NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
UTAH 17 22 24 15 78
SAN ANTONIO 18 16 25 25 84 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: UTH - KARL MALONE 24, THURL BAILEY 11, JEFF HORNACEK 9
SAS - TIM DUNCAN 26, MARIO ELIE 15, SEAN ELLIOTT 14
HIGH REBOUND: UTH - KARL MALONE 14, TWO PLAYERS WITH 4
SAS - TIM DUNCAN 14, DAVID ROBINSON 13
HIGH ASSISTS: UTH - JEFF HORNACEK 7, TWO PLAYERS WITH 5
SAS - AVERY JOHNSON 3, TWO PLAYERS WITH 2
ATT: 35,122
Extended Box
UTAH (78) AT SAN ANTONIO (84)
UTAH
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
MALONE F 41 8-17 8-9 0 14 14 3 4 3 3 24
RUSSELL F 39 2-6 1-2 3 0 3 0 6 1 0 5
OSTERTAG C 30 3-8 1-2 1 3 4 0 4 0 2 7
HORNACEK G 34 4-11 1-1 3 1 4 7 4 2 3 9
STOCKTON G 31 2-6 3-5 0 0 0 5 5 1 1 7
ANDERSON 23 4-8 0-0 1 2 3 2 1 0 0 8
BAILEY 9 4-8 3-3 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 11
EISLEY 17 3-6 0-0 0 1 1 5 2 2 2 7
FOSTER 11 0-1 0-0 1 0 1 1 4 0 0 0
FULLER 5 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
KEEFE DNP - COACH'S DECISION
VAUGHN DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 30-71 17-22 9 21 30 23 32 9 12 78
(.423) (.773) TEAM REBS: 6 TOTAL TO: 13(9 PTS)
SAN ANTONIO
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
DUNCAN F 42 10-21 6-10 4 10 14 1 5 1 2 26
ELLIOTT F 40 1-6 12-16 1 7 8 2 4 0 2 14
ROBINSON C 38 3-7 3-4 5 8 13 2 5 3 3 9
ELIE G 33 4-7 6-7 1 2 3 0 3 0 2 15
JOHNSON G 42 5-11 2-4 0 1 1 3 3 1 1 12
DANIELS 6 0-2 2-2 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 2
JACKSON 15 1-3 0-1 0 1 1 1 0 3 0 2
S KERR 8 1-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
PERDUE 3 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
ROSE 13 0-3 2-2 2 1 3 0 4 1 4 2
J KERSEY DNP - COACH'S DECISION
KING DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 25-62 33-46 13 32 45 10 24 10 15 84
(.403) (.717) TEAM REBS: 15 TOTAL TO: 16(19 PTS)
UTAH 17 22 24 15 - 78
SAN ANTONIO 18 16 25 25 - 84
BLOCKED SHOTS: UTAH - MALONE 2, OSTERTAG. SAN ANTONIO - DUNCAN 4,
ROBINSON 3, ELLIOTT.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: UTAH 1-5 (.200), RUSSELL 0-1, HORNACEK 0-1, BAILEY 0-1,
EISLEY 1-2. SAN ANTONIO 1-7 (.143), ELLIOTT 0-2, ELIE 1-1, DANIELS 0-1,
JACKSON 0-2, S KERR 0-1.
TECHNICALS: UTAH - EISLEY, , SAN ANTONIO - HEAD COACH POPOVICH.
OFFICIALS: TIM DONAGHY, DAN CRAWFORD, GREG WILLARD.
A - 35,122. T - 2:31.
Box Score
UTAH (78)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Malone 41 8-17 8-9 0-14 3 4 24
Russell 39 2-6 1-2 3-3 0 6 5
Ostertag 30 3-8 1-2 1-4 0 4 7
Hornacek 34 4-11 1-1 3-4 7 4 9
Stockton 31 2-6 3-5 0-0 5 5 7
Anderson 23 4-8 0-0 1-3 2 1 8
Bailey 9 4-8 3-3 0-0 0 2 11
Eisley 17 3-6 0-0 0-1 5 2 7
Foster 11 0-1 0-0 1-1 1 4 0
Fuller 5 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Keefe DNP - coach's decision
Vaughn DNP - coach's decision
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 240 30-71 17-22 9-30 23 32 78
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.423, FT-.773. 3-Point Goals:
1-5, .200 (Russell 0-1, Hornacek 0-1, Bailey 0-1,
Eisley 1-2). Team rebounds: 6. Blocked shots: 3
(Malone 2, Ostertag). Turnovers: 13 (Hornacek 3,
Malone 3, Eisley 2, Ostertag 2, Bailey,
Stockton). Steals: 9 (Malone 3, Eisley 2,
Hornacek 2, Russell, Stockton).
SAN ANTONIO (84)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Duncan 42 10-21 6-10 4-14 1 5 26
Elliott 40 1-6 12-16 1-8 2 4 14
Robinson 38 3-7 3-4 5-13 2 5 9
Elie 33 4-7 6-7 1-3 0 3 15
Johnson 42 5-11 2-4 0-1 3 3 12
Daniels 6 0-2 2-2 0-1 1 0 2
Jackson 15 1-3 0-1 0-1 1 0 2
S Kerr 8 1-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 2
Perdue 3 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 0 0
Rose 13 0-3 2-2 2-3 0 4 2
J Kersey DNP - coach's decision
King DNP - coach's decision
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 240 25-62 33-46 13-45 10 24 84
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.403, FT-.717. 3-Point Goals:
1-7, .143 (Elliott 0-2, Elie 1-1, Daniels 0-1,
Jackson 0-2, S Kerr 0-1). Team rebounds: 15.
