Pistons 104, Jazz 101
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- No, KJZZ did not make a mistake and show Friday night's Jazz game as a repeat on Sunday afternoon rather than the live one as scheduled. It just looked like the same game.Discerning viewers could tell that this overtime loss was different -- since the Jazz were wearing their purple uniforms in their 104-101 setback against the Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills as opposed to the black ones they donned during their OT loss to Charlotte on Friday.
The plot was eerily similar, though. Once again the Jazz missed layups and foul shots, but they still opened up a substantial lead only to blow it down the stretch. In both games, they allowed the home team -- and the home crowd -- to get back into it and missed a chance to win in regulation. And in both games, they lost in the extra period in heart-breaking fashion.
When Jerry Stackhouse nailed a 3-pointer at the overtime buzzer, the Pistons had handed the suddenly struggling Jazz their first back-to-back losses in 94 regular-season games dating back to Nov. 20, 1997.
The Jazz flew home Sunday night from their longest road trip of the year owning a 19-6 mark at the exact midway point of the abbreviated 50-game regular season. Their six-game winning streak of a few days ago seems like ancient history now.
The Pistons, who were down by as many as 20 points, improved to 14-11.
"We played better (than on Friday night), but that's no consolation because we still lost," said Karl Malone, who led the Jazz with 31 points and 12 rebounds.
The Jazz had been 18-0 this year in games in which they led after three quarters. They're now 18-2. The Jazz were up by 16 points -- at 76-60 -- at the end of three against the Pistons and appeared to be coasting to their 20th win of the year.
Instead, they became frustrated with the officiating and lost their composure and eventually their big lead.
The beginning of the end started with 1:05 remaining in the third quarter when, with the Jazz up 16, Greg Ostertag was whistled for a foul. He complained loudly and was hit with a technical. Ostertag continued to object with a few choice words and was hit with a second "T" and ejected for only the second time in his career.
Utah's displeasure with the officiating didn't stop there. Jazz coach Jerry Sloan was certain the Pistons were using an illegal defense nearly every time down the court. The refs, however, disagreed.
"I guess there is no such thing as illegal defense in this league anymore," Sloan said afterward with more than a little sarcasm in his voice.
Sloan had been on the officials for most of the game before Dee Kantner had heard enough from him a minute into the fourth quarter, slapping the Jazz coach with a technical. From that point on, the entire team seemed to be questioning every call, of which there were plenty. The Pistons went to the foul line 17 times in the fourth alone.
"I probably cost us that ball game when I got too carried away with the officiating," said Sloan.
"We started worrying more about other things than about what we should have been doing," said John Stockton. "Anytime you are complaining after every call, it's your fault. You lose concentration. There are going to be calls that are missed. That's the nature of the beast."
Malone was obviously displeased with the officiating but was wisely holding his tongue.
"As an athlete, you want to determine the outcome of a ball game," Malone said. "That's all I've got to say about (the officiating)."
But even if a few calls didn't go Utah's way, it was a game the Jazz should have won. Utah scored just two points in the final 2 1/2 minutes, on 2-for-4 shooting from the foul line.
A Bison Dele tip in with 46 seconds left knotted the game at 90. Neither team scored again in regulation. The Jazz had a shot at the buzzer when Jeff Hornacek got open on an in-bounds pass, but his off-balance 20-footer didn't fall.
The Pistons scored first in the overtime to take their first lead since 2-0. They eventually got up by five before the Jazz rallied to tie it at 101-101 on a Stockton left-handed layup with 12.1 seconds left in the extra period.
That set up the most dramatic three points of Stackhouse's game-high 32. Grant Hill, meanwhile, had a triple-double for the Pistons with 31 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists.
Stockton finished with 15 points and nine assists, while Bryon Russell also had 15 points before he fouled out in the overtime. Hornacek scored a dozen with eight assists.
"We played better overall then we did the other night, but a team that's supposed to be playing for a championship can't be satisfied with just improving," said Hornacek. "We should be winning these games."
The Jazz will try to get back on track Tuesday when they face the team with the best record in the East, the Miami Heat, in the Delta Center. Game time, to accommodate TNT television, will be 6 p.m., an hour earlier than usual.