Houston Rockets vs. Utah Jazz Game 1 preview

The rivalry! Payback! Revenge!

This is a rivalry reborn in the Western Conference, dating back to 1985. These teams have met seven times in the playoffs, with Jazz leading the postseason series 5-2. However, the two times the Rockets beat the Jazz in the playoffs, they went on to win the NBA Championship.

So the Rockets should be looking at this as revenge, right?

Well, a grand total of four players from that 2008 playoff series are still in the NBA. The Rockets just knocked off Aaron Brooks and his Minnesota Timberwolves. Paul Millsap is now on the Denver Nuggets and missed the postseason completely. Kyle Korver and C.J. Miles are still in the postseason (though Korver could be gone by the…