Malone Awakens to Help Jazz Force Game 5

PHOENIX —  The Utah Jazz will play another day, at least, and at home, too.

By holding on to defeat the Phoenix Suns, 105-94, Friday night, they evened the first-round series at two games each and forced a Game 5 of the best-of-five series Sunday at Salt Lake City.

So the Lakers will have to wait until Tuesday to open the Western Conference semifinals after all. That looked like a sure thing midway through the fourth quarter before 14,487 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum, where the Jazz held an 89-77 lead with 7:09 to play. And then saw it evaporate.

Kevin Johnson’s jump shot brought the Suns within 93-86.

Tom Chambers’ free throw with 4:05 left made it 93-87.

After Thurl Bailey scored inside for Utah, one of Eddie Johnson’s six three-point baskets--on seven tries--cut the Phoenix deficit to 95-90.

Finally, answering another Jazz score, Eddie Johnson made one free throw with 2:11 left and the next trip down drilled a straightaway three-pointer.

The Suns trailed 97-94 with 1:39 remaining. But that’s as close as they got, as Utah came up with one last stand.

“I thought we would win today,” said Utah’s Karl Malone, who snapped out of his slump to produce 33 points, on 13-of-24 shooting, and 11 rebounds. “I had a real good feeling about today. We proved everybody wrong.”

By staying alive, that is.

“The Jazz came in tonight and made things happen defensively and pretty much controlled the tempo,” said Phoenix Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons, whose team shot 42.3% and scored 46 points in the second half. “Their defense was really solid.”

The Suns began the night knowing a trip awaited today. The only question was where--a victory got them to Los Angeles to open the next series; a loss sent them back to Salt Lake City for Game 5.

Then, for much of the first half, they played like a team that had already left town, especially on offense. Phoenix trailed, 49-48, at halftime and struggled during several stretches.

One such drought cost the Suns the halftime lead. They were ahead, 43-40, after Dan Majerle’s layup-and-free throw three-point play with 3:19 remaining. But from there, a layin by Chambers off Kevin Johnson’s lob with 1:24 left and a three-point jump shot from the left side by Eddie Johnson with two seconds to play was all they could score for the rest of the half.

Utah scored nine points in the same span, Bailey accounting for six of them.

But by far the most encouraging early sight for the Jazz, looking to break a 10-game losing streak here, was Malone. A ghost of his regular-season self in the first three games, he had shot 37.1% from the field.

He showed signs, however, of a warming trend early--with the Suns’ help.

No longer was there the obligatory double coverage every time Malone touched the ball in the post. It usually was left to Kurt Rambis alone to defend against the league’s No. 2 scorer during the regular season, and Malone had his share of open shots. The result: six of 11 from the field and 15 points, more than anyone in the first half.

Johnson & Johnson--Kevin and Eddie--had 13 points each by halftime. Eddie Johnson was three of three on three-point shots.

Utah went to its long-range specialist to close the third period.