.

Edge: Jazz.

Prediction: Rockets in seven.

This is how it should be. Strength against strength. Best versus best.

The Rockets' defensive rebounding against the Utah Jazz's offensive rebounding.

To be playing in the postseason, teams must be good, preferably better than good at some things.

There is no team better at protecting its defensive boards than the Rockets, no team better at crashing the offensive boards than the Jazz, and no way both can do what they do best in their first-round playoff series, beginning Saturday at Toyota Center.

"When you're No. 1 in the league in anything, you have to say it's a strength," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "(Between) their strength and our strength, who wins out in that rebound battle will go a long way to who wins ... the series."

Rebounding is so much a part of what these teams are about, they even sound alike when talking about the importance of taking care of the boards.

Said Jazz guard Derek Fisher: "For us, rebounding numbers have been key to our success all season."

In another sign of how evenly matched the teams are, Rockets forward Shane Battier put it: "For us, rebounds have been a barometer all year long.

"When we rebound well, we usually play well. When we struggle to rebound, we don't play well. That's been a common thread for us since the first day."

Strength and strategy

The Jazz are 41-15 when outrebounding opponents. The Rockets are 38-12 when winning the battle of the boards.

The Jazz lead the NBA in offensive-rebounding percentage and total-rebounding percentage, averaging 12.6 offensive rebounds and 51.9 total rebounds per game. The Rockets lead the NBA in the percentage of defensive rebounds, averaging 32.6 per game.

"We can easily point to our winning percentage when we rebound the ball well, and particularly when we are able to hit the offensive glass, get second opportunities, we've been really successful," Fisher said. "That could be the one stat that you can point to that will separate the series. Which team will dominate the glass the way they've been accustomed to all season?"

For both, success on the boards comes from a combination of strength and strategy.

The Rockets put extra emphasis on what Van Gundy calls "completing the defense."

They will sacrifice chances to sneak out on breaks to send extra bodies to the defensive glass, and, against the Jazz, they will expect every player to help.

"They're always going to have two or three guys in the paint when the shot goes up because that's how their offense is," said Rockets forward Chuck Hayes. "They send their wings, (Matt) Harpring, (Andrei) Kirilenko, (Ronnie) Brewer, in to keep it alive. We're going to have to do a better job containing them, getting them off the glass and fighting for rebounds."

The Jazz are so good on the boards because they are loaded with strong rebounders, but also because their offense keeps them in motion, usually with at least one big man moving toward the rim and at least one perimeter player in position to swoop in.

"If you look at me, (Carlos) Boozer, AK (Kirilenko), Matt Harpring, Paul (Milsaps), everybody can rebound," Mehmet Okur said. "Everybody hustles to the ball. Everybody is moving, so it's tough to box out. We're such an active team; we like to move a lot on the offense, so we have a great opportunity for offensive rebounds."

That motion has been tough for the Rockets against lesser rebounding teams, Toronto and Phoenix. They have been outrebounded by 10 or more only nine times, but were outboarded by a season-high 20 by the Jazz on Wednesday.

"They're big," Battier said. "They start Boozer and Okur. That's two wide bodies. Even though you try to box them out, they just lay on you, and they can move you with their force. Then you throw Kirilenko in there, Harpring, two guys who just get in there with length and athleticism, they're really good. That's what they've won 51 games doing — rebounding."

The Rockets have won 52 games by rebounding. Either that, or their rebounding has indicated they also were doing other things well.

Quick teams a problem

"You can't be passive on the boards and assertive in other areas," Van Gundy said. "You're either assertive or you're not. Rebounding reflects that for us. It means completing your defense. We talk about the start of our defense, which is transition defense because of our speed deficit. We've got to have three back, so we're not outnumbered. And the finish of our defense, which is contesting of a shot, not fouling on that shot and then securing the ball.

"Statistically, we have been the best defensive rebounding team percentage-wise. But there have been nights where we've struggled with quicker teams. We're better with more stationary targets, catching up with guys maybe in a cut, and the ball is shot and we're trying to block out. They pose unique problems for us.

"If we fight for the ball and fight for every inch on the court, we'll be in the game rebounding-wise, enough to win."

jonathan.feigen@chron.com