NBA PLAYOFFS : Jazz Gets the Jump on SuperSonics

The Utah Jazz couldn’t have chosen a better time to solve its problems at Delta Center against Seattle.

The Jazz were an NBA-best 37-4 at home during the regular season, but two of those losses were to the SuperSonics at Delta Center. Wednesday night, however, Utah rode Karl Malone’s 30 points to a 108-100 victory in the opener of their Western Conference semifinal.

“What happened in the past doesn’t mean anything,” Coach Jerry Sloan said. “Everything fell in place for us tonight.”

Malone, who also grabbed 10 rebounds, credited the Jazz defense against the SuperSonics.

“It was definitely the key for us. Defense wins ballgames,” said Malone, who scored 16 points in Utah’s 35-point fourth quarter. “As a whole, I think it’s the best we’ve played in a while.”

Seattle Coach George Karl, whose team led, 74-73, going into the final 12 minutes, said his players seemed tired as the game wound down--despite not having played since April 30, when it finished dispatching Golden State, three games to one.

Utah last played Monday, defeating the Clippers in the decisive fifth game of their first-round series. The Jazz won all three of their home games against the Clippers and lost twice on the road.

“They seemed to have more energy than we did in the fourth quarter,” Karl said. “They did a good job on defense against us.”

Reserve Tyrone Corbin scored 23 points and Jeff Malone 22 for Utah, which plays host to the SuperSonics again Friday night in the second game of the best-of-seven series. Games 3 and 4 are in Seattle.

Derrick McKey had 20 points and Shawn Kemp 19 for the SuperSonics. John Stockton had 16 points and 15 assists for the Jazz.

Seattle’s small margin at the beginning of the fourth quarter was short-lived as Karl Malone made a basket and four foul shots in an 8-0 run. Nate McMillan’s 20-footer and Ricky Pierce’s breakaway pulled the SuperSonics to 81-78 with 9:02 left, but they got no closer.

The Jazz led by 14 points in the third quarter after a 12-4 run capped by David Benoit’s dunk. But McKey scored six points and Eddie Johnson five as Seattle closed the quarter by scoring 17 of the last 19 points for a one-point lead.

Utah led, 29-25, after the first quarter before Johnson’s 17-footer and McMillan’s steal and unmolested layup tied the score.

After Seattle took the lead, 39-38, on Dana Barros’ basket, the Jazz countered with a 17-6 run, with Stockton driving the lane for three field goals. Jeff Malone made a technical foul shot on an illegal defense call against Seattle, along with two baskets, including a 14-footer that gave Utah a 55-45 lead less than three minutes before halftime.

Kemp’s tip-in and a pair of foul shots by Johnson closed the gap to 57-51 at halftime.