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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) – The Utah Jazz packed up one
more victory before heading into the All-Star break.
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Karl Malone scored 10 of his 34 points in the final 5 minutes as
the Jazz beat the Vancouver Grizzlies 92-82 on Wednesday night.
Utah coach Jerry Sloan was concerned his veteran team might look
past the Grizzlies heading into the break. But the Jazz put Sloan's
worries to rest by winning their fifth straight and improving to
11-0 in Vancouver.
"We had had some guys that had already packed to go home before
they came to play. That's always a huge concern," Sloan said.
"We've been blessed with great players who are able to get the job
done."
Malone played the largest role in the victory.
With Utah leading 77-76, Malone sandwiched a pair of free
throws around four field goals for 10 consecutive points as the
Jazz broke the game open, moving to 20-1 lifetime against the
Grizzlies.
"We just executed, got some good looks and gave them one shot,
one opportunity on the other end," said Malone.
The Grizzlies used a strong defensive effort to stay in
contention. When Malone, John Stockton and Donyell Marshall, who
finished with 24 points, returned from a breather, the Jazz led
68-67 with 9:25 to play.
But the Grizzlies turned the ball over on three of their next
four possessions.
"We didn't play in the fourth quarter," Grizzlies coach Sidney
Lowe said. "We had one group which did well, but when we changed,
we lost something."
Michael Dickerson scored 27 for Vancouver, which had a modest
two-game home winning streak snapped.
Vancouver players will be thinking about basketball during the
break.
"Even though it's the All-Star break, guys are going to think
about basketball," Grizzlies veteran Grant Long said. "I don't
know how you could be in our current situation and not think about
how to somehow come back after the break and make things better."
Game notes
Utah was without guard John Starks, who left the team
earlier this week to attend his mother's funeral. ... Rookie
Stromile Swift played a season-high 31 minutes for Vancouver. .....
Stockton, who needed 17 points against Vancouver to pass Kevin
McHale into 54th spot on the league's all-time scoring list, scored
seven points Wednesday ... The loss was the Grizzlies' 22nd
straight against the Western Conference. Their last win over a
conference opponent was Nov. 29 against Phoenix. ... Attendance for
the first home date since Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley indicated
he may seek another home for his franchise: 13,240. The figure is
just below the club's average attendance for the season. Heisley
will meet with NBA commissioner David Stern during the All-Star
weekend to discuss the financial status of his franchise.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Utah Clubhouse
Vancouver Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 94
Milwaukee 91
Houston 112
Philadelphia 87
San Antonio 107
Cleveland 89
New York 96
Dallas 93
Orlando 107
Washington 98
Minnesota 117
Sacramento 88
Portland 97
Seattle 80
Golden State 89
LA Clippers 88
LA Lakers 85
Phoenix 83
Utah 92
Vancouver 82
FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Karl Malone Official Site
Bryon Russell Official Site
Mike Bibby Official Site
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