What was supposed to be a history-making, precedent-setting, groundbreaking Jazz trip through the East came to a dead stop Tuesday night at Richfield Coliseum. Their plans to have the best road swing in club history were shot down by the rebounding of Cleveland's Tyrone Hill, the scoring of All-Stars Brad Daugherty and Mark Price and their own bungling play.
By now, the story is getting pretty familiar. The Jazz go on the road during the holidays to avoid the distractions of home, relatives, shopping, etc. They tour the East, winning a couple here, losing a couple there. But this year, they kicked off the five-game swing with three straight wins. Their hopes were high. Their spirits rose.Their plans failed.
The Jazz kept up with the Cavs for 21/2 quarters before fading, as Cleveland claimed a 112-97 win.
"We're not trying to make excuses," said guard Jeff Malone, whose 21 points led the Jazz, "but every time we sit around somewhere for a long time we come out flat."
Actually, Malone noted, the Jazz began well enough, building an eight-point lead in the first quarter. But as the second half rolled along, they began stalling and sputtering, as the Cavs rolled to their second straight win.
"Give them credit," said Karl Malone with a shrug. "They played really well."
While the Jazz players were making few excuses, they had no reason to. They spent part of Sunday and all day Monday and Tuesday resting. Feeling a little down? Take a nap. Bored? Read a book. Hungry? Order room service and turn on a movie. Which may have been the problem. Usually when the Jazz have more than a day off to rest, the next night they come out looking like they've been embalmed.
"I don't know if we were here too long or not," said the Mailman. "I don't look at it like that. We just didn't get it done."
Considering the circumstances, the Jazz could hardly have asked for a better situation. They entered the the game on a four-game win streak, including three straight on the road. They had won nine of the previous 11 games overall.
Cleveland, on the other hand, has been dreadful this year, losing five straight before breaking the spell with a Sunday win over the Lakers.
Not only were the Cavs playing badly, they were also hurt. John Battle didn't play due to an inflamed knee. Chris Mills was back after missing a game due to tests on his heart. Longtime star Larry Nance remains on the injured list after knee surgery.
"We've dedicated ourselves to defense the last couple of games, trying to get a streak going," said guard Terrell Brandon, who came off the bench to score 18 points. "Now, hopefully, we can continue to do that."
While the Jazz remained close in the first half, they also showed some unsettling signs. The Mailman had just six points in the first 24 minutes, while Cleveland's Hill barged off the bench to score nine points and collect five important rebounds in the second period.
Hill's spurt put the Jazz in their first serious hole, as he scored twice inside during an 11-0 Cleveland run. That brought the Cavs from four behind to seven ahead with 4:41 to go in the half.
The Jazz narrowed the lead to two by the half, making 11 of 16 shots in the period, but went through a dreadful series of plays late in the third quarter. Utah's Tyrone Corbin missed a shot and soon after stepped out of bounds. After two Cleveland free throws, the Jazz's Jay Humphries threw a ball away. Hill reappeared to haunt the Jazz at the end of the period, tossing up a shot that was far short. But Corbin was called for basket interference and the Jazz trailed by eight going into the last quarter.
Shortly, the returns were in. Corbin and John Stockton both lost the ball, then the Jazz made a steal but threw it out of bounds on the other end. Cleveland outscored the Jazz 7-1 to start the final period and lead by 14.
Jeff Malone threw away an outlet pass and the rag-tag finish was on. Coach Jerry Sloan threw in the towel with 2:46 to go, sending in the subs and clearing the slate.
"No excuses," said the Mailman. "We just didn't play well."
While the Mailman struggled with the double-team, finishing with a sub-par 15 points - his season low was 13 against Phoenix - nobody had his best night. Aside from Tom Chambers' 19 points, the Jazz bench contributed only four points until the game was over and mop-up duty had begun.
"We struggled," Sloan said. "We have to get something from everyone. We have to be aggressive every night or we can't beat anyone."
Cleveland's Daugherty led all scorers with 26, while Price's three baskets in the final period helped seal the Jazz's fate. Hill had 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Mills added 14.
Meanwhile, the Jazz failed to put together four straight road wins - an accomplishment they have only done three times in history. The Jazz have never won five games on the same trip.
"Never have a great trip? You mean like 5-0?" said Jeff Malone. "A few teams have done it, but it's rare when that happens. I was just thinking the other day that we were 3-0 and maybe we could win this one and then go into San Antonio (Thursday) for a big game. But now we have to forget this and go down and play a big game anyway. Besides, 4-1 is a great trip if you ask me."
GAME NOTES: While the Jazz and Cavs normally play close games, last year the Jazz lost by 17 at Cleveland and by 14 this year (the Cavs' lead stretched to 19 at one point) . . . The Mailman played his first game this year with the lights off on his signature shoes . . . Jeff Malone played his 800th career game.