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Tuesday, Apr. 4 10:30pm ET
Malone stops L.A. from stunning Jazz | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Utah Jazz have 50 victories and the Los Angeles Clippers have 60 losses. In a game that should have been a mismatch, Karl Malone prevented it from becoming an upset. Malone scored nine of his 34 points during a 3:24 span of the fourth quarter as the Jazz dealt the Los Angeles Clippers their 10th consecutive defeat, 103-93 Tuesday night. "I know I sound like a broken record and people don't believe it, but I think they've got more talent than their record indicates -- and we had to play down the stretch to beat them," Malone said. "They were ready to play the Jazz, and they were ready to play the guys in this room. That's something you have to accept, and you've got to go out there and win. A lot of people just chalk one up because you're playing the Clippers." The Jazz, in search of their sixth Midwest Division title and third in four seasons, maintained their 2 1-2 game edge over Minnesota despite blowing a 15-point lead in the second quarter. They are 23-5 since a season-worst six-game losing streak, and have won 10 of their last 12 road games. Bryon Russell had 18 points and 10 rebounds as Utah became the third team this season to reach the 50-win mark, joining the Lakers and Portland. Jazz coach Jerry Sloan joined Pat Riley, Phil Jackson and Lenny Wilkens as the only coaches to win 50 games in a season at least nine times. Derek Anderson scored 20 points for the Clippers, whose latest double-digit losing streak is their 15th in Donald Sterling's 18 seasons as owner and their third this season. The only other time the franchise has lost 10 or more games three different times in the same season was 1986-87, when they had skids of 12, 16 and 14. The Jazz actually were in danger of getting beaten by a team with a losing record for the third time in five games, following losses to Dallas and Denver. "I think it probably is cause for concern," Jeff Hornacek said. "When we're battling for the first spot in the conference, we come out with a fast start and then let them back in the game, I don't think that's a sign of a championship team. "I mean, we won the game, but we've got to start burying some of these teams. We have to be able to focus for 48 minutes -- not do it at the beginning, wait till the end and do it again." After Tyrone Nesby's 3-pointer gave Los Angeles its biggest lead, 82-76, with 33 seconds left in the third quarter, the Jazz tied it at 84 on two free throws by Howard Eisley and a layup by Russell. Nesby's dunk regained the lead for the Clippers, but Malone triggered an 18-4 run with a three-point play, then added a couple of perimeter jumpers and two free throws before Russell's 3-pointer and John Stockton's two free throws gave the Jazz a 102-90 cushion with 1:43 left. The Clippers' top two scorers, Maurice Taylor and rookie Lamar Odom, returned to the lineup from ankle and calf injuries, respectively. But they couldn't prevent the team's fifth straight loss to Utah and 14th in their last 16 meetings. "In the second quarter, our defense stepped up," Taylor said. "But the game just came down to them getting some calls and us missing some shots." The Jazz opened the game with an 11-0 run and increased the margin to 29-14 before Los Angeles tied the score at 49 with a 19-9 spurt. Malone, last season's most valuable player, had two of his shots blocked 38 seconds apart during the Clippers' comeback by Odom and Olowokandi. The Clippers took their first lead, 54-53, on Taylor's 18-footer from the top of the key with 10:48 left in the third quarter. Game notesLos Angeles avoided a fourth double-digit losing streak on Dec. 13 by beating Vancouver 102-90 at Staples Center. That victory triggered a season-best 5-2 stretch by the Clippers, who then lost 27 of their next 29. ... The Jazz has made only one roster move since Nov. 11, requesting waivers on Pete Chilcutt on Jan. 7. Chilcutt signed with the Clippers 11 days later. ... Russell is three 3-pointers away from becoming the first player in Jazz history to get 100 or more in two different seasons. ... Utah's next loss will be Sloan's 295th as Jazz coach, which will edge him past Frank Layden into first place on the team's all-time list. But Sloan's 632 wins with Utah are 355 ahead of the second-place Layden. ... The Clippers have a rematch with Utah on Apr. 12 at the Delta Center, where they will try to end a 21-game road losing streak against the Jazz. | ALSO SEE NBA Scoreboard Utah Clubhouse LA Clippers Clubhouse RECAPS Washington 102 New Jersey 93
Utah 103
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