Utah Defeats Clippers in First Exhibition

Karl Malone scored 24 points Wednesday night as the Utah Jazz defeated the Clippers, 123-85, in a National Basketball Assn. exhibition opener before a crowd of 4,650 at Cedar City, Utah.

“We looked exactly like what I thought we’d look like with just five days of practice and with a new coach, new players and a new system,” Clipper Coach Gene Shue said after the game.

The Jazz led at halftime, 59-46, and pulled away with a 14-4 spurt in the third quarter. Utah outscored the Clippers, 37-17, in the fourth period.

Mike Woodson led the Clippers with 13 points, while Benoit Benjamin had 6 points, 6 rebounds and 5 blocked shots.