The record came just the way it should have, without a lot of fanfare. Karl Malone crossed the lane and posted up Otis Thorpe. The moment he arrived, so did John Stockton's pass.
The Mailman banked the shot in and became the Jazz's top scorer in history.Malone's historic night nearly overshadowed a crucial win for the Jazz in the race for the Midwest Division title. Utah's 108-80 win over the Houston Rockets increased the division lead to 21/2 games over San Antonio and four over Houston.
"I was thinking of breaking the record and I was thinking about winning the game," said Malone after a 34-point, 15-rebound performance.
For a few early minutes, it appeared the Mailman would have trouble erasing Adrian Dantley's record from the books on this particular night. Malone could only get off three shots in the first quarter and, thanks to sitting out half the second quarter, had only five points going into the final three minutes of the half.
But soon to follow was a flurry of activity in which he figured in the team's last 12 points. Nine came from his own hand and three others after he stole the ball and passed to Jeff Malone, whose three-point play put the Jazz ahead 48-38.
Malone made two free throws and followed by spinning inside for a basket that turned into a three-point play. He next stole the ball to set up Jeff Malone's three-point play, and followed with a rebound basket with 22 seconds remaining. His two free throws with 10 seconds left gave the Jazz their biggest lead to that point, a 52-38 advantage.
Malone finished the half with 14 points and seven rebounds.
The record came quickly after the half. Malone connected on another three-point play and made three free throws, to pull within a basket of Dantley's Jazz scoring record (13,545).
On the historic play, Stockton found Malone for the basket that put the Jazz ahead 62-49, and the record was announced on the JumboTron screen. The crowd gave the Mailman a standing ovation. Time out was called and Malone, with a relieved smile, walked over to his longtime accomplice, Stockton, and hugged him.
"It was almost like they staged it," said owner Larry H. Miller. "It's the way you'd write it if you were writing a script. It served justice. It was just like a movie. It was exciting, especially when you know it's coming."
Knowing the record was coming was something the Mailman had on his mind all week. Earlier in the week he confided that he would be "glad to get it over with." Malone's mother, who had coincidentally planned a trip to Salt Lake months ago, was in attendance.
"I had my wife, my baby girl and my mom here," said Malone. "That was nice."
When the record-breaking basket came, Malone smiled, almost shyly, and greeted teammates. "I wish I could freeze it in time and go over it, over and over," he said. "I'm sure I'll watch the tape later in life."
While Malone was enjoying one of his better days, Houston's Hakeem Olajuwon wasn't. Confronted by Jazz center Mark Eaton (and some double-teaming help), Olajuwon managed only 13 points.
Late in the game, Olajuwon's frustration boiled over. He was called for an offensive foul as he grappled with Eaton, and moments later Houston assistant Rudy Tomjanovich drew a technical. That was followed by two straight technicals on Coach Don Chaney, who was automatically ejected. Five seconds later, Olajuwon was hit with a loose-ball foul, his sixth of the game. But by them the Jazz were leading 94-75.
"If you are going to be touchy on one end and let the guy push and shove on the other end, I can't handle that," said Chaney.
Malone's record night completed what was an all-around fine game for the Jazz. Jeff Malone scored 20 points and Stockton had 15 assists. Delaney Rudd came off the bench for a season-high 12 points. Every Jazzman scored points.
"We played as well defensively as we have all year, at times," said Coach Jerry Sloan.
The Jazz opened an eight-point lead at the end of the first quarter and led by as many as 12 before the half. The Mailman's 12 points in the third quarter, though, put the game out of reach.
Besides his points and rebounds, Malone also had four assists, six steals and four blocked shots.
Sloan, who has seen Malone through his career with the Jazz, said the Mailman went through "a lot of tough times" in his early years. "It's not easy to make yourself a great player," said Sloan. "A lot of players in this league have a lot of talent, but don't work hard enough and things slip by until it's too late."
Not so with the Mailman. "I'm glad the record is behind me," he said, "so I can just concentrate on basketball and try to go on and have a really good career."
So far it hasn't been bad.
GAME NOTES: Jeff Malone's streak of consecutive free throws ended at 25 against the Rockets . . . The Jazz have won 16 straight in the Delta Center . . . The Jazz are now off until a Wednesday night game against San Antonio.