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Jazz Down 3-1 After Losing to Blazers in Game 4, 81-75
PORTLAND, OREGON (May 23, 1999) -- The Utah Jazz have the experience when it comes to pulling
out crucial playoff games. Tonight, the Portland Trail Blazers looked like the postseason
veterans down the stretch.
Isaiah Rider scored seven of his 24 points in the final 30 seconds as the Trail Blazers pushed
the two-time defending Western Conference champions to the brink of elimination with an
81-75 victory.
Utah fell into a 3-1 deficit in this semifinal series with Portland, which can clinch its first trip to
the conference finals since 1992 when it visits the Delta Center on Tuesday for Game Five.
The Jazz had a golden opportunity to even this series on the road, but failed to take
advantage of a questionable call and committed a pair of turnovers in the final minute.
With Utah down 72-70, John Stockton drove the lane and Greg Anthony stepped in front to
take the charge with 49 seconds left.
Rider blew past Adam Keefe and floated a lay-in over Shandon Anderson with 30 seconds
remaining to give the Blazers a 74-70 lead. Karl Malone, who was virtually invisible for
much of the game, answered with a jumper from the top of the key.
But Portland made its free throws down the stretch, including a pair by Jim Jackson with 21
seconds remaining. Stockton came back and slid around Jackson for a layup, with Jackson
getting called for a foul despite replays showing no contact.
Stockton sank the free throw to make it 76-75, but Portland got the in-bounds pass to
Rider, an 82 percent free throw shooter in the postseason. Rider stepped to the line with
14.7 seconds left and made both attempts.
Bryon Russell looked for Stockton on the ensuing in-bounds play but his pass ended up in
the hands of Rasheed Wallace. He got the ball back to Rider, who made Blazers fans
nervous by missing his first free throw before hitting the second to make it a two-possession
game with 8.6 seconds left.
Stockton then forced a 3-pointer that was well off the mark and Rider sealed the victory
with two free throws.
Rider made 10-of-12 free throws and the Blazers sank 33-of-42 overall, compared to a
16-of-26 effort by the Jazz. The team that has gone to the line more has won each game of
the series.
Malone managed just seven points through the first 40 minutes before finishing with 17. He
also added 11 rebounds, but Arvydas Sabonis grabbed 15 and led the bigger Blazers to a
44-34 edge on the glass.
Russell scored 17 points and Stockton had 16 and 10 assists for the Jazz, who faced a 2-1
deficit against Sacramento in the opening round. This time, they will have to win three straight
games facing elimination to get back to the conference finals.
UTAH (75)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Malone 43 8-15 1-4 3-11 6 4 17
Russell 41 5-12 6-7 0-6 0 5 17
Ostertag 12 0-3 0-2 0-2 0 1 0
Hornacek 21 2-5 1-2 0-2 1 4 5
Stockton 31 7-13 2-3 0-1 10 3 16
Eisley 17 2-5 3-4 0-2 1 3 7
Anderson 29 2-8 1-2 1-3 2 6 5
Fuller 14 0-3 0-0 0-2 0 4 0
Bailey 10 0-1 0-0 0-2 1 2 0
Keefe 22 3-5 2-2 1-3 0 3 8
Foster DNP - coach's decision
Vaughn DNP - coach's decision
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 240 29-70 16-26 5-34 21 35 75
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Percentages: FG-.414, FT-.615. 3-Point Goals:
1-8, .125 (Russell 1-5, Stockton 0-1, Eisley 0-1,
Anderson 0-1). Team rebounds: 13. Blocked shots:
4 (Anderson, Keefe, Ostertag, Russell).
Turnovers: 17 (Malone 5, Stockton 5, Keefe 2,
Anderson, Bailey, Hornacek, Ostertag, Russell).
Steals: 9 (Stockton 3, Hornacek 2, Russell 2,
Anderson, Keefe).
PORTLAND (81)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
B Grant 36 3-9 1-5 2-7 1 4 7
Wallace 25 1-5 0-0 1-3 1 5 2
Sabonis 35 5-8 4-4 0-15 0 2 14
Rider 33 6-18 10-12 1-5 1 2 24
Stoudamire 26 2-7 5-6 0-1 2 2 10
Augmon 19 0-1 4-6 3-3 0 2 4
Jackson 20 3-9 3-3 1-4 2 1 9
Anthony 22 2-4 0-0 0-2 3 1 5
Williams 15 0-3 4-4 0-1 0 2 4
Oneal 9 0-0 2-2 2-3 0 1 2
Cato DNP - coach's decision
G Grant DNP - coach's decision
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 240 22-64 33-42 10-44 10 22 81
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Percentages: FG-.344, FT-.786. 3-Point Goals:
4-10, .400 (Rider 2-3, Stoudamire 1-1, Jackson
0-2, Anthony 1-2, Williams 0-2). Team rebounds:
11. Blocked shots: 4 (Jackson, Oneal, Augmon,
Sabonis). Turnovers: 18 (Rider 5, Stoudamire 4, B
Grant 3, Anthony, Augmon, Oneal, Sabonis,
Wallace). Steals: 7 (Rider 2, Sabonis 2, Augmon,
B Grant, Wallace).
____________________________________________
Utah 11 24 23 17 - 75
Portland 20 18 18 25 - 81
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Technical fouls: Utah 3 (Bailey, 7:13 2nd;
Illegal Defense 2, 11:45 4th, 11:33 4th).
Portland 4 (Illegal Defense 3, 9:29 2nd, 6:00
4th, 3:37 4th; Wallace, 7:13 2nd). Flagrant
fouls: None. A: 20,720. T: 2:37. Officials:
Ronnie Nunn, Hue Hollins, Jim Clark.
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