SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 30 (Ticker) -- In what may have been the
last game with the Utah Jazz for
Karl Malone and
John Stockton,
the Sacramento Kings became the first team to advance to the
conference semifinals.
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Stockton, Malone, Sloan:
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Postgame news conference:
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Malone, Stockton and the rest of the Jazz made a quiet exit in a
111-91 loss to the Kings, who wrapped up their Westwern
Conference first-round series in five games.
Chris Webber had 26 points and 11 rebounds and
Peja Stojakovic
scored 22 points for the second-seeded Kings, who advanced to
the conference semifinals for the fourth straight year and await
the winner of the Dallas-Portland series.
For the first time in franchise history, Utah has been bounced
in the first round three straight years. It marked the second
straight season it was eliminated by Sacramento, but this one
may hold more meaning.
The 39-year-old Malone, a member of the Jazz since 1985 and the
NBA's second all-time leading scorer, becomes a free agent July
1 and may go elsewhere in pursuit of an elusive championship.
The 41-year-old Stockton, the runaway all-time leader in assists
and steals, has been contemplating retirement for the last
couple of seasons. It is highly possible this was his last NBA
game.
Malone had early foul trouble and scored 14 points on just
5-of-17 shooting, while Stockton managed eight points and seven
assists. They both exited to a standing ovation from the Arco
Arena crowd with 5:01 remaining and the game totally out of
hand.
"I haven't stopped to think about that yet," Stockton said.
"Obviously, I have some time now, and I'm going to gte back
home. I'll talk to the powers that be, including coach (Jerry
Sloan) and (owner) Larry Miller, et cetera, and see what my
future is."
Malone had early foul trouble and scored 14 points on just
5-of-17 shooting, while Stockton managed eight points and seven
assists. They both exited to a standing ovation from the Arco
Arena crowd with 5:01 remaining and the game totally out of
hand.
"It was very nice," Stockton said. "It's kind of tough to sit
there and enjoy it when you know what the score is. There is a
lot of things that go through your mind about that time, but it
was very nice."
Sixth Man Award winner
Bobby Jackson scored 18 points and
Vlade
Divac added 16 for the Kings, who never trailed, shot 53 percent
(38-of-72) from the field and defeated the Jazz for the seventh
time in nine meetings this season.
In the first quarter, Stojakovic scored 10 points and Divac
added nine as the Kings got off to a quick start, racing to a
29-15 lead. Meanwhile, things could not have began worse for
the Jazz.
Malone sat down after picking up his second foul at the 7:29
mark. Just over a minute later, Utah center
Greg Ostertag
argued a call and was ejected by referee Bernie Fryer.
The Kings led by 18 points in the second quarter before settling
for a 53-41 halftime bulge. Baskets by
Tony Massenburg and
Matt Harpring opened the second half and cut the deficit to
eight points, but Sacramento's
Mike Bibby answered with a basket
and two free throws.
The Jazz pulled within single digits just once more, at 58-49 on
a jumper by Stockton with 8:04 left in the third quarter.
Bibby and Stojakovic made free throws around a jumper by Webber.
Sacramento opened its lead to 85-65 on a reverse layup by
Stojakovic with 55 seconds left. Utah got no closer than 14
points in the final period.
Bibby had 12 points and seven assists for the Kings. Harpring
and
Scott Padgett scored 16 points each for the Jazz, who shot
41.5 percent (34-of-82).