This Time, Lakers Ring Out Jazz in End, 82-71

Civilizations have risen and fallen waiting for the Utah Jazz to get old, but it was a worn and weary band that wandered into this town without pity Wednesday night.

The Jazz was coming off a stretch of four victories and five losses in 15 days, with the mighty Karl Malone slumping to boot, and the Lakers fell upon their ancient enemy, finishing Utah off with glee, if not dispatch, showing they can, too, play defense the way they did last season in a nitty, gritty--OK, ugly--82-71 victory at Staples Center.

Malone, looking more like a dead Mailman walking, had averaged 15 points and missed 40 of 62 shots in his preceding four games. Wednesday, he had 14 points and missed another 11 of 14 shots.

In an ultra-rare concession, the hard-bitten Jazz coach, Jerry Sloan, noted before the game that he isn’t running many youngsters out there.

“We’re playing a 38, almost 39-year-old point guard [John Stockton],” said Sloan, “and a power forward [37-year-old Malone] who’s a little bit older and they’re probably not as lively as they used to be. But they still know how to play. But it’s important--energy shouldn’t have to come from guys that old.”

Guys that old should have been watching this game on TV, not playing in it, but this is the Jazz. This team always battles back, or at least it always has.

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 31 points. Shaquille O’Neal had 24 with 17 rebounds and five blocks before fouling out with 6:10 left.

On his way out, O’Neal noted his displeasure to the refereeing crew and, in what is rapidly becoming a tradition in Laker games, was then ejected, on top of it.

The Lakers led, 64-57, when O’Neal departed and 64-62 soon thereafter, when the unlikely Robert Horry lightning struck again.

Horry, who led the Lakers to an overtime victory over the Clippers last week with O’Neal and Bryant out, scored six fast points as the Lakers went on a 18-6 run to put the game away.

Not that the Jazz is ever a bunch of laughs, but an even grimmer-than-usual Utah team showed up Wednesday night.

“We just haven’t had a great effort out of everybody,” Sloan said before the game. “Obviously, we’ve depended on a couple of guys for a long time, and it’s important our other guys step up and play harder when they’re having a tough time.”

That was how it started out for the Jazz, with other guys--mostly small forward Bryon Russell, the Cal State Long Beach alum who’s having his best season--knocking in 10 of his 16 points in the first quarter and getting his team off to a flying start.

The Jazz had a 7-0 lead before the Lakers scored, 3:13 into the game--on a free throw by Bryant--after turning the ball over in three of their first five possessions.

After that, the Jazz had a little problem putting points on the board too.

Try 21 more points--total--in the last 21 minutes of the half. Once a point a minute meant you were a machine on offense, but that was in the ‘40s and ‘50s. Of the last century.

It wasn’t the kind of game that made Showtime famous, but the Lakers did play tough defense. O’Neal gave a indication of how involved he was early when he was called for a foul, jumping out on a pick-and-roll to hit Russell who was taking an 18-footer. Laker Coach Phil Jackson would prefer his players not foul jump-shooters but for O’Neal, known for sinking back into the lane on pick-and-rolls, that was some pretty aggressive defense.

Meanwhile, Malone’s troubles continued. He missed his first three shots, made one, then missed his last three of the half.

Late in the half, the Lakers moved into a 33-25 lead when Bryant rubbed Stockton off on a screen, took the baseline, went under the basket and came back up on the other side with a reverse, two-handed, back-over-his-head jam.

But the Jazz hung in. Just before halftime, Stockton drew a charge on Bryant, his third, obliging Jackson to take him out. Moments later, Donyell Marshall banged in a three-point shot, and Utah was within 33-28 at halftime.

The second half was more of the same, with the Lakers edging away again, until O’Neal left and they staged their closing burst.

“I think our defense played better,” Jackson said. “A lot of it had to do with their shooting, but I do think our defense is stepping up a little bit.”

Ask the Jazz. That was what was stepped upon Wednesday night.