Jacque Vaughn's basketball team lost exactly twice last season.
He's not in Kansas anymore.Instead, Vaughn was off to play the Wizards, the Washington Wizards of Ahhs, Monday night in the Delta Center.
The Utah Jazz rookie's crash course in NBA basketball continued. Vaughn, in just his third regular-season NBA game, was playing at crunch time in a nail-biter against one of the league's best point guards. He didn't embarrass himself, but Washington's Rod Strick-land got the better of the battle.
The former Bullets earned their first-ever victory as the Wizards, 90-86, breaking a 14-game Jazz regular season winning streak at home dating back to last year. Both teams are now 1-2.
"I've already lost as many games this year as I lost during my entire senior season," said Vaughn, a former Kansas Jayhawk. "But that's life in the NBA, I guess. This is what I've looked forward to my entire life: to go against a Rod Strickland one night and then go against a Jason Kidd and Kevin Johnson the next. I've just got to learn from each experience."
Strickland taught Vaughn a thing or two Monday - most notably when he hit a 16-foot jumper to give the Wizards an 86-81 lead with 19 seconds remaining.
Still, Vaughn won some admirers on a night when he scored seven points - making 2-of-3 three-point bombs - and dished out six assists in 26 minutes.
"He didn't play like" a rookie, said Wizards coach Bernie Bickerstaff. "He's a guy who made some big shots."
Added Strickland, "Vaughn was playing well. He was getting them in their offense and doing some good things out there."
Vaughn played most of the fourth quarter in place of starter Howard Eisley, who had five fouls. Jazz coach Jerry Sloan could have put the more seasoned Eisley back in during the final few minutes. He chose not to, however, because Vaughn "deserved to be out there."
The Jazz trailed by nine points when Vaughn re-entered the game with 10:24 to play. Seven minutes later, with Vaughn still playing, the game was tied.
"He created a little energy for us and that was something we had been lacking," said Sloan.
But at least one Wizard thought that Utah having a rookie point guard in at the end helped them earn their first win of the year.
"Them playing Jacque Vaughn tonight instead of Howard (Eisley) surprised us and it helped us," said Chris Webber, who scored a game-high 26 points to go along with 13 rebounds.
Eisley, who is starting in place of the injured John Stockton, finished with five points and two assists. Three of his points came on a 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds remaining in the game, however, after Vaughn fouled out with 4.3 seconds left and the Wizards had the victory in hand.
Vaughn got a nice review from the reigning MVP, teammate Karl Malone, who finished with a team-high 21 points and 16 boards.
"Jacque's going to be a nice one," said the Mailman with a smile. "All our guards, as far as I'm concerned, did their job. It's the rest of us that need to pick it up."
Said Vaughn, "I just want to be an asset to the team. I just want to contribute. I was able to be a spark out there when we needed a little bit of a run. It showed a lot of confidence that (Sloan) knows I can do some good things for the ball club."
Vaughn's journey down the NBA's yellow brick road will continue Tuesday night when the Jazz face Johnson, Kidd and the rest of the Phoenix Suns at America West Arena.