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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- With Karl Malone and John Stockton back at
their clinical, cool-headed best, the Utah Jazz put an end to Seattle's emotionally charged playoff run.
|  | | John Stockton stepped up with his best game of the series. He had 17 points, 15 assists and seven rebounds. |
Malone scored 27 points and every Utah starter reached double
figures as the Jazz beat Seattle 96-93 on Friday night to win the
first-round playoff series 3-2.
The Jazz played solid on both ends as a team, bearing no
resemblance to the fractured, bickering bunch that unraveled in the
fourth quarter Wednesday night in Game 4 in Seattle.
Utah came out focused this time.
"Whether the referees are right or wrong, whether the plays you
call are right or wrong, you have to maintain your concentration,"
Stockton said. "You can't let those things affect what you're
trying to do on the court."
Stockton, who had 17 points and 15 assists, hit two free throws
with nine seconds remaining to preserve the victory. Seattle had
pulled within 94-93 when Gary Payton flipped in a runner in the lane with 25 seconds to play.
The Sonics got a final chance, but Chuck Person's 3-point attempt bounced off the rim at the buzzer.
"I'd bet on him anytime," Seattle coach Paul Westphal said.
"He's a money shooter. He's made a lot of those in his career. He
gave it a good ride and it just didn't go in."
The victory sends Utah to a rematch with Portland in the Western
Conference semifinals. Last year, the Trail Blazers eliminated the
Jazz in six games.
Bryon Russell scored 16 points for Utah and helped limit Payton to 27 after he scored 35 in Game 4. Jeff Hornacek scored 14 for the Jazz and extended his 14-year NBA career by at least a few more weeks.
Olden Polynice, aside from missing two late free throws, had a big game for the Jazz. He scored 13, including a three-point play
with 5:41 remaining to give Utah an 86-83 lead and an emotional
burst.
"That was the only way we were going to win, to get everyone
involved," Polynice said. "When we get away from a team concept,
as we did the other night in Seattle, we're not going to win."
Fueled by a noisy capacity crowd of 19,911 at the Delta Center,
the Jazz wore down the Sonics with a swarming defense that held
Seattle to 43 percent shooting.
"Olden really hurt us," Westphal said. "He made some big
plays and our traps weren't as effective because they were able to
finish even if we took them out of their first options."
But Utah made it interesting.
Polynice gave the Sonics a final chance with 30.8 seconds
remaining when, with the Jazz trying to extend a 94-91 lead, he
missed two free throws -- shooting an airball on the second.
Payton set the tone for Game 5 when he buried a meaningless
3-pointer at the end of Game 4. Fans booed him almost every time he
touched the ball and bated him in the closing minutes with chants
of "Ga-ry, Ga-ry."
Still, Payton almost had the last laugh.
Payton drove past Utah center Greg Ostertag, but Stockton delivered when he was fouled on the other end. The Jazz also got an important late basket from Hornacek, who tipped in Malone's miss
with 1:44 to play for a 94-89 lead.
The Sonics trailed 79-70 going into the fourth quarter, but
Patterson and Payton combined on a 9-1 run that forced to Utah to
call a timeout with 8:12 remaining.
Twice more Seattle came within a point in the fourth, but Malone
kept the Sonics at bay with his turnaround jumper. Seattle's last
surge came when Payton and Rashard Lewis hit consecutive baskets to
pull within 92-89 with 2:06 to play.
Lewis scored 20 and Vin Baker had 17 for the Sonics.
The Jazz extended a 53-49 halftime lead when Hornacek scored the
first seven points of the third quarter. Payton scored two points
on 1-for-5 shooting in the period, with Russell swatting two of his
layup attempts.
"I don't know if you can take much credit when he goes on to
score 30 or something like that," Stockton said. "We didn't hold
him to anything. If he didn't score in one stretch, it's because he
decided not to."
Game notes
Utah coach Jerry Sloan passed Lenny Wilkens for fifth place
on the NBA's career list with 73 playoff victories. Sloan moved
into fifth on the list of playoffs games coached with 139, passing
K.C. Jones. ... Malone exchanged words with some courtside Sonics
fans after going after a loose ball late in the first half. One fan
held Malone when he tried to get up. ... Payton needs two 3-pointers to tie Sam Perkins for the franchise playoff record of 102. ... Jazz forward Adam Keefe missed the series after straining his right hamstring during warmups for Game 1. He sat on the bench for Game 5, wearing a business suit.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Seattle Clubhouse
Utah Clubhouse
RECAPS
Utah 96
Seattle 93
LA Lakers 113
Sacramento 86
AUDIO/VIDEO
 John Stockton says the Jazz have to get ready to play the Blazers.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Paul Westphal enjoys the watching the talent in the NBA.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Jerry Sloan feels fortunate to coach in Utah.
wav: 102 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Karl Malone talks about Utah's Game 5 victory over Seattle.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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