Obviously, the Jazz have to get one win on the road, but if they get one, it might be tough for the Spurs because Utah is playing extremely well at home.

San Antonio was not one of my teams to scout this year, so I have not seen a lot of the Spurs. But it appears the matchups among the starters are fairly even.

Of course, Utah has to deal with Tim Duncan, and that never is easy for anybody.

I don't know if coach Sloan will use Carlos Boozer or Memo Okur on him, but Tim had a wonderful series against Phoenix.

He is such a complete player. He can score and rebound, obviously. But he had nine blocks in Game 6 against Phoenix. That's huge. He also is a willing passer, which helps make San Antonio so good on offense. You have to stay with the cutters and try to defend the perimeter because Tim is such a good passer.

Against Tim, you cannot let him get the ball exactly where he wants. Try to get him off his spot and not to foul. Tim has made a living the last 10 years off guys who reach in. So the Jazz cannot commit those reach-in fouls.

Andrei Kirilenko will be a factor around the rim. We also have talked before about what a great weakside shot-blocker and shot-changer he is and how he impacts the game in ways that do not necessarily show in the box score.

I expect that will be the case in this series, too.

One of the strengths of the Jazz in their series against Golden State was getting the ball inside. Even though San Antonio is bigger than the Warriors, I do not think Utah can change that. The Jazz have to respect Duncan, but they also have to find ways to challenge him.

The good news for Utah is the presence of Boozer. He has got to be coach Sloan's No. 1 choice on the low post. Now, it is up to Carlos to be effective and not get his shot blocked by Duncan, or whomever coach Popovich uses on him.

Boozer has been an outstanding scorer and passer in the playoffs. That has to continue. He needs to keep maturing - keep taking his game to another level - because that is what advancing in the playoffs is all about.

San Antonio is known for being able to take something away from you because the Spurs play outstanding team defense. The Spurs' primary objective in this series might be trying to take away Carlos.

If so, the Jazz probably will do a lot of pick-and-roll. They will try to get Okur free at the three-point line and they will try to tire out some of those San Antonio "bigs" by making them work extra hard on defense - out away from the basket.

This is the chess match that we are going to see.

Who will control the pace and the tempo of the game? Who will impose their will on the other team?

If you are a Jazz fan, do not expect San Antonio to play strictly halfcourt basketball. The Spurs are at their best when they attack - when Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili can get some open shots in transition.

Defensively, Deron Williams and Derek Fisher will have their hands full, trying to keep Parker out of the paint. When he gets in there, he's an effective scorer, but he also creates so many open shots for his teammates.

You can bet coach Sloan and his staff will try to figure out something to keep Tony from getting into the lane.

Utah's bench could be important in the series.

Gordan Giricek can give the Jazz some instant scoring. If he hits his first couple of shots, watch out! Paul Millsap is worth watching, too. He plays with so much energy and makes the kind of hustle plays that usually are the difference at this level.

To be honest with you, I think Utah has a wonderful chance of winning.

San Antonio is a great team. But I do not know if people realize how good Utah is, too.