They say it's the little things that make a difference in the NBA playoffs, but it doesn't hurt when the big things kick in, either.
Big things like Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone making an NBA playoff record 18 of 18 free throws en route to a 42-point effort.Or like Bryon Russell, the other Jazz forward, scoring a career-high 29 points.
Or like the Jazz outrebounding the bigger Lakers, 41-30, including an 11-5 edge on the offensive glass.
Those were just some of the things that made possible a 110-95 Jazz victory in Game 4 on Saturday at the Forum, giving Utah an almost insurmountable 3-1 lead in this best-of-seven series.
That the Jazz bounced back from Thursday's Game 3 debacle was no surprise, but that they bounced back so forcefully was impressive. From the opening minutes, Utah was the more aggressive, the more efficient, the more determined team.
"They'll have bad games," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said of his team, "but they'll come back and give you great effort."
While keeping the Laker players at bay, the Jazz also kept the crowd from becoming a huge factor. Every time the Lakers started to make a run and the fans started to get involved, the Jazz turned them away.
Laker center Shaquille O'Neal played easily his best game of the series, powering inside for 34 points against gimpy Jazz center Greg Ostertag, but the rest of the Lakers never got off the blocks.
Game 3 hero Nick Van Exel got into a shouting match with coach Del Harris two minutes into the game and stumbled to a 4-for-12 shooting effort.
Bench gunner Byron Scott, who scored 24 points in Game 2, contributed four points.
Rookie Kobe Bryant, who had been praised as capable of having his way with Jazz guard John Stockton after a 19-point effort in Game 3, missed six of nine shots, committed five turnovers and four fouls.
And so on. The only Lakers besides O'Neal to have games worth mentioning were Eddie Jones and Robert Horry, and their totals weren't exactly headline material.
A brawl was anticipated in this matchup, considering the way the Lakers boasted of pushing around the Jazz on Thursday, and the tendency the Jazz have for responding to such tactics. But there was little scuffling in this contest, and only one technical, on Utah's Chris Morris, for bumping chests with Bryant. After their bloodthirsty uprising of Game 3, the Lakers quietly slipped back into finesse mode.
"They came out in the third game and started knocking us around," Russell said. "We came out this time and said it wasn't going to happen."
The game started slowly, but then Laker forward Elden Campbell hit the bench after earning a second foul, followed closely by Van Exel, who sat down for what Harris said was a chat but which looked a lot more like a heated argument. With that pair out the Jazz scored 11 straight points, aided by two Bryant turnovers. Utah never trailed again.
Utah led 20-6 midway through the first quarter, before the Lakers went on a 16-3 run to finish the period down by just three, 25-22.
The Lakers tied the score at 27 early in the second quarter, but the Jazz started asserting themselves on the boards and pulled away with a 9-0 run.
Utah pushed its lead out to 18 midway through the third quarter, but with Malone on the bench after being hit with a fourth foul, the Lakers started to come back. As the Jazz suddenly couldn't hit a wide-open jumper, the Lakers closed the third period with a 12-4 surge.
The Jazz led 89-76 with 8:19 left when the Lakers made their final move. Bryant drilled a three, Jones drove the baseline for a three-point play, and Jones also nailed a three, and just like that it was a four-point game (89-85) and the crowd was rocking (finally).
But after a Jazz timeout Russell raced in, grabbed a missed shot and put it back in for a six-point lead. Jones then made one of two free throws, after which Malone scored six unanswered points. The Lakers got within six again on a jump hook by O'Neal, but Utah scored five straight points, including another out-of-nowhere putback by Russell, to clinch.
Another Utah player who deserves mention is Stockton. His boxscore line indicates a modest 11-point, 11-assist night, but he also had five rebounds and five steals, and he simply made the Jazz go. Just for comparison purposes, during the three stretches when Jazz backup point guard Howard Eisley was on the floor, L.A. outscored Utah, 23-7. That means when Stockton was out there, the score was Utah 103, L.A. 72.
"He keeps everything in control," Jazz guard Jeff Hornacek said of Stockton. "He did a great job."
Game 5 will be played on Monday at the Delta Center, and even though the Jazz are well-aware they have three chances to win this series, they're not ready to declare it over.
"I'll feel more in control when we win that fourth game," Hornacek said.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Utah Jazz vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Western Conference
playoff semifinals
(Utah leads series 3-1)
Game 1
Utah 93, L.A. Lakers 77
Game 2
Utah 103, L.A. Lakers 101
Game 3
L.A. Lakers 104, Utah 84
Game 4
Utah 110, L.A. Lakers 95
Game 5
Mon., L.A. at Utah, 8:30 p.m.
Game 6*
Weds., Utah at L.A., TBA
Game 7*
Sat., L.A. at Utah, TBA
*-if necessary