It's just another game.
It's just another game.Say it enough times, maybe we'll believe it.
There are certainly players out there who believe a Utah-Seattle matchup is just another game, but it's unlikely they play for these teams. When the Jazz face the Sonics, it just feels different than, say, a Jazz-Bullets meeting. It feels more electric, more serious and, recently, more dominated by one team - Utah.
The Jazz downed the Sonics 99-95 on Wednesday night, before a national TV audience. It was Utah's third victory in three meetings with Seattle this season, and it gives the Sonics an 0-7 record against the West's three best teams - the Jazz, Rockets and Lakers.
The victory puts the Jazz alone atop the Midwest Division, heading into the All-Star break. And they're just a game and a half behind the Lakers in the race for the best record in the Western Conference.
"I hope this gives us a great start for the second half," said Jazz forward Karl Malone.
The folks in Seattle, meanwhile, are growing impatient with the Sonics, who just don't seem like the same team that went to the NBA Finals last season. Malone, however, said Seattle's record against good teams means little.
"We were like that last year, we were 1-7 or 1-8 or something against the best teams," he pointed out. "It doesn't mean a (heckuva) lot."
True, but it has to feel pretty good at the moment. And the way the Jazz defeated the Sonics would seem to bode well for the future - say, the postseason. In Utah's two previous wins over Seattle, bench play was the big difference; this time it was center play and clutch play.
Seattle's center tandem - Jim McIlvaine and Sam Perkins - made seven of 16 shots, producing 15 points and three rebounds. Perkins, who has caused the Jazz problems with his bizarre 3-point shot, missed all five of his 3-point attempts.
Jazz coach Jerry Sloan gave Greg Ostertag his first start in nearly three weeks, and it paid off. Ostertag made six of seven shots for 19 points, with 10 rebounds. And Antoine Carr made five of eight shots for 13 points, with three rebounds. That's 32 points, 13 boards out of the center position, a result that didn't go unnoticed by other Jazz players.
"That's really neat to see, because we haven't had that," Malone said. "Can you imagine if we got that out of the center position every night? Greg Ostertag needs to stop teasing us."
Ostertag said that's his goal.
"This felt good," he said. "But this is just one game. If I don't show up for the next game, it means absolutely nothing."
The key clutch performer was Malone. The Jazz trailed 87-84 with 4:20 left, when Malone hit a 19-footer. A minute later, with the Sonics up 89-88, Malone drilled another jumper. The next time downcourt, another Malone J.
Then Malone made the defensive play of the game. Trailing by one, the Sonics got the ball into Shawn Kemp in the low post. As Kemp turned toward the hoop, Malone slapped the ball out of his hands, off the Sonic forward's foot and out of bounds, Jazz ball.
With 27 seconds left and Utah up by one, John Stockton passed to Malone, who was guarded by Kemp. Malone started toward the hoop, and when Perkins came over to double-team, the Mailman hooked a pass over his head to Carr, who dunked and was fouled for a three-point play to clinch.
"They were trying to get to the ball and I kind of slipped away from them for a second," Carr said. "With Karl, if you're open, you're going to get the ball."
Malone led the Jazz with 26 points, hitting 11 of 19 shots, with seven rebounds, three steals. Stockton had 13 assists.
The Jazz get a few days off now - with the exception of Malone and Stockton, who are off to the All-Star Game. They'll resume regular-season play on Tuesday at Sacramento.