Monson: Don’t be bummed about the Jazz facing the Rockets in the first round. Celebrate it. It’s an opportunity. It’s a clear path to the truth.

Monson: Don’t be bummed about the Jazz facing the Rockets in the first round. Celebrate it. It’s an opportunity. It’s a clear path to the truth.

NBA

Monson: Don’t be bummed about the Jazz facing the Rockets in the first round. Celebrate it. It’s an opportunity. It’s a clear path to the truth.

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Everybody’s bummed.

Don’t be.

Through a remarkable set of circumstances that were somehow realized on the last night of the regular season, the Jazz were shoved into facing the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs, starting Sunday night in Houston.

It’s a good thing, a great thing, a useful thing, something to celebrate, and nothing to dread.

Jazz fans — and probably the Jazz themselves — wanted Portland, on account of the fact they thought that would be easier. The Blazers also thought the Jazz, who they split games with during the season, would be easier than the Thunder, against whom they were 0-4. But they went ahead and won on Wednesday night, despite falling behind Sacramento by 500 miles in the first half, before hitting the throttle hard to win. Now they’ll get OKC.

And — suh-weet — I like it.

Just like everybody else around here — including Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors and Ricky Rubio and Joe Ingles — should be stoked the Jazz are playing the Rockets instead of the Blazers. It’s what, in the spirit of Texas, y’all should want.

No need to be a bunch of namby-pambies. No reason to be avoiding the tough road. No cause to freak out or shrink away from an outfit that was the best team in the league after the All-Star break, a group that won better than four games for every one it lost over the back half, a side that ousted the Jazz, fittingly enough, by winning four games against one loss in last year’s playoffs.

Get that lame frame of mind, that loser’s attitude, that weak shiz out of here, man.

Buck up and charge on.

There’s no purpose in delaying what everyone wants and needs to know: How much have the Jazz improved?