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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Defense. Teamwork. Unselfish play. This is
how Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan likes to see his team perform.
|  | | A Jazz fan takes sides in the Kobe-Shaq squabble. |
John Starks and John Stockton each scored 21 points and Karl
Malone had 20 as the Utah Jazz beat the Los Angeles Lakers 111-103
on Saturday night in an emotional Western Conference showdown.
Donyell Marshall scored 18 points in his third straight start,
replacing the injured Bryon Russell. And with the Jazz getting a
two-day break last week before returning to practice on Friday,
everyone was rested.
"We had a lot of people play well," Sloan said. "We shot the
ball better for the most part and I thought our energy level seemed
to be a little higher after we had a few days off."
Shaquille O'Neal led the Lakers with 30 points and Kobe Bryant
had 27, a near-even split in the scoring column for the superstars
whose feud over their roles in the offense became public last week.
O'Neal didn't want to talk afterward. He strolled through a
throng of reporters in the Los Angeles locker room, headphones
covering his ears with the music turned up.
Yet while O'Neal and Bryant put up their usual numbers, the Jazz
got a more balanced effort, especially from their second unit.
Jacque Vaughn came off the bench for 12 points and Utah
outplayed the Lakers even when it was Vaughn, Danny Manning, Greg
Ostertag, David Benoit and DeShawn Stevenson on the floor.
"You can't outscore Utah at home, especially after they've had
four days rest," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "We came out and
they really beat us to the ball. The game was won in the first five
minutes of the third quarter."
It was a tiring week for the Lakers, who dealt with distractions
from Bryant and O'Neal before getting a hard-fought victory over
Cleveland on Friday night at the Staples Center.
"The Jazz did an excellent job," said Bryant, who shot
8-for-24. "We were definitely trying to win, not think about the
past. They got certain criticals in pressure situations, plays we
wanted to execute that we didn't execute."
The Jazz maintained a 10-point lead through much of the last 20
minutes and held off the Lakers down the stretch. Utah hit 10 of 14
free throws and held a 14-9 rebounding advantage in the fourth
quarter.
Starks scored 15 first-half points on 7-for-9 shooting as Utah
built a 58-55 lead at the break. After hitting a jumper with one
minute to play, he waved at a cluster of gold-clad L.A. fans in the
arena's upper deck.
"It was a good performance. I wanted to come out and be
aggressive," Starks said. "The difference tonight was just being
focused and playing a relaxed ball game. I thought we all played a
relaxed ball game."
His 21 points were a season high.
The scene at the Delta Center was reminiscent of a playoff game,
with fans vocally badgering the Lakers at every opportunity and
screaming in delight each time O'Neal or Bryant was called for a
foul.
The Jazz expected a physical game and refused to be intimidated.
After Utah built a 71-59 lead midway through the third, O'Neal and
Olden Polynice got into a shoving match under the Lakers' basket.
It started when O'Neal drove the lane and Polynice wrapped him
in an arm lock to prevent a dunk. The two locked up under the
standard before Polynice was called for a flagrant foul and double
technicals were assessed.
"Maybe he felt I hit him too hard, but I've got to play the way
I can," Polynice said. "It's all part of the game. I wanted him
to know I'm not backing down."
Fans howled in protest and Jazz owner Larry Miller even left his
courtside seat to vent his frustration, yelling at officials as
they huddled near midcourt to sort everything out.
Bryant and O'Neal showed no outward signed of their feud.
Following the trend the Lakers usually show, O'Neal did most of the
scoring in the first half and Bryant found his range in the second.
But ultimately, the Jazz simply outplayed the Lakers. Utah's
second unit, led by the speedy Vaughn, saw significant minutes in
the second half and matched or beat the defending champs on almost
every possession.
Game notes
Shortly after his third-quarter faceoff with Polynice,
O'Neal collided with a television cameraman under Utah's basket.
Emergency medical personnel attended as the game continued. ...
Russell, who missed his second straight game with a bone chip and
sprained right ankle, isn't expected to return until a Jan. 21 game
against Phoenix. ... The Lakers have lost two of their last three.
... Stockton, at 6-foot-1, 175-pounds, wrestled a rebound from the
7-1, 320-pound O'Neal. Asked how he did it, Stockton smiled and
said: "Must have had it first."
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
LA Lakers Clubhouse
Utah Clubhouse
Magic to feuding stars: It's all about the winning
RECAPS
Phoenix 103
Dallas 86
New York 91
Portland 78
Atlanta 108
LA Clippers 88
Indiana 87
Miami 71
Orlando 111
Golden State 94
Philadelphia 100
San Antonio 83
Sacramento 84
Houston 81
Milwaukee 115
New Jersey 81
Utah 111
LA Lakers 103
Vancouver 119
Cleveland 107
FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Karl Malone Official Site
Bryon Russell Official Site
Kobe Bryant Official Site
Rick Fox Official Site
Mark Madsen Official Site
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