NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
LA CLIPPERS 22 27 16 17 82
UTAH 26 22 23 28 99 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: LAC - ERIC PIATKOWSKI 18, TROY HUDSON 15, MICHAEL
OLOWOKANDI 11
UTH - KARL MALONE 29, BRYON RUSSELL 18, TWO PLAYERS WITH 12
HIGH REBOUND: LAC - MICHAEL OLOWOKANDI 12, TWO PLAYERS WITH 5
UTH - KARL MALONE 12, GREG OSTERTAG 9
HIGH ASSISTS: LAC - TROY HUDSON 7, TYRONE NESBY 3
UTH - JOHN STOCKTON 11, KARL MALONE 10
ATT: 19,911
Extended Box
LA CLIPPERS (82) AT UTAH (99)
LA CLIPPERS
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
NESBY F 31 2-7 5-6 2 0 2 3 1 0 1 9
TAYLOR F 21 5-10 0-2 3 1 4 1 6 0 2 10
OLOWOKANDI C 42 5-18 1-2 6 6 12 1 4 0 1 11
HUDSON G 48 3-10 8-9 0 5 5 7 2 0 1 15
PIATKOWSKI G 36 8-19 0-0 2 3 5 1 0 2 1 18
MURRAY 17 3-6 4-6 0 1 1 1 1 4 1 10
ROGERS 19 3-5 0-0 0 0 0 1 5 4 0 7
SKINNER 26 1-6 0-0 1 2 3 0 2 2 0 2
DOUGLAS DNP - SPRAINED LEFT ANKLE
CLOSS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
WRIGHT DNP - NOT WITH TEAM
SMITH DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 30-81 18-25 14 18 32 15 21 12 7 82
(.370) (.720) TEAM REBS: 6 TOTAL TO: 7(3 PTS)
UTAH
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
MALONE F 37 11-13 7-9 1 11 12 10 2 1 2 29
RUSSELL F 35 7-10 4-4 0 4 4 2 2 3 2 18
OSTERTAG C 33 3-6 0-0 3 6 9 0 2 0 1 6
HORNACEK G 33 4-6 2-2 0 6 6 2 2 1 2 10
STOCKTON G 25 5-11 2-3 0 1 1 11 3 0 3 12
ANDERSON 19 6-8 0-1 0 2 2 1 5 0 1 12
BAILEY 6 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
EISLEY 22 2-5 2-2 1 2 3 5 2 0 2 6
FOSTER 18 1-4 2-2 2 3 5 1 1 0 0 4
FULLER 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
KEEFE 10 1-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 2 0 2 2
VAUGHN 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
TOTALS 240 40-64 19-23 7 36 43 32 21 5 17 99
(.625) (.826) TEAM REBS: 5 TOTAL TO: 17(22 PTS)
LA CLIPPERS 22 27 16 17 - 82
UTAH 26 22 23 28 - 99
BLOCKED SHOTS: LA CLIPPERS - OLOWOKANDI 2, SKINNER. UTAH - OSTERTAG 5,
MALONE 2, ANDERSON, BAILEY.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: LA CLIPPERS 4-13 (.308), NESBY 0-1, HUDSON 1-3,
PIATKOWSKI 2-8, ROGERS 1-1. UTAH 0-3 (.000), RUSSELL 0-2, STOCKTON 0-1.
TECHNICALS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: RON GARRETSON, DON VADEN, LEON WOOD.
A - 19,911. T - 1:58.
Box Score
LA CLIPPERS (82)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Nesby 31 2-7 5-6 2-2 3 1 9
Taylor 21 5-10 0-2 3-4 1 6 10
Olowokandi 42 5-18 1-2 6-12 1 4 11
Hudson 48 3-10 8-9 0-5 7 2 15
Piatkowski 36 8-19 0-0 2-5 1 0 18
Murray 17 3-6 4-6 0-1 1 1 10
Rogers 19 3-5 0-0 0-0 1 5 7
Skinner 26 1-6 0-0 1-3 0 2 2
Douglas DNP - sprained left ankle
Closs DNP - coach's decision
Wright DNP - not with team
Smith DNP - coach's decision
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 240 30-81 18-25 14-32 15 21 82
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.370, FT-.720. 3-Point Goals:
4-13, .308 (Nesby 0-1, Hudson 1-3, Piatkowski
2-8, Rogers 1-1). Team rebounds: 6. Blocked
shots: 3 (Olowokandi 2, Skinner). Turnovers: 7
(Taylor 2, Hudson, Murray, Nesby, Olowokandi,
Piatkowski). Steals: 12 (Murray 4, Rogers 4,
Piatkowski 2, Skinner 2).
