| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
 GAME FLOW
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Utah Jazz not only are in the midst of
their worst losing streak in 17 seasons, they extended it with one
of their worst defeats ever.
|  | | Look out below! Shaq and Utah's Jacque Vaughn lunge after a loose ball. |
The Los Angeles Lakers held Utah to 21 first-half points Friday night and went on to a 113-67 victory that matched the most-lopsided loss by the Jazz since a 130-84 defeat by the Lakers on March 5, 1986.
Utah's most one-sided loss was a 158-102 drubbing by Milwaukee
on March 14, 1979, when the franchise was still based in New Orleans. That was
its only loss ever by 50 or more points.
That Jazz record seemed in danger with 2:31 remaining, with the
Lakers up 112-61. But Utah's reserves outscored Los Angeles'
reserves 6-1 over the final minutes to reduce the final deficit to
46 points.
Utah had not lost six in a row since March 1983.
"It was just one of those games when we didn't have a chance,"
Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. "They just dominated. We couldn't run
any plays, and they block the shots and did everything they wanted
to do."
"You find out a little bit about yourselves after a game like
this," said Utah's John Stockton, who played just 14 minutes and had two points. "If you can fight back from something like this,
then it's just one game. If you let it affect you -- your
confidence, the way you play, the way you trust each other -- then
you can easily continue to slide."
Shaquille O'Neal scored 25 points for Los Angeles while playing -- along with most of the Lakers' starters -- about half the game.
"We knew that they were struggling and we just took it to
them," he said. "We pretty much did what we needed to do."
Lakers coach Phil Jackson, whose team ended a two-game slide of
its own, said, "It definitely was our defense. We got our hands on
the ball and forced turnovers in the first half (17 converted into
21 Lakers points)."
The Lakers led 33-14 after the first quarter and made it 56-21
at halftime.
The 21 points marked the second-lowest half ever for the Jazz,
and their lowest since the franchise moved to Utah. They scored 20
in the first half in 1975 against Seattle.
The NBA record low for a half is 19, set by the Los Angeles Clippers in a loss to the Lakers earlier this season.
Utah's starters got a quick hook. Karl Malone played just 18
minutes and scored 14 points. Malone did not speak with reporters
after the loss.
In a match of two of the NBA's better teams -- but teams that
have been struggling recently -- the Lakers won for just the fourth
time in 10 games.
Glen Rice added 20 points for the Lakers and A.C. Green had 10
rebounds. Kobe Bryant had eight of his 13 points in the first five
minutes.
The Lakers, beaten 105-101 in double overtime at Utah on Jan.
24, took charge immediately this time, as the Jazz made just one of
its first 14 shots and fell behind 20-4 in the first seven minutes.
Bryant and O'Neal started the Lakers rolling early, with Bryant
scoring eight points and O'Neal adding four points and blocking two
shots as Los Angeles took a 15-4 lead in the first five minutes.
Game notes
Los Angeles was coming off its worst loss of the season, a
105-81 defeat at San Antonio. ... Utah's Jeff Hornacek will be a busy man at All-Star Saturday on Feb. 12 in Oakland, competing in
both the 3-point shootout, in which he's the defending champion,
and the 2ball competition, a test of all-around basketball skills.
... Utah has lost eight of its past 13 games.
| |
ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Utah Clubhouse
LA Lakers Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 100
New Jersey 95
Portland 97
Atlanta 90
Miami 99
Washington 92
Detroit 105
Cleveland 96
Indiana 104
Sacramento 94
Minnesota 102
Houston 85
Vancouver 101
Chicago 76
Golden State 103
Denver 101
LA Lakers 113
Utah 67
Seattle 94
Phoenix 86
|
