Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, February 22, 1993 TAG: 9302220128
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: SALT LAKE CITY LENGTH: Medium
JAZZ HEROES SHINE FOR THEIR FANS IN WEST'S ALL-STAR WIN
Utah Jazz stars Karl Malone and John Stockton gave the NBA All-Star Game a local note while the world watched Shaquille O'Neal.The supremely popular Salt Lake City duo sent the hometown fans home happy with a grand display of teamwork Sunday night, leading the West to a 135-132 overtime victory over the East.
"I'll throw out a country slang you city-slickers might not understand," Malone said. "You can't have the chicken without the egg."
Malone and Stockton shared the Most Valuable Player award, the second time in All-Star history that co-MVPs were chosen.
Malone had 28 points on 11-for-17 shooting and Stockton had 15 assists and nine points, including two baskets and two assists in overtime. The only other co-MVPs were Elgin Baylor and Bob Pettit in 1959.
"If you wrote a movie, that's how it would end," Malone said. "You definitely want to do well in an All-Star Game at home. But every time I play, I just want to play well."
It's the third year since 1987 that a host player has won the MVP award and the 11th time in All-Star history. Tom Chambers did it in Seattle in 1987 and Michael Jordan in Chicago in 1988.
Malone, as usual, got plenty of support from Stockton, who is averaging more assists per game than any player in NBA history. Seven of Stockton's assists were on passes to Malone, who also won the MVP in 1989.
West coach Paul Westphal, in his first season as coach of the Phoenix Suns, said he took his cue from Jazz coach Jerry Sloan.
"Give coach Sloan credit, I just stole his plays," Westphal said. "But you can't do wrong no matter who you put in. The people of Utah were rooting for them, and that may have helped them play their best. But they would have been MVPs no matter where the game was."
Said Stockton, "Coach Westphal ran our play, and that had a lot to do with it."
"He ran it to death," Malone said of Stockton's pass play to Malone.
In 1992, despite the electricity surrounding Magic Johnson's appearance after he tested positive for HIV, the game was a 40-point rout.
With the spotlight on O'Neal, the spectacular rookie, and other players, the 1993 version was far more competitive, with 15 lead changes and no double-digit deficits.
Jordan, the leading scorer in All-Star Game history with a 22.1 average, finished with 30 points, and Mark Price scored all of his 19 after halftime for the East.
David Robinson scored 21 points, Dan Majerle 18 and Tim Hardaway 16 for the West, which trails the series 27-16.
O'Neal finished with 14 points, 13 in the first half. East coach Pat Riley generally opted for more experienced Patrick Ewing and Brad Daugherty in the second half and overtime.
O'Neal, who played seven minutes in the third and fourth quarters, said he wasn't disappointed in his 25 total minutes, less than half the 53-minute game.
"It was a good experience, and I thought I did all right," said O'Neal, among the NBA leaders in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots and shooting percentage. "I had a lot of fun.
"Shaq will be back. Don't worry. Next year, when I come back, I'll know what to expect."
Ewing scored six of his 15 points in overtime, but the East never recovered from 3-pointers by Majerle and Charles Barkley and the two baskets by Stockton.
Jordan's off-balance 3-pointer with 25 seconds left pulled the East to 133-130, but the East didn't threaten again despite four missed free throws by the West in the final seconds.
After Malone put the East ahead 117-112 with 32 seconds left in regulation, Price made his sixth 3-pointer of the second half, closing the East to two down with 27 seconds to go.
Majerle's free throw for the West was answered by Jordan's jumper, leaving the West with a 118-117 edge. Hardaway broke away from the East defense and was fouled by Price with 16 seconds to go. Hardaway also missed one of his two free throws, and Jordan drew the defense to him before passing to Ewing for a tying jumper with 8.1 seconds left in regulation.
Malone and Stockton started the fourth quarter on the bench, and the West maintained a slim lead in the final period until Price, winner of Saturday's 3-point contest, hit his fourth and fifth 3-pointers of the second half, making the score 103-103 with 5:33 left.
The biggest margin of the third quarter was five points, the last time at 76-71 by the West. Then Price, scoreless in the first half, hit three long-range shots in the final 3:06 of the period, making the score 84-84 before Robinson's layup with 4.9 seconds remaining put the West back in front going into the final 12 minutes.
Stockton had a 3-pointer and five assists to account for the West's first six baskets, including consecutive fast-break dunks by Clyde Drexler, Barkley and Malone that made it 14-6. \
see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
BASKETBALL