UTAH (99)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Malone 37 11-13 7-9 1-12 10 2 29
Russell 35 7-10 4-4 0-4 2 2 18
Ostertag 33 3-6 0-0 3-9 0 2 6
Hornacek 33 4-6 2-2 0-6 2 2 10
Stockton 25 5-11 2-3 0-1 11 3 12
Anderson 19 6-8 0-1 0-2 1 5 12
Bailey 6 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Eisley 22 2-5 2-2 1-3 5 2 6
Foster 18 1-4 2-2 2-5 1 1 4
Fuller 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Keefe 10 1-1 0-0 0-1 0 2 2
Vaughn 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 240 40-64 19-23 7-43 32 21 99
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.625, FT-.826. 3-Point Goals:
0-3, .000 (Russell 0-2, Stockton 0-1). Team
rebounds: 5. Blocked shots: 9 (Ostertag 5, Malone
2, Anderson, Bailey). Turnovers: 17 (Stockton 3,
Eisley 2, Hornacek 2, Keefe 2, Malone 2, Russell
2, Anderson, Fuller, Ostertag, Vaughn). Steals: 5
(Russell 3, Hornacek, Malone).
____________________________________________
La Clippers 22 27 16 17 - 82
Utah 26 22 23 28 - 99
____________________________________________
Technical fouls: None. Flagrant fouls: None. A:
19,911. T: 1:58. Officials: Ron Garretson, Don
Vaden, Leon Wood.
Game Story
SALT LAKE CITY (Ticker) -- Now all the Utah Jazz can do is sit
back and hope.
Karl Malone recorded his third career triple-double with 29
points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists as the Jazz clinched a tie
for the league's best record with a 99-82 victory over the Los
Angeles Clippers in their regular-season finale.
But Utah got some bad news when San Antonio defeated Portland
tonight. That means the Spurs, who trail the Jazz by one half
game, can clinch the home-court advantage throughout the
playoffs by defeating Golden State on Wednesday.
San Antonio would win a tiebreaker over the Jazz by virtue of
winning the season series. If the Spurs beat the Warriors, Utah
will be seeded third in the Western Conference playoffs. The
Pacific Division champion Trail Blazers are locked into the
second spot.
"It was a great win for us, but it's hard to take some personal
consolation for personal achievements when me and my teammates
failed to take care of business on our own," Malone said. "Now
we have to sit back and see if some other team can help us in
our quest for the top spot in the playoffs."
Sunday's 84-78 loss at San Antonio may end up costing Utah the
top seed in the Western Conference.
"It kind of takes the good taste out of your mouth when you
achieve a triple-double," Malone added. "You just keep kind of
dwelling on how you let other teams take things away from you."
Byron Russell scored 18 points and Shandon Anderson added 12 for
Utah, which recorded its 20th straight home victory over Los
Angeles, including a 16-0 mark since moving into the Delta
Center. The Jazz have not lost to the Clippers in Utah since
April 18, 1989.
Despite the final margin, Utah struggled in the first half,
trailing 49-48 at intermission. The Jazz took control with a
19-2 run at the start of the third quarter, building a 67-51
lead.
"We turned it on a little in the third quarter," said Utah guard
Jeff Hornacek, who played in his 1,000th NBA game. "That got us
the lead and then we relaxed a little bit and we have to realize
that to win a championship we have to be there for all 48
minutes."
"The second half we came out to play and that's how we are used
to playing Jazz basketball," Russell added. "Hopefully, that's
the momentum builder that we need to have going into the
playoffs."
After the Clippers closed to 79-74 on Lamond Murray's layup with
7:45 left, Utah put away the game with an 8-1 spurt, opening an
87-75 cushion on Greg Ostertag's tip-in with 5:24 to play.
The Jazz took their biggest lead at 99-80 on Russell's basket
with 1:34 remaining. Utah outscored the Clippers, 51-33, in the
second half.
Eric Piatkowskl scored 18 points and Troy Hudson added 15 for
the Clippers (9-40), who have dropped five straight and need to
win Wednesday's finale against Seattle to reach double figures
in victories.
"Everybody on our squad played good for 3 1/2 quarters," Hudson
said. "We could have closed out that game a little bit better
than we did. We played great against the best team in the
league and they just came out in the end and overpowered us."
Malone was 11-of-13 from the field, leading Utah to a sizzling
63 percent (40-of-64) from the field and a huge 62-38 edge in
points in the paint. John Stockton had 11 of Utah's 32 assists.
The Jazz attempted just three 3-pointers, making none.
"Karl is very good at passing the basketball," Piatkowski said.
"He's one of the best passing big men in the game, so you have
to send help to try to stop him and unfortunately our big men
were picking up a lot of fouls early on. That just opened up the
lane for him later in the game because our guys were backing
off, not wanting to foul out."
Rookie Michael Olowokandi added 11 points and 12 rebounds for
the Clippers, who committed only seven turnovers but shot just
37 percent (30-of-81).
"The second half, particularly in the third quarter, the Jazz
came out and really turned up the heat defensively and we go to
the five-minute mark before we got a basket," Clippers coach
Chris Ford said.
Utah opened the second half with a 13-0 run, taking a 61-49 lead
on Stockton's 23-footer with 6:53 remaining. Hudson hit two
foul shots with 6:53 remaining to end the drought, but Russell's
layup gave the Jazz a 16-point cushion with 5:12 remaining.
