RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- When Karl Malone struggles to score 15 points and John Stockton commits seven turnovers, most opponents would count on a win over the Utah Jazz.
|  | | Karl Malone was limited to 15 points for the second straight game. |
But Bryon Russell made sure that didn't happen, scoring a
season-high 23 points and grabbing eight rebounds to end Utah's
two-game losing skid with a 99-84 win over Orlando Thursday.
"I don't worry about Karl Malone," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. "He's given us so many games that it's time somebody stepped
up."
That somebody was Russell, who scored four points as the Jazz
ended the game with a 11-0 run and Orlando missed their last five
shots.
"Russell killed us," said Orlando coach Doc Rivers. "He
played well down the stretch."
Malone, a 37-year-old who played his 1,200 game against the
Magic, was glad Russell was ready to pick up the scoring load.
"It's not a one- or two-man team around here and that's good,"
Malone said. "It's neat when Bryon and everyone else plays decent
when I don't have a good game."
Tracy McGrady scored 24 for the Magic, who shot just 10-of-37 in
the second half and were scoreless over the last 3:22.
The loss was the fourth in five games for Orlando and the fifth
straight in Salt Lake City.
The Jazz built an early fourth-quarter lead, mostly on
free-throws, shooting seven straight from the line. That run
included one technical foul on Orlando coach Doc Rivers for
protesting calls. John Starks hit four of the foul shots, putting
Utah up 82-72 with 8:05 to play.
Michael Doleac sparked a Magic comeback with a block on Malone,
a steal and a fast-break dunk as Orlando scored seven straight
points and closed the gap to 82-79 with 6:03 remaining.
But Orlando didn't score after Doleac's jumper trimmed Utah's
lead to 88-84 with 3:22 remaining. Greg Ostertag dunked and the
Jazz made 7-of-8 free throws in the last three minutes.
Malone did grab 12 rebounds and Stockton had 11 assists with 13
points.
"We looked at each other and knew we had to get going," said
Donyell Marshall, who scored a season-high 10 off the bench for the
Jazz. "That's our rule, we all have to be ready to pick it up at
any time."
Darrell Armstrong had 16 points and nine assists for the Magic,
who have struggled to a 3-5 record without injured star Grant Hill.
After the Magic cut the lead to one early in the third quarter,
Russell hit a 3 pointer and two foul shots in a 9-0 spurt that made
it 65-55 for the Jazz.
McGrady missed just one shot on his way to 15 first-half points
as Orlando led most of the first half. But Russell countered with
five points in an 11-4 run that gave Utah a 55-51 lead at the
break.
"One of the things that helped us tonight was that we had a lot of people play pretty well," Sloan said. "I've never cared who scores. The bottom line is how we play and how we try to help each other."
On a night when the Mailman had a hard time delivering and
Stockton was fumbling, Russell gave the Jazz all the help they
needed.
Game notes
Doleac, who played at nearby University of Utah, made his
first start of the season but picked up three fouls in the first six minutes. ... Malone picked up a technical foul in first quarter for hitting the side of Garrity's head as David Benoit hit a 3-pointer. ... Orlando shot 53 percent in the first half but also committed 14 turnovers. ... McGrady played with a strained hip flexor.
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Portland 86
Toronto 80
San Antonio 99
Washington 95
LA Lakers 112
Sacramento 110
Houston 84
Charlotte 80
Denver 89
Chicago 85
Utah 99
Orlando 84
LA Clippers 76
Vancouver 72
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