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Show SPORIS The Salt Lake Tribune SATURDAY DecEMBER 20, 2003 = D5 * << www.sitrib.com >> Jazz ring Celtics’ bell By Puit MILLER Guard's late shotlifts Utah to win The Salt Lake Tribune BOSTON — Young teamsfold, inexperience shows and pressure shot clock and two de- good fortune saved them kills. The Jazz were in the middle of fenders obscuring his from their third straight a painful lesson on Friday — when vision. something wonderful happened to them. Theiroffense,brilliantly efficient earlier, had evaporated into a cross between panic and chaos. The Celtics had grown aggressive on defense and automatic on offense to score 10 straight points and charge into the lead. And the Jazz’s last-chance pos- session had produced this triplewitching combination: Raja Bell, whohad missed all six shots he had taken, holding the ball 18 feet from the basket, with one second on the deflating defeat, instead What happened nextis sticking the Celtics witha 99-96 loss. the sort of you-must-be“Sure, I would have joking lucky break that Jazz 99, liked a better look,” Bell usually gets credited to a said with a smile, “but it leprechaun because workedout.” around here, it usually Actually, it took little happensto the Celtics. UP NEXT more work before it did, This time, though, Sunday and Bell wasin the middle Bell’s desperation shot Utahat Detroit of that, too. The Celtics, somehow avoided the onp.m. MST whotrailed 95-87 with just rushing hands, somehow over three minutes left, got airbornea tick before had ridden the outside shooting of the buzzer went off, and somehow Walter McCarty and Jiri Welsch to dropped into the basket. The Jazz’s Celtics 96 take a 96-95 lead when Bell knocked down his improbable shot with 26 secondsleft. So there was plenty of time for Boston to regain the lead. But Mc Jarty’s three-pointer in thefinal Jin 10 Seconds bounced long and a scram ble ensued for the critical rebound. Matt Harpring finally wrapped his arms aroundit, and rusheda pass to Greg Ostertag, who spotted Bell streaking for the other basket. Os tertag’s long pass hit Bell in-stride, andresulted in a layup with 5.9 seconds togo. “Sometimes you haveto bein the right place,” Bell said. “The impor tant thing is, we wereableto escape with a win.” Hard to believe an escape was See JAZZ, D6 CHARLES Knura/The Associated Press Boston's Jiri Welsch, center, fights for a rebound with Utah's AndreiKirilenko,left, and Matt Harpring on Friday during the Jazz's third road win of the season. CHEVY TRUCKS GRAND PRIX WRESTLING Finchtakesoffafter day at beach Tooele Star new Rested & relaxed: A day off did leader in wins AndyFinch well as he and Hannah Teter won halfpipe competitions By JANET RAE BROOKS The Salt Lake Tribune PARK CITY little beach time and an hour’s sleep did it for Andy Finch. Hannah Teter relied on The Powerof Now. Finch won the men’s Superpipe eventat the Chevy Truck U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix event Friday night at Park City Mountain Resort before a raucous crowdof 4,000, who climbed up to watch the competition after enjoying a Staind concert at the foot of Eagle Race Arena. Teter, a 16-year-old from Belmont, Vt., topped the women’sevent. Each takes home a victory purse of By Perer RicuIns The Salt Lake Tribune | $10,000. Finch flew in Friday morning from Los Angeles where he attended the movie premiere of “The People vs. Brad Holmes” Thursday night, in which he plays sur- prise — a snowboarder. He also found time to get to the beach earlier in the day. “Laying on the beach yesterday was such a healing thing,” said Finchof Fresno,Calif. “I was in such a good mood. I didn’t say anythingto anyone, but I had a feeling I was going to take this one.” Finch toppedoff his first run with an inverted 900 to earn a_ score of 44.70 points from the five judges. Noneof the 15 otherfinalists managed to dislodge him from the leader board throughout the second run. “God was watching over me,” said Finch. Shaun White of San Diego, the last boarder in the pipe, came close with a second-runscoreof 43.70. | Reno with #oechstrasser Adam Teter, one of Hannah’s older brothers, was secondafter the first run, but his