RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- When you've been around as long as Karl Malone, there's no reason to panic about a poor shooting performance.
|  | | Karl Malone struggled early, but scored eight straight points in overtime to finish with 31. |
Malone missed plenty of shots early, but he came up with big baskets late as the Utah Jazz held off the Los Angeles Clippers 93-87 in overtime Wednesday night to remain undefeated at 5-0.
Malone scored 31 points, including eight of Utah's 17 in overtime, despite shooting 10-of-25.
"It was one of the worst shooting games I've had, but I know you just stick with it, and hopefully good things happen," he said. "With the exception of three or four shots, they all felt pretty good. You just keep taking them."
The Jazz is off to its best start since the strike-shortened
1998-99 season, when they won their first six games.
"That's what's important to me right now," Malone said.
Twice in the fourth quarter, Malone tied the game. John Stockton, who had 11 points, hit a 3-pointer that gave the Jazz just their second lead of the period before Eric Piatkowski forced overtime on a tip-in with 41 seconds left.
Malone scored Utah's first eight points of the five-minute
overtime despite picking up his fourth foul. He and Stockton teamed
for one of Utah's patented pick-and-rolls that resulted in a
wide-open 3-pointer by Stockton for a 90-84 lead with less than a
minute left.
"Everybody came down to stop him and I'd set a pick," Stockton said. "So when they stayed with him, I just popped up to the open spot. He flipped a nice pass out to me with time running down and fortunately it went in."
Tyrone Nesby led the Clippers with 19 points. Sean Rooks added
15 points in 36 minutes and rookie Corey Maggette also had 15 as
Los Angeles lost its eighth straight to the Jazz.
"We played good, the bench played well (54 points), and overall
we had a good performance," Nesby said. "I know we're going to
get better."
Keyon Dooling gave the Clippers their first lead of the game on
a driving dunk that sent Los Angeles into the fourth quarter ahead
59-58. The Clippers closed the quarter with a 15-4 run.
The Jazz played the final 12 minutes with four of their five
starters having three or more fouls.
Malone put the Jazz back in front with a basket to start the
fourth quarter, but Clippers scored eight of the next 10 points for
a 67-62 lead with 8:46 remaining.
"They're young and aggressive and they never really let us feel
good about ourselves," Stockton said. "We know we didn't play as
good as we needed to play and we were fortunate to get the
victory."
Bryon Russell scored six consecutive points for the Jazz, who
trailed 70-68 with 4:51 left. Russell finished with 15 points.
After Los Angeles' illegal defense resulted in a technical foul
and Stockton made the free throw, Malone hit two free throws to tie
the game at 71.
Russell's fifth foul led to a free throw by Maggette that
gave Los Angeles a 72-71 lead. Malone tied the game at 72 on a free
throw and a 3-pointer by Stockton had Utah ahead 75-72.
Lamar Odom scored on a hook shot off his own rebound to put the
Clippers within one. Malone hit a free throw before Piatkowski
tipped in a long shot by Odom to force overtime tied at 76.
"These kids are trying so hard, but we are so young," first-year Clippers coach Alvin Gentry said. "We just had no rhythm offensively."
Game notes
The Clippers were 9-of-40 in the first half, but made 14 of
15 free throws to trail 41-34. ... The teams opened the season against each other in Utah, with the Jazz winning 107-94. ... A heckler who kept reminding Malone that he has yet to win an NBA championship ring finally got a response in the overtime. Malone turned toward the fan sitting three rows back and said, "I play hard. I play hard."
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