|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME FLOW
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Hack-a-Shaq didn't work, in part because
Shaquille O'Neal didn't stick around. And shortly after he left,
the Los Angeles Lakers put the Utah Jazz away.
Kobe Bryant scored 12 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter,
and O'Neal had 24 points, 17 rebounds and five blocked shots before
fouling out as the Lakers beat the slumping Jazz 82-71 Wednesday
night.
|  | | John Stockton's passing lane is shut down by the Lakers' Mark Madsen in the second quarter. |
Winning their third straight game and eighth of their last nine,
the Lakers also avenged a 97-92 loss to the Jazz on Nov. 1 that put
a damper on their NBA championship ring ceremony.
"It feels good to beat them, kind of avenge that home opener,"
said Bryant, the NBA's leading scorer. "They came in here
struggling."
The Jazz have lost a season-high four straight games and eight
of 12 since winning 16 of their first 20.
"We haven't executed very well, and we've always been a team
that's executed pretty well," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. "But
now we're just playing like a big group of guys that are playing
very selfish. Whoever gets the ball first seems to take the shot
once we get it across halfcourt."
O'Neal fouled out with 6:10 remaining and the Lakers leading
64-57, and official Ron Olesiak then called a technical on O'Neal,
who had picked up his fifth foul 49 seconds earlier.
After O'Neal fouled out, John Stockton made three foul shots --
one on the technical and two on the personal -- to draw the Jazz
within four points.
It was 64-62 before the Lakers went on an 18-6 run. Utah then
scored the game's final three points.
"Some of that has to do with the fact that you've got pressure
to play without your best player," Isaiah Rider said when asked
about the Lakers' strong effort without O'Neal. "We had to rise to
the occasion."
Rider helped down the stretch by scoring four of his six points
and setting Bryant up for a dunk with a perfect lob pass.
O'Neal was 6-for-12 on free throws in the fourth quarter before
fouling out as the Jazz intentionally put him at the line early and
often in the final period. He refused comment after the game.
Bryon Russell and Donyell Marshall led Utah with 16 points and
eight rebounds each, and Karl Malone added 14 points. Malone, who
shot 3-for-14, has scored a total of just 56 points in Utah's four
recent losses.
"I missed some easy shots, had some turnovers," said Malone,
who passed Wilt Chamberlain earlier this season to become the
second-leading scorer in NBA history. "I'm just not in a good flow
right now. I've been through times like this before, but I have to
keep working my way out of it. I've always been a guy to work my
way out of it."
Both teams were ragged for the most part, perhaps the victims of
too much time off; the Jazz hadn't played since Friday night, and
the Lakers since Saturday night.
"I liked the pace of the game tonight," Lakers coach Phil
Jackson said. "We were able to find a way in the fourth quarter."
The Lakers, who lead the NBA in scoring, led by the ridiculously
low score of 33-28 at halftime, and scored the final five points of
the third quarter for a 52-47 lead.
The Jazz led 18-15 entering the second quarter, but the Lakers
cranked up their defense, outscoring the Jazz 10-1 to start the
period for a 25-19 lead.
Utah shot 3-for-15 and committed six turnovers in a 10-point
second quarter, and its 28 points were a season-low for a half, as
were its 71 points for a game.
Game notes
Bryant, fined $5,000 for failing to leave the court in a
timely manner following his ejection in the third quarter of the
Lakers' 116-114 overtime victory over the Clippers on Saturday
night, called the penalty "pocket change." ... Bryant was playing
his first game since being named the NBA's player of the month for
December, when he averaged 32.3 points in leading the Lakers to an
11-5 record. ... Utah has a 15-3 record when Malone scores 20 or
more points in a game, and a 4-10 mark when he scores 19 or less.
... Utah's 11-6 road record is the best in the Western Conference.
Philadelphia's 14-4 road record is the NBA's best. ... The Lakers
entered the game having scored 100 or more points in 17 of their
previous 26 games. ... Tennis star Pete Sampras and former UCLA
coach John Wooden were among those in the sellout crowd of 18,997
at Staples Center.
|
|
ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Utah Clubhouse
LA Lakers Clubhouse
RECAPS
New York 100
Boston 91
Philadelphia 98
Atlanta 80
Detroit 107
Dallas 104
Milwaukee 88
Cleveland 83
Phoenix 90
LA Clippers 85
Portland 102
Indiana 86
Vancouver 99
Charlotte 89
Denver 111
Golden State 100
LA Lakers 82
Utah 71
FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Karl Malone Official Site
Bryon Russell Official Site
Kobe Bryant Official Site
Rick Fox Official Site
Mark Madsen Official Site
|
