He Tables Complaint, Pounds Clippers : Jazz: Angered by questionable call, Karl Malone shows restraint after hitting press table and destroying TV microphone.

Karl Malone was furious.

And when a man with biceps the size of Malone’s is angry, you’d better take cover.

Angry after being called for a questionable foul on Clipper center James Edwards late in the third quarter of Sunday’s NBA playoff game against the Clippers, Malone took out his frustration by pounding his fist on a padded press table, destroying a TV microphone. Malone, who drew a technical foul, will gladly pay the automatic $100 fine.

“I knew when I got (the technical) that I couldn’t do anything silly and get another one,” Malone said. “Sometimes technical fouls help me.”

Malone took out his anger on the Clippers, scoring 32 points as the Jazz won, 103-92, before 19,911 fans at the Delta Center to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

“When I got the technical I got more intense within myself,” Malone said. “I wanted to make something happen. I think in the past maybe I would have gotten another technical and gotten kicked out. But I realized that when I get one technical I can’t get another one.

“I know I can’t go out and do anything crazy. But I picked it up a notch within myself. Not being cocky and conceited, but when I go out and play the game I really don’t worry about what another guy does to me.

“I’m a professional athlete, and I know all the stops will be pulled out in this series. I’m not into it to try and go out and do something to a player. I can take whatever they do. But sometimes you get frustrated. I’d rather do something within myself and get a $100 fine than do something silly and to get them motivated and get a $30,000 fine. It’s not worth it to me in my career.”

The Clippers had trouble stopping Malone, who made seven of 19 shots, sank 18 of 22 free throws and grabbed 13 rebounds in 45 minutes.

Clipper center Olden Polynice, one of the players assigned to check Malone, maintains he’s one of the few in the NBA who can effectively guard Malone.

“(Guarding Malone) is a monster job,” Polynice said. “You’ve got to get paid double for that. The thing about him that makes him such a special player is the fact that he has quickness with that strength. I just try to be one step ahead of him mentally. With his quickness, I know if I try to stay on his level, nine times out of 10 he’ll go by me or his spin moves will be a lot quicker.

“So I try to anticipate what he’s going to do, and I think I’ve been successful doing that. He’s an incredible player, because he’s so strong and so quick. But I think there’s way of limiting him.”

If there’s a way of limiting Malone, the NBA’s second-leading scorer behind Michael Jordan, the Clippers have yet to accomplish it in this series. He has scored 32 points in each game.

But Utah’s other Malone--Jeff Malone--has been almost as productive against the Clippers.

“I think people get the Malones mixed up,” Karl Malone said. “We’ve got two Malones on this team. But I think what people really need to realize is that Jeff Malone is an underrated player. When you think of Malone you can’t think of one anymore.”

After scoring 29 points as the Jazz beat the Clippers by 18 points in the opening game of the series, Jeff Malone scored 24 points Sunday.

“You expect Karl to be great every night,” Clipper Coach Larry Brown said. “He gives a great effort and he’s fun to watch play.

“Jeff? He’s been phenomenal. I mean he’s doing it at both ends of the court.”

Matched against Clipper guard Ron Harper, Jeff Malone made 11 of 21 shots and two of three free throws.

Jeff Malone has also done a good job of checking Harper, who has made 14 of 35 shots in the first two games of the series. After making five of 11 shots and scoring 12 points in the Game 1, Harper made nine of 24 and scored 20 points Sunday.

“Ron’s talented and he’s tough,” Jeff Malone said. “He’s a great open-court player, so they’re certain ways I have to play him.”