Game 26: Tuesday night at the Delta Center
You live by the three, you die by the three. For most of the game the Miami Heat were living by the three -- making 10 as a team, including six by Tim Hardaway.But it was Bryon Russell's 3-pointer from the right angle with 4.7 seconds left -- his fourth of the night -- that proved to be the demise of the Heat.
When Miami wasn't casting long-range bombs, it was pushing and shoving and clawing like no team the Jazz had seen this year. Several Utah players admitted it was the most physical game of the year. The Jazz also appeared a step slower than usual after coming off a disappointing four-game trip -- their only Eastern swing of the year -- in which they lost the final two contests in overtime.
But despite trailing by as many as 10 points in the second half and eight in the fourth quarter, the Jazz showed as much heart as they've shown in any game all year and fought through it. Karl Malone once again struggled with his shot, but he came through with a dozen points in the final 7 1/2 minutes to lift the Jazz back in contention before Russell finished the Heat off. -- Loren Jorgensen
RECORDS: Jazz (20-6); Heat (19-7)
NEXT UP: Jazz at Vancouver, Friday, 8:30 p.m. at GM Place, KJZZ
1st 2nd
Jazz 18 Heat 27
Heat 14 Jazz 24
Russell 5 boards Stockton 6 points
3rd 4th
Heat 22 Jazz 27
Jazz 15 Heat 18
Hardaway 9 points Malone 12 points
FG FT Reb
MIAM Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts
Askins 17 1-3 0-0 0-0 0 1 3
Brown 23 3-6 0-0 1-4 1 6 6
Mourning 39 5-14 1-4 2-13 1 5 11
Majerle 44 2-7 0-0 0-5 5 3 6
Hardaway 41 12-23 0-0 0-3 6 2 30
Porter 29 4-7 2-2 0-1 4 2 11
Weatherspoon 25 4-8 0-0 1-4 0 0 8
Edwards 13 1-3 0-0 0-0 0 1 2
Causwell 9 2-2 0-0 2-3 0 4 4
Totals 240 34-73 3-6 6-33 17 24 81
Percentages: FG .466, FT .500. 3-Point Goals: 10-23, .435 (Hardaway 6-13, Majerle 2-5, Askins 1-2, Porter 1-3). Team Rebounds: 7. Blocked Shots: 6 (Mourning 4, Brown, Edwards). Turnovers: 15 (Hardaway 6, Mourning 4, Brown 2, Causwell, Weatherspoon, Edwards). Steals: 9 (Majerle 3, Hardaway 2, Mourning, Brown, Porter, Edwards). Technical Fouls: None. Illegal Defense: None.
FG FT Reb
UTAH Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts
Russell 39 5-12 3-3 0-7 1 1 17
Malone 40 6-21 11-14 7-15 1 1 23
Ostertag 35 1-4 2-2 2-6 1 2 4
Hornacek 36 3-8 2-2 0-5 4 4 8
Stockton 32 5-8 0-0 2-5 8 2 12
Eisley 18 2-5 2-2 0-1 5 1 7
Bailey 8 2-4 0-0 0-1 0 0 4
Anderson 12 1-4 0-0 0-0 0 0 2
Keefe 7 2-6 0-0 1-1 0 0 4
Foster 4 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 2 0
Fuller 9 1-2 1-2 1-3 0 1 3
Totals 240 28-74 21-25 13-44 20 14 84
Percentages: FG .378, FT .840. 3-Point Goals: 7-12, .583 (Russell 4-6, Stockton 2-2, Eisley 1-1, Hornacek 0-3). Team Rebounds: 8. Blocked Shots: 6 (Ostertag 3, Russell, Hornacek, Bailey). Turnovers: 14 (Stockton 3, Hornacek 3, Malone 3, Anderson 2, Eisley, Bailey, Fuller). Steals: 3 (Russell 2, Stockton). Technical Fouls: None. Illegal Defense: None.
A--19,911 (19,911). T--2:14.
Officials--Mike Mathis, Gary Benson, Greg Willard.