Utah Stops 76ers’ Streak

Karl Malone spiced his 30-point scoring night with a sharp verbal exchange with Coach Jerry Sloan on Wednesday as the Utah Jazz defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, 98-84, at Salt Lake City.

John Stockton added 20 points and eight assists as the Jazz ended the 76ers’ seven-game winning streak.

After the game, Sloan sent assistant coach Phil Johnson to speak with reporters. Johnson said Sloan was ill. Asked about Sloan’s words with Malone at the end of the second quarter, Johnson said: “You’ll have to speak to the people involved.”

Malone, who spent 45 minutes in the training room after the game, refused to discuss what happened.

“I don’t have nothing to say about it,” he said.

Asked later whether his relationship with Sloan would recover, Malone said: “I don’t know. You’ll have to talk to everybody involved. I’m just going to play basketball.”

Malone was untouched on a layup with 1:09 before halftime but appeared to suffer a twisted right ankle. He fell and got up limping, and after Scott Padgett came in to replace him, Malone briefly had words with Sloan as he went to the bench.

The injury didn’t appear to slow Malone in the third quarter, when he scored 12 points.

Other Jazz players refused to discuss the incident between Malone and Sloan.

Denver 101, Washington 93--Nick Van Exel, who went scoreless on 0-for-7 shooting in the first half, found the range after halftime and finished with 26 points to lead the Nuggets at Washington.

Charlotte 98, Detroit 91--Anthony Mason had 22 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Hornets at Auburn Hills, Mich.

New York 110, Seattle 95--Allan Houston led a balanced attack with 19 points and Marcus Camby added 18 points and a career-high 19 rebounds for the Knicks at Seattle.

Cleveland 86, Chicago 81--Bob Sura scored 20 points to lead the Cavaliers at Chicago.

Around the League

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