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Lakers Choke In Salt LakeJazz Humble Phil Jackson And CompanySALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Updated 3:35 p.m. PST January 14, 2001 -- Shaquille O'Neal directed his displeasure toward someone other than Kobe Bryant, but the Los Angeles Lakers were done in by another dynamic duo. John Stockton had 21 points -- matching a season high -- and 11 assists, and Karl Malone added 20 points and nine rebounds, as the NBA's most enduring tandem lifted the Utah Jazz to a 111-103 victory over the Lakers. "I really wasn't aware they had any kind of strife going on until you guys (in the media) told me about it," Stockton said. "They played like a championship team, so I didn't know they had any troubles. Whatever is going on with their team is their worry, I just need to stay focused on what we are doing." One night after coming together for a 101-98 victory over Cleveland, the Lakers' sideshow traveled to the Delta Center. With their ongoing off-the-court feud following them, O'Neal and Bryant combined for 57 points, 21 rebounds and nine assists on Saturday. But O'Neal, the victim of several hard fouls throughout this contest, blew a fuse in the third quarter when Jazz center Olden Polynice got a little too physical during a layup attempt by the 7-1 center. Referees called a flagrant foul, but O'Neal tried to take matters into his own hands, throwing a wild punch at Polynice that missed its mark. O'Neal was slapped with a technical and had to be calmed down before going to the line and making 2-of-3 free throws. But the Lakers already were down 71-61, and Malone and Stockton made sure Los Angeles did not crawl back into contention. "They play Utah basketball, especially on their home court," Bryant said. "What they try to do against us is get out and run and beat us in transition, and they did an excellent job tonight." The longtime teammates -- 15 seasons and counting -- combined to score 15 of Utah's 29 points in the final period, as the Jazz improved to 2-1 against Los Angeles this season with the final regular-season meeting scheduled for April 3. "You see troubles among teammates in this league," Malone said. "It's just part of the game. You have to ride it out and do what's best for your team. We played hard and a lot of guys really played well down the stretch. Like I said, it was a great win for us." O'Neal scored 30 points, and Bryant added 27 for the Lakers, who have dropped two of three since reports of the duo's distaste for one another gained national attention. The Jazz have won three in a row and two straight here since a season-high four-game home losing streak. Isaiah Rider scored 16 points in 18 minutes off the bench for the Lakers, who shot 48 percent (34-of-71) but lost the battle on the boards, 40-32. John Starks scored a season-high 21 points, and Donyell Marshall continued to be a solid contributor in the starting frontcourt, pouring in 18 points and grabbing seven boards for the Jazz, who shot 53 percent (40-of-76). Just as he did on Friday, Bryant seemed anxious to get O'Neal involved early and often in the first half, deferring his own shot to help the big man produce 16 points before intermission. Utah clung to a 58-55 advantage entering the second half and built on it after the teams traded the lead 10 times in the first 24 minutes. "I thought we had a great game going at halftime," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "I said, 'We've got a chance here to put this game in perspective.' They were the ones with the energy and came out and really beat us to the ball, and the game was done in the first five minutes of the third quarter." Malone made a free throw before Marshall dunked and converted a three-point play, sparking a 13-4 run that Polynice capped with a follow shot, making it 71-59 with 6:59 remaining in the third quarter. "I don't know where we stand," Lakers forward Horace Grant said. "It's sort of like a yo-yo and to be a successful team, you can't yo-yo around this league and you can't come in and play like we did in the third quarter against a team like Utah." The Lakers did not seriously threaten until Rick Fox sank a 3-pointer to get them within 95-89 with 6:24 to play. But Marshall dunked and hit two free throws and Malone knocked down a 20-footer to make it 101-91 with 5:07 left. Starks' jumper from the right side settled matters with a minute to play, giving Utah a 108-97 cushion.
Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
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