Blocked shots: 8 (Duncan 4, Robinson 3, Elliott).
Turnovers: 16 (Rose 4, Robinson 3, Duncan 2, Elie
2, Elliott 2, Daniels, Johnson). Steals: 10
(Jackson 3, Robinson 3, Daniels, Duncan, Johnson,
Rose).
____________________________________________
Utah 17 22 24 15 - 78
San Antonio 18 16 25 25 - 84
____________________________________________
Technical fouls: Utah 2 (Eisley, 0:09 3rd; , 8:02
4th). San Antonio 1 (Head Coach Popovich, 7:36
3rd). Flagrant fouls: Utah 1 (Eisley, 0:49 3rd).
A: 35,122. T: 2:31. Officials: Tim Donaghy, Dan
Crawford, Greg Willard.
Game Story
SAN ANTONIO (Ticker) -- The San Antonio Spurs are halfway home
to being at home for the entire NBA playoffs.
Tim Duncan won his ballyhooed MVP duel with Karl Malone as he
led an early-fourth quarter surge that rallied the Spurs to a
crucial 84-78 victory over the Utah Jazz, their 13th straight
home triumph.
"Everyone is believing in what we are doing and everyone wants
to be on the floor," Duncan said. "It's been a long road with a
bunch of new players. We had to believe in what we were doing.
Now we are working off each other and feeding off each other."
The Spurs (35-13) entered Saturday's home game against Portland
knowing they could secure the NBA's best record and home-court
advantage throughout the playoffs by winning their final four
games. They began the tough trek by surviving an overtime game
against the Trail Blazers and today pulled even in the loss
column with the Jazz (36-13).
"They should have confidence," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said.
"They're big, long and quick and that's a bad combination to
have to play against. If they ever had a lack of confidence
playing against us, they certainly didn't show it in Utah or
tonight."
San Antonio went 2-1 against Utah this season and holds the
tiebreaker edge. To seal the home-court edge, it must win at
Portland (35-13) on Tuesday and Golden State (20-28) on
Wednesday.
"Nobody is going to turn down those opportunities but we are
just going to go out and win basketball games," Spurs coach
Gregg Popovich said. "The real important stuff is when the real
playoffs start. This is just a mini-playoff. Playoff time tells
the tale."
Duncan had 26 points and 14 rebounds. He scored eight points in
a 15-4 burst at the outset of the final period that turned a
four-point deficit into a 74-67 lead midway through the quarter.
"Sometimes I can take a dribble and try to beat my man or I can
draw the double-team and throw it out," Duncan said.
"Tim obviously was great scoring and playing the double-team,"
Popovich said. "He just did a better and better job as the game
went on."
In front of an Alamodome crowd of 35,122 -- the largest in the
NBA this season -- the Spurs made 4-of-6 free throws down the
stretch and held off the Jazz, who dropped to 4-5 since a league
season-high 11-game winning streak.
After the final horn, Duncan heard the chants of "MVP, MVP" from
the crowd. Along with Malone, Miami's Alonzo Mourning and
Philadelphia's Iverson, the second-year pro is considered one of
the favorites for the NBA's highest individual honor.
"It was a great feeling. It was exciting," Duncan said. "I
don't know what to say. There is no real way to describe it."
"A lot of guys are deserving, but Tim's numbers speak for
themselves," teammate Avery Johnson said. "There are a lot of
deserving guys, like Malone, Alonzo Mourning, even Iverson --
I'm a little biased toward the little guys. But Tim was great
tonight."
Malone, who the award in 1997, offered his own viewpoint of the
MVP race.
"Tim played great," he said. "I'm not voting for anyone,
certainly not myself. I have a gut feeling how it's going to go
but I'm not gonna say."
Malone totaled 24 points and 14 rebounds. He also scored eight
points in the final period, but four came in the final minute,
when the Jazz were playing a futile game of catch-up.
Utah blew its own chance to lock up home-court advantage and
ends its regular season Tuesday at home against the Los Angeles
Clippers. The Jazz have finished with the best record in the
Western Conference each of the last two seasons.
Utah took a 63-59 lead to the fourth quarter but sputtered on
offense as the period began. A dunk by Duncan gave the Spurs
the lead for good at 67-65 with 9:05 to go and capped the burst
with another slam that extended the advantage to seven points
with 5:35 remaining.
A running hook by Avery Johnson kept the margin at 80-74 with
1:06 to go and it was at least a two-possession game thereafter.
Mario Elie scored 15 points, Sean Elliott added 14 and Johnson
12 for the Spurs, who recovered from a poor-shooting first half
to finish at 40 percent (25-of-62) from the field.
David Robinson was held to nine points but grabbed 13 rebounds
as San Antonio held a 45-30 advantage on the boards. Elliott
contributed eight rebounds.
"You get to a certain point where you know your time is
limited," Robinson said. "I know I'm needed to do more in
different areas, like defensively. It's nice that Tim takes some
of the load on the offensive end. That lets me work on other
things."
Thurl Bailey was the only other Jazz player in double figures
with 11 points. Jeff Hornacek added nine for Utah, which shot 42
percent (30-of-71) and was outscored 33-17 at the foul line.
"They outrebounded us, outhustled us and outscreened us," Sloan
said. "They are a very talented team."
Bailey scored nine points and Malone eight as the Jazz grabbed a
39-34 halftime lead. Utah shot 45 percent (16-of-35) and held
San Antonio to just 29 percent (16-of-35). Elliott kept the
Spurs close with 11 points, all but two from the line.
"There are no magic formulas for that," Popovich said. "You
just have to keep shooting. The percentages say that you won't
keep shooting 29 percent."
Duncan scored nine points and Malone eight in the third quarter.
