Stockton Has 23 Assists in Utah’s Victory

Karl Malone scored 33 points and Jeff Hornacek scored 30 on Thursday night, both totals in large part because John Stockton came within one assist of an NBA playoff record.

Stockton had 23 assists and the Utah Jazz rallied from an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter at Salt Lake City, beating Portland, 110-102.

Stockton shares the playoff record with Magic Johnson.

Malone got most of his points two at a time, largely because he struggled from the foul line. He missed 10 of 15 free throws.

“If we would have lost this ballgame, I would have felt the worst I’ve ever felt as a ballplayer because of all the missed free throws,” he said.

Malone hit 14 of 21 shots from the field.

“I didn’t play a good ballgame. To me, I played a so-so ballgame,” he said.

Hornacek’s three-point basket--his fourth of the game--with 52.8 seconds to play gave the Jazz a 104-97 lead and capped a 37-21 Utah run.

Bryon Russell added 12 points for the Jazz, who will try for a 2-0 advantage when the series resumes Saturday night.

Stockton had 11 points to go with his 23 assists.

Rod Strickland led Portland with 27 points, and Arvydas Sabonis had 26. Clifford Robinson scored 21 points.

Home-court advantage may well have helped. The Trail Blazers won 18 of their last 21 regular-season games, but have lost eight consecutive games at the Delta Center.

The game was close into the final three minutes. Malone scored on a pass from Hornacek for a 99-93 lead, but Strickland answered with a driving basket--Portland’s first field goal in more than five minutes.

Antoine Carr and Sabonis traded two free throws each, and Malone missed a shot with 1:16 to play to give Portland a chance to draw within two points.

But Robinson’s shot was blocked by Carr, and Stockton got his final assist on Hornacek’s three-point shot that put Utah up, 104-97.

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Atlanta 92, Indiana 80--Reggie Miller missed a playoff game for the first time in his nine-year career and the Pacers missed him.

Steve Smith scored 27 points, matching his playoff best, as the Hawks won in Indianapolis.

“I think they missed him a lot,” Smith said of the Pacers’ leading scorer, one of the NBA’s best outside shooters. Indiana didn’t have a go-to scorer in the fourth quarter and was held to 12 points in the period.

Miller, whose right eye socket was broken late in the regular season, watched in frustration from the bench.

Ricky Pierce and Travis Best replaced Miller, scoring 17 points on 5-for-15 shooting with no three-point baskets.

Atlanta had lost its previous 10 games in Market Square Arena.

Indiana was led by Rik Smits with 19 points.