Jazz Escape a 1st Round Knock-Out. Beat Kings in Overtime in Game 5, 99-92

SALT LAKE CITY (May 16, 1999) -- There was nothing strange about the Utah Jazz needing overtime to defeat the Sacramento Kings. What was strange was that they did not need Karl Malone and John Stockton.

In the fifth overtime meeting between the teams this season, the experience of the Jazz was too much for the exuberance of the Kings in a 99-92 victory in Game Five of the Western Conference first-round series.

That experience came not from superstars Malone and Stockton but from young veterans Bryon Russell and Shandon Anderson. Russell scored 16 points, including the tying 3-pointer with 48 seconds left in regulation. Anderson scored seven of his 16 points in overtime.

Malone collected 20 points and 12 rebounds but made only 6-of-19 shots. Stockton had 12 points and 14 assists but was just 1-of-12 from the field. With Utah's season in the balance, they scored zero points in the fourth quarter and no baskets in overtime.

Nevertheless, the Jazz survived the first round for the second straight year and advanced to the conference semifinals, where they will face the Portland Trail Blazers beginning Tuesday. Last year, Utah won Games Four and Five against Houston and turned the same trick on Sacramento.

The Kings forced the Jazz to overtime in all three meetings in the regular season and won Game Three in overtime. But they were beaten by Stockton's last-second jumper at home in Game Four and came up just short again today, as Vlade Divac's hook bounced away at the regulation buzzer.

Jeff Hornacek scored 18 points for the Jazz, who have reached the NBA Finals each of the last two years.

The Kings did not rely on their stars, either. Vernon Maxwell scored 22 points and Jon Barry added 14 as the reserve guards rallied Sacramento.

Star forward Chris Webber had 12 points and 14 rebounds but no field goals after the third quarter. Rookie sensation Jason Williams barely played in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Maxwell and Barry scored 18 of Sacramento's 21 fourth-quarter points. Consecutive drives by Maxwell and Barry gave the Kings an 80-79 lead with 4:06 left. Webber made a free throw and Russell sank a jumper before Maxwell made a 3-pointer for an 84-81 lead with 2:07 left.

Hornacek had a layup and two free throws around a drive by Barry, and Divac made a hook to give Sacramento an 88-85 lead with a minute to go. But Russell got free in the right corner and tied it 12 seconds later.

In overtime, Anderson had a pair of inside hoops around a jumper by Maxwell before the Kings committed turnovers on three straight possessions. Utah turned the miscues into a free throw by Stockton, two foul shots by Malone and another inside basket by Anderson for a 97-90 lead with 1:36 left.

Divac, who had 15 points and 10 boards, made two free throws to cut the deficit to five points before throwing away a pass with 35 seconds left. Sacramento committed five turnovers in overtime.

The Jazz shot 39 percent (33-of-84) from the field and made 31-of-34 free throws. They held a 46-43 edge on the glass.

Tariq Abdul-Wahad scored 11 points for the Kings, who shot 41.5 percent (34-of-82) but made only 6-of-29 3-pointers, including 15 straight misses during one stretch. Sacramento also missed 12 of 30 free throws.

The Kings apparently felt they had to show they would not be pushovers, but pushing back cost them. Malone and Corliss Williamson received technical fouls after wrestling each other to the floor on a rebound 80 seconds into the game. Just 25 seconds later, Webber received a technical when he argued a traveling call.

Meanwhile, the Jazz raced to a 16-3 lead on Hornacek's jumper with 6:30 remaining in the first quarter and appeared on their way to running the Kings out of the Delta Center, as they did in Game One.

However, Sacramento stabilized and rallied behind its bench. Maxwell scored seven points to keep Utah from running away and Barry and Predrag Stojakovic had 3-pointers in a 13-2 run. The Kings took a 29-28 lead on a jumper by Stojakovic with 10 minutes to go in the second quarter.

Sacramento stayed close until Williams lost his cool at the end of the first half. He committed three straight fouls on Stockton, then was whistled for a technical. Stockton made all seven free throws as part of a 9-2 run that gave Utah a 52-42 halftime lead.

Malone's jumper gave Utah a 72-61 lead before Sacramento scored the final six points of the third quarter.

SACRAMENTO (92)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Webber          47  5-17   2-5  4-14  3  3   12
C Williamson    20   3-6   2-4   3-4  0  3    8
Divac           48  4-11  7-10  2-10  5  5   15
Abdul-wahad     17   4-8   3-6   3-4  0  2   11
J Williams      25   1-6   0-0   1-2  3  5    2
Barry           38  6-12   0-0   2-3  2  3   14
Hawkins          1   0-0   0-0   0-0  0  0    0
Maxwell         29  8-15   3-4   0-1  0  4   22
Pollard         11   0-0   0-0   0-2  1  1    0
Stojakovic      29   3-7   1-1   2-3  0  5    8
Funderburke    DNP - coach's decision
James          DNP - coach's decision
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         265 34-82 18-30 17-43 14 31   92
_______________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.415, FT-.600. 3-Point Goals:
6-29, .207 (Webber 0-2, Divac 0-1, Abdul-wahad
0-1, J Williams 0-4, Barry 2-8, Maxwell 3-9,
Stojakovic 1-4). Team rebounds: 11. Blocked
shots: 6 (Pollard 2, Webber, Barry, Divac,
Abdul-wahad). Turnovers: 20 (Webber 5, Divac 4,
Barry 3, C Williamson 3, Stojakovic 2,
Abdul-wahad, J Williams, Maxwell). Steals: 11
(Webber 4, Barry 2, Divac 2, J Williams, Pollard,
Stojakovic).

UTAH (99)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Malone          48  6-19   8-9  3-12  2  4   20
Russell         41  7-13   0-0   0-5  2  4   16
Ostertag         6   0-0   0-0   2-3  0  3    0
Hornacek        35  5-12   8-8   3-6  1  3   18
Stockton        37  1-12 10-11   2-5 14  3   12
Anderson        32  7-10   2-2   3-6  2  2   16
Bailey          10   2-3   0-0   1-1  0  1    4
Eisley          21   1-5   2-2   0-0  3  1    4
Foster          23   3-6   0-0   1-2  0  3    6
Fuller           9   1-4   1-2   2-4  0  5    3
Keefe            3   0-0   0-0   0-2  0  1    0
Vaughn         DNP - coach's decision
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         265 33-84 31-34 17-46 24 30   99
_______________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.393, FT-.912. 3-Point Goals:
2-6, .333 (Russell 2-4, Hornacek 0-1, Anderson
0-1). Team rebounds: 14. Blocked shots: None.
Turnovers: 20 (Malone 5, Ostertag 4, Anderson 2,
Eisley 2, Bailey, Foster, Hornacek, Keefe,
Stockton). Steals: 11 (Russell 4, Hornacek 2,
Malone 2, Anderson, Eisley, Foster).
_________________________________________________
Sacramento         21   21   25   21    4  -   92
Utah               28   24   20   16   11  -   99
_________________________________________________
Technical fouls: Sacramento 4 (C Williamson,
10:40 1st; Webber, 10:15 1st; Illegal Defense,
5:38 2nd; J Williams, 0:51 2nd).  Utah 2 (Malone,
10:40 1st; Illegal Defense, 10:12 2nd). Flagrant
fouls: None.  A: 19,911. T: 2:53. Officials: Dick
Bavetta, Jack Nies, Hue Hollins.

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