A hot topic at Wednesday morning's Utah Jazz practice was the shooting ability of Robert Horry.
As in: Where did it come from? Horry made an NBA playoff record seven of seven three-point shots against the Jazz in Game 2. The Jazz wouldn't have been surprised if he'd buried a couple of long bombs, but seven? It was, as Jazz assistant coach Gordon Chiesa noted, a "career night.""For the season, he was shooting 32 percent from the three-point line," Chiesa said. "And he didn't try one in the first game."
The Jazz anticipated that Horry might try some threes - but apparently not enough to stop him once he got started. In Game 3 on Thursday night at the Forum, they'll try to make him change his game.
"We need make him become a driver, not a stand-still jump shooter," Chiesa said. "Or make him take a deeper three."
While taking Horry into account, however, the Jazz defensive game plan will continue to focus on Laker center Shaquille O'Neal.
"The big thing with O'Neal is to change the rotation, show him different looks, don't let him see the same thing and get comfortable," Chiesa said.
HIGH HOPES: The Jazz bristled at the suggestion that they might be going to Los Angeles looking for a split of their two games.
"I'm not going in there to lose one at all," said Jazz forward Bryon Russell. "I'm going in there to play hard."
"I never hope to come away with anything except a win," said Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. "We know how difficult they're going to be, but we have to go play as hard as we can."
SHORT STUFF: Interesting that Utah's Karl Malone was called for three seconds twice in Game 2. They both appeared to be good calls, but how is it the officials can see Malone camping in there and not notice the behemoth O'Neal taking up residence on the other end?
And speaking of officials, veteran ref Hue Hollins put on an uncharacteristically unprofessional performance in Game 2. When fans got after him in the second quarter, instead of ignoring them, he said to them, "Quiet, quiet, quiet." When that didn't silence them, he made mock crying gestures at them. He also reportedly insulted one fan's parentage while leaving the court at halftime.
Chiesa said young Jazz center Greg Ostertag has benefited from his surroundings. "He is blessed being on a good team," he said. "Never underestimate that on a young player. On a lesser team, they still think they're on scholarship."
Asked why the Jazz drafted Ostertag two years ago, after a slew of teams had passed him over, Chiesa said, "Because most times in the draft people say what a guy can't do. And (director of basketball operations) Scott Layden, to his credit, focuses on what a guy can do."
Ostertag on playing against O'Neal: "He wants to dunk you with it everytime he goes up. When he bangs into you with his shoulder, it hurts sometimes. It takes the breath out of you."
Antoine Carr, on how he was able to handle the pressure of two late-game free throws in Game 2: "It was something my high school coach used to do to us all the time. He'd put you on the line, try to freeze you and do all kinds of weird things to throw you off. This time it came in handy."
Ostertag, on the way the officials called Game 2: "They didn't allow me to play him the same (as in Game 1). When I have the opportunity to play him and get a hand up on him, I bother his shots. There's not a lot of guys whose shots I don't bother, when I get a hand up."
Malone, on whether the Jazz would have fouled O'Neal if the ball had gone to him on the last play of Game 2: "No question. All of us."