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 Downer in the Delta Rider hits late shots as Blazers steal Game 2 from Jazz
Posted: Friday May 21, 1999 09:56 PM
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- With the game on the line, it was Isaiah Rider instead of John Stockton who was the steadiest player on the court. The notoriously unstable Rider scored six points in the final 1:39, and Stockton, who has hit some of the biggest last-second shots in Utah's playoff history, missed a layup that would have tied the game with two seconds to play. Those role reversals were a fitting cap to a strange game as the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Utah Jazz 84-81 to even their second-round playoff series 1-1. "Sometimes you get that chance to make a difference, and things happen on the other end to make you a hero," said Rider, who scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half as the Blazers took two good-sized leads but gave them away before hanging on at the end. The game also featured the lowest-scoring first half in playoff history and impressive performances from two of the game's best power forwards, Brian Grant and Karl Malone. "Both teams just played their hearts out," Portland coach Mike Dunleavy said. "We were lucky to come out with it, because both teams had a really good shot." The Blazers made runs of 15-0 and 9-0 in the second half, but the Jazz came back with a range of big shots. Utah was down 73-64 with 5:13 to play but got three straight baskets from Jeff Hornacek, including a twisting one-handed baseline jumper with 1:17 to play that made the score 78-75. On their next three possessions, the Blazers got the ball to Rider, who hit four free throws and a layup with the Delta Center crowd screaming in his face. Rider was Portland's leading scorer in its first-round sweep of Phoenix, but had just 12 points in the Blazers' Game 1 loss. "I knew I felt good tonight," Rider said. "It doesn't matter about those balloons and those fans. If it didn't look cocky, I'd be smiling when I shoot those free throws. That's my favorite time." Utah answered with 3-pointers from Stockton and Jeff Hornacek, whose 3 with 12 seconds to play cut Portland's lead to 82-81. Greg Anthony made one of two free throws with 10.3 seconds left, and the Jazz got the ball to Stockton for their final shot. Stockton drove the lane and drew contact from Jim Jackson, but the referees remained silent as Stockton's shot went in and out. Asked if he was fouled, Stockton said: "Probably, but I still should have made it." Anthony made another free throw, and Bryon Russell's full-court heave at the buzzer missed. Several Portland players raised their hands to their ears as they left the court, taunting an irate Utah crowd. The game's exciting conclusion belied an atrocious first half in which Portland and Utah set the NBA playoff records for the fewest combined points in a first quarter and tied the record for fewest points in a first half. The teams shot a combined 28 percent from the field and made 16 turnovers on the way to Portland's 32-31 halftime lead.
The Blazers had a 15-0 third-quarter run, holding Utah scoreless for nearly five minutes. In the fourth, Shandon Anderson's three-point play tied the game at 64-64 with 6:58 to play, but Portland made a 9-0 run in the next 1:45, capped by Rasheed Wallace's layup with 5:13 left. "There were whole stretches of the game when we just turned the ball over for no particular reason," Stockton said. The Blazers won a playoff game at the Delta Center for the first time ever and gained homecourt advantage in the series. Portland's victory means the Jazz will have to win in the Rose Garden to take the series, which doesn't bode well for Utah. The Jazz are 5-15 in Portland during the regular season since 1989, and 1-8 in playoff games there. Utah has lost its last seven postseason games in Portland and hasn't won there in the playoffs since 1988. Game 3 in the series is Saturday, with Game 4 set for Sunday night. Grant had 23 points and nine rebounds for the Blazers, while Arvydas Sabonis had 10 points and 14 rebounds. Malone had 23 points and 17 rebounds for the Jazz, but didn't score in the game's final 3:46. Hornacek added 19 points for Utah. "Two big guys doing battle like that is great to watch. Karl played well, and I think I held my own," Grant said. Malone left without talking to reporters. The Trail Blazers' Game 1 offensive struggles continued in the first half of Game 2 -- but this time, the Jazz were just as bad. The teams combined for 25 points in the first quarter, the fewest in the first quarter of any playoff game in NBA history. The previous record was 26, set by Detroit and Boston in 1988. Portland, shooting 5-of-22 from the field, led Utah 14-11 at the start of the second quarter. Utah was 4-of-17 from the field in the first quarter and made seven turnovers, three by Howard Eisley. The horrible offensive play continued in the second quarter. Portland led 32-31 at halftime, tying the playoff record for fewest combined points in the first half set last week by Philadelphia and Orlando. The two teams were a combined 21-of-74 from the field in the first half. Notes: The Jazz reacted with disbelief when they learned Malone had been fined $10,000 for elbowing Grant in Tuesday's Game 1. "I guess maybe they think Karl has used up his ability to play in this league," Utah coach Jerry Sloan fumed. Grant, who was called for a foul when Malone hit him with a trailing arm on a layup attempt, lay on the ground for several moments but wasn't otherwise hurt. "That was a pretty surprising decision, considering how minor it was," Hornacek said. ... Greg Ostertag set a Jazz playoff record for rebounds in a quarter with eight in the first.
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