For two games now, the Rockets have looked like a bunch of second-graders getting pushed around for their lunch money. Each Rockets player just hands over his two dollars, while Van Gundy voluntarily Saran-wraps himself to a flagpole. In Game 5, we expect reprisal. A revenge of the nerds, if you will. In fact, we’d say the chances that the Rockets get blown out again on Monday are about as low as the chances of Carlos Boozer doing a commercial for ProActiv Solution.

The underlying principle in this grade-school-bully paradigm is Jerry Sloan’s “They-can’t-call-everything” defense. The Jazz are handcuffing the officials by fouling on nearly every play. It would be a brilliant scheme if it didn’t reek of Sloan’s typically questionable integrity.

Listen closely and you’ll hear the sound of a cow dying after each of Boozer’s missed jumpers. At the risk of offending the Geico spokespeople, this guy communicates like a caveman. Quiet down and take your bricks like a man.

It frustrates us that Utah can snatch an NBA-ready power forward like Paul Millsap out of the second round, while the Rockets - apparently content to wait for Malick Badiane to experience mild success in the Senagalese League - have played for four years in desperate need of some size at the position.

Showing off those fancy decision-making skills that have been the talk of the town since the playoffs began, McGrady strolled up the court with five seconds left in the first half, then passed to Chuck Hayes who launched a 30-foot 3-pointer that had no hope of even coming close to the basket. McGrady floated through another game without the sense of urgency we were hoping would kick in in the playoffs. Perhaps the Rockets are waiting for the opposition to put their backs against the wall, because that worked so well for them the last time they had a 2-0 series lead.

For someone who came in shooting 17 percent in the series, Mehmet Okur has more than filled his quota for obnoxious fist pumps.

Deron Williams’ “NOGUTS” and “NOGLORY” tattoos on the back of his arms could use a little better spacing. We spent four games wondering what a nogut was, and why he felt so strongly about it.

In an attempt to appease those fans who have accused of us being pessimistic, we feel we should let you know that in Saturday’s loss, the Rockets snapped a four-game streak of sub-40 percent shooting in the playoffs, dating back to 2005. They made a red-hot 42.1 percent of their shots Saturday.