Old Jazz Survives to See New Day

The proud old Utah Jazz looked more proud than old Sunday, staving off elimination with an 88-85 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Although Portland still leads the series, three games to one, the Jazz at least maintained its track record of never being swept in a best-of-seven series.

Now Utah faces some discouraging history: The Jazz has lost its past 13 playoff games in Portland, the site of Game 5 on Tuesday.

However, the coaches and players took encouragement in the way the team responded to this adverse situation, playing with the energy and heart that was glaringly absent in previous games.

“It’s no fun getting beat, whether it’s a series or one game,” said Utah point guard John Stockton, who had his best game of the series with 18 points. “So it’s really what you have to dig down and find.

“This is the first time we’ve been that close to being swept. But that’s really nothing to shout about. We can’t be pleased with, quote, not being swept.”

The Jazz hustled for loose balls. On defense, players made the effort to help out instead of watching Portland exploit one-on-one mismatches.

On offense, Utah was back to moving without the ball and setting screens. That led to open looks at the basket and 53% shooting through the first three quarters.

Utah’s maligned reserves held their own against the Portland bench in the second quarter, allowing Malone to rest for three minutes and Stockton to sit out the first six minutes of the quarter.

Malone and Stockton returned with Utah’s lead intact and took over from there, combining to score eight of Utah’s final 11 points of the first half. Utah led by five at halftime and by as many as 11 in the second half.

Portland stayed in the game because of Utah’s inability to make free throws. The Jazz was 23 of 34 (68%). Bryon Russell made only six of 11 free throws and even Jeff Hornacek--who missed only nine in 180 attempts during the regular season--missed two.

The Trail Blazers looked a little less dominant than they did in Games 2 and 3.

They could have gone home and laughed at the Lakers’ struggles in Phoenix, but instead they must prepare for another game.

They shot 38%. Scottie Pippen made only two of nine field-goal attempts and Damon Stoudamire was three for 11. They committed 17 turnovers.

“Those are all the ingredients to a bad mixture as far as a recipe for winning,” Portland Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “We had a recipe for losing today.”

The Trail Blazers started forcing shots instead of going to obvious mismatches. They also got caught up in peripheral events.

Pippen and Jazz center Olden Polynice went jaw-to-jaw in the first half and drew a double-technical.

The battle continued in the post-game interviews, when Polynice said, “I don’t care how many rings somebody has, they’re not going to talk to me that way.” Pippen, who spent all but two minutes of the final quarter on the bench, described Polynice’s 12 points and 11 rebounds thusly: “Olden Polynice surprised everybody in the world--including himself.”

In the third quarter, Portland’s energy was focused on trying to keep Rasheed Wallace from picking up his second technical foul and an automatic ejection. Even the normally placid Steve Smith got caught up in a little battle with Hornacek.

Portland, led by Brian Grant, finally made its run with 6 1/2 minutes left in the game.

Grant’s 20-point, 13-rebound resurgence after shooting 30% in the first seven games was Portland’s only bright spot.

Wallace made a layup and added a free throw. Grant, active on both ends of the court, rebounded Greg Anthony’s miss and scored. On Portland’s next possession, Anthony fed Grant for a dunk and the Trail Blazers were within one, 81-80.

A missed three-point shot by Russell gave the Trail Blazers an opportunity to take the lead, but Utah’s defense tightened.

The Jazz forced two turnovers and a long three-pointer by Smith that missed, while Malone scored four points and Russell drove the baseline for a dunk.

Smith, who scored 18 of his 19 points in the first half, had a chance to pull the Trail Blazers to within one when he went to the free-throw line with 14.3 seconds remaining, but he missed his first shot. He made the second to make it 87-85.

Armen Gilliam stepped to the line with 6.7 seconds left, made one of two, and left Portland with a chance to take a game-tying three-pointer.

But Anthony’s shot from the corner missed as time expired.

The Jazz had survived, and put the obituaries on hold. They heard all of the early eulogies.

“That this was over, that we’re too old,” Polynice said. “People talking about, ‘It’s so sad, watching them go out like this.’ I’m like, ‘We’re not done yet.’

“It’s only in sport that a 35-, 36-year-old is old. We’re not old.”

Just ask the 36-year-old Malone, who scored 27 points Sunday.

Utah’s task in Portland is simple: “You’ve got to have pride once again,” he said.