 John Stockton saw to it that the Clippers remained winless at the Delta Center. Kent Horner/NBAE/Getty Images 56k | 300k |
Stockton scored a season-high 21 points but none more important than his driving layup that snapped a 101-101 tie. He set up the patented pick-and-roll with Karl Malone and dribbled quickly to the hoop when the defense shaded toward Malone.
"Confidence is a big part of my game," said Stockton, the all-time leader in assists and steals. "It can go from play to play or game to game and it's kind of like momentum -- it can really sustain you."
Lamar Odom missed a 3-pointer and the Clippers fouled Scott Padgett, who made 1-of-2 free throws with 20 seconds to play. After a timeout, Jeff McInnis tried to work along the right side but was pressured by Stockton and dribbled off his foot and out of bounds with 16 seconds to go.
"It was nice that in crunch time we didn't freeze in our tracks, and I thought we played some pretty good defense when we needed to," Stockton said.
"You saw what happened. He pushed me," McInnis said. "He just pushed me."
Padgett made two more free throws following a near steal by the Clippers, who fell to 0-21 all-time at the Delta Center. Los Angeles has lost 25 in a row at Utah since a win at the old Salt Palace on April 18, 1989.
Malone scored 24 points and Donyell Marshall added 20 for the Jazz, who did not allow a basket in the final 4 1/2 minutes and beat the Clippers for the 11th straight time overall.
"We got the shots we wanted, we just didn't make the shots," Clippers coach Alvin Gentry said. "Their defense down the stretch wasn't any better than it was the rest of the night. We executed and got good shots; we just didn't make any."
Elton Brand scored 28 points and McInnis added 22 for the Clippers, who made 20-of-25 free throws. The Jazz made 39-of-47.
"Defense? We was taking the ball right to the hole just like they was," McInnis said. "They shot free throws. We got no calls."
Los Angeles led 86-80 entering the fourth quarter and still held a 99-94 edge after a three-point play by Brand with 4:41 left. Stockton made a technical foul shot and a jumper and Marshall hit a tough banker in the lane to tie it, 99-99, with 3:52 to play.
Both teams went scoreless for more than 2 1/2 minutes before Stockton penetrated and found Marshall for a layup and a 101-99 lead with 1:10 remaining. Eric Piatkowski made two foul shots to tie it before Stockton gave Utah the lead for good.
"It was a win," said Stockton, whose team came in just 2-4 at home. "It didn't come easy, but then, none of the losses did either. They've all been tough games."
John Crotty scored 10 points of the bench for Utah, which shot 49 percent (31-of-63) from the field and held a 36-31 rebounding advantage.
Corey Maggette scored 17 points and Piatkowski added 13 for Los Angeles, which also shot 49 percent (38-of-78) and has lost three in a row.
Brand and McInnis scored 13 points apiece in the first half, which ended with the Clippers holding a 54-52 lead. Five players made baskets in a 10-2 surge that opened an 82-70 bulge with 2:33 to play in the third quarter.
Crotty made two 3-pointers to help Utah close to 86-78 entering the final period.