second-round challenge fizzled whenhis binding broke. His sister, kneeling on the snow at the bottom of the pipe to provide play-by-play commentary of his run for NBC,offered him a bearhug and a high-five in compensation. “He’sa little upset about that,” said Hannah. “I’m little upset aboutthat.” Adam Teter’sfirst-run score of 42.10 held up for third place. But Hannah Teter was ecstatic about her own effort, winning the eventfor the second straight year. “It’s simply the best pipe there is and you can go as big as you want,” said Teter, who scored 44.30 points on herfirst run. Olympic champion Kelly Clark of Mount Snow, Vt., was second with 39.20 points, while Molly Aguirre of Duluth, Minn., was third. See PRIX, D4. Tooele wrestler Andrew Hochstrasser ventured into new territory at the Reno (Nev.) Tournament of Cham pions onFriday. Against some of his toughest opposition this year, Hochstrasser wonthree straight matches to break a Utah high school record. He now has 144 career victories. Hochstrasser broke the record of 141 wins, set by Jeff Newbyof Box Elder in 2002. Newby wonfour state titles, something three-time champion Hochstrasser can also do. Also, the Wasatch Wasps of Heber City ended the first day of competition at | | | | a commanding 124%-102 lead lead over second-place Poway, Calif. Wasatch last won the tournament in 1999 Hochstrasser has said breaking the record is not his primary goal for this year. Rather, the 130-pound senior says he hopes to finish the year undefeated. He has lost only seven matchesin his ca reer, one of which wasat last year’s Trent Nvsson/TheSalt Lake Tribune AndyFinchflies toward first place in the halfpipe Friday night at Park City Mountain Resort. Reno tournament, where he took second place at 119 pounds Hochstrasser set the record by beating Aaron Al exander of Anderson, Calif., in the first round. He then beat Reese Christopher of Carson City, Nev., and Alan Canizalez from KE] Cahon, Ca lif.Today, Hochstrasser faces Noomis Jones of Pomona, Calif., in the quarterfinals. Utes take advantageofgiving spirit Jacobson’s night: Utah senior breaks Van Horn’s school3-pointer record By Sreve LuuM The Salt Lake Tribune In keeping withthetruespirit of Christmas, everyone was in a giving mood Fridaynight at the HuntsmanCenter. Cal State Northridge gave Utah everything it wanted The Utes gave coach Rick Ma Sreve. C. Witson/The Associated Prexs Utah center Tim Frost,left, pulls the ball away from Cal State Northridge's Davin White during the Utes’ win Friday. jerus a victory. A grateful Majerus gavehis players a well-earnedholiday. Senior Nick Jacobson keyed the happy ending, scoring a season-high 22 points and setting a school record for career three pointers while leading Utah to a hard-fought 73-57 victory over the Matadors. Richard Chaney added 18 points and Andrew Bogut fin ished UTAH 73 with 17 CS-NORTHRIDGE57 *Utes the im proved to 7-3 this season with their sixth straight home win it wasn’t easy, however The Utes trailed with 12 min there. Finally, we just wore them down a little bit,” said Majerus For Jacobson, it was an un forgettable night Not only did he carry his team to victory, he broke Keith Van Horn’s school record by burying the 207th three-pointerof his col legiate career with 7:12 left in the first half harder on his game than Nick.” Playing with a four-stitch gash on the top of his head courtesy of an accidental elbow from teammate Chris Jackson in Thursday’s practice Jacob son was at his best when the Utes needed him most His record-breaking three pointer came during a 12-3 surge that helped Utah wipe out a 15-12 “] didn’t try to think about it “It’s In the second half, Jacobson scored nine points in a four minute span, when the Utes 55-53 lead with six minutes re maining. But they closed the not a huge deal [But] Keith Van Horn was the best to ever player here. So to take the record from him is something I'll al game with a 18-4 burst that iced ways remember.” utes left and owned a tenuous the victory “We just too much,” Jacobson said. deficit “I’m happy for him kind of hung in jerus ‘No one has said Ma worked again came from behind and built a 48-43 lead “That's what said Majerus seniors See UTES, D5 do,” |