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Show TTT, ON THE AIR: Tonight's game will be televised live on PSN Cable. The Utah Jazz take a 10-game winning streak into tonight’s game (8:30 p.m on PSN Cable), but the Portland Trail Blazers are playing their best basketball of the season too, winning nine of their last 10 games. “It’s going to be a tough game, but it comes at a good timeto see where we're really at,” said Utah forward Karl Malone. The Jazz have had the tougher center Felton Spencer is ques- tionable for tonight's game. He Sat out Tuesday's game with a schedule during their streak, beat- deep bruise above his left kneecap, but traveled with the team ing Houston, San Antonio and Phoenix twice each to go along with victories over the L.A. Clip- to Portiand and hopesto be in uniform tonight. pers, Philadelphia, Dallas and Min- Drexler is back in form now — “I’m starting to feel like I can do the things I’m capable of doing,” he said — and combined with Strickland and Terry Porter, the Blazers can challenge the Jazz for the best three-guard rotation in the league. The Portland backcourt has The Blazers struggled this year with a series of setbacks. Free agent center Chris Dudley played just three games before going down with a fractured ankle that could keep him out for the rest of the sea- ageseatin son, Jerome Kersey and newcomer Harvey Grant have been disappointments, and Clyde Drexler missed 14 games due to injuries. But there have been bright spots. Rod Strickland is having his best caused the Jazz fits in recent years, but addition of Jeff Hornacek to Utah’s backcourt of John Stockton and Jay Humphries could tip the matchup in Utah's favor. “It gives them anotherball-han- season as a pro, averaging 16.7 dler with Stockton,” said Portland coach Rick Adelman. “Hornacek can bring it up and makeplays. Jeff Malone was a shooter, but Hornacek can make plays.” Jazz noted the Jazz are still in third place in the Midwest Division. “If we want to be a top-notch team, we have to comeout with in- From 1C Corbin and Benoit each scored on offensive rebounds as the Jazz jumpedahead 14-2. Then came nap time. The game quickly took on theflavor of a sloppy pickup game, with both sides running and gunning. And with the Jazz firing up quick shots and missing, the Timberwolves worked their way back to cut Utah’s lead to 23-20 early in tensity every night no matter who you are playing,” Jazz guard Jeff Hornaceksaid. The most excitement in the game was provided by Malone trashtalking with former teammates Brown and Thurl Bailey, and later with Chuck Person. “Everybody was in a talking mood tonight,” said Malone, who scored a game-high 30 points. It was Malone and Brown who did the most jawing, though, as they went head to headasstarting centers. When Malone threw an the second quarter. outlet pass wildly down court that thanks to a string of hustle plays. Steals by Corbin and John Stockton led'to a pair of Malone dunks, and No cause for alarm. Tom Chambers scored 12 points in the first four minutes of the quarter, and Utah was back up by nine. The Jazz hit the snooze button, though, and when ChuckPersonhit back-to-back 3-pointers early in the third quarter, Utah led just 54-51. That was cause for alarm. But Minnesota seemed bored with the proceedings too, and when Person missed his next four shots and the Timberwolves turned the ball over three straight times, the Jazz were back in charge. That’s the way it went most of the night. Minnesota wasstill within five ints of the Jazz with 10 minutes eft in the game, but when Smith committed a flagrant foul on Stockton a minute later, and Minnesota coach Sidney Lowewas called for a technical foul, it was good night Timberwolves. That sequence capped an 8-0 run that put the Jazz up 85-72, and they coasted from there. Sloan wasn’t too pleased with the effort, though. He noted the Jazz team that won 10 in a row in 1978 lost their next eight games, andlamented how the same team that looked so good in recent weeks could look so bad on Tuesday. “Are you going to try to continue to win or are you just going to talk about winning? You've got to stay focused,” Sloan said. “This thing could go real fast. You see how this thing can fluctuate so fast and you find yourself in trouble.” Sloan chewed outhis players after the game — and the message seemed to get through. “This is a ballgame that could have slipped away from us,” Benoit said. “It’s kind of scary when you sit. back after the game is over with and say, yeah, they were in the gamefor awhile. Things could have turned on us. It put guys on their toes.” And lest anyone get too excited about the winning streak, Sloan flew out of bounds near Jazz owner Larry Miller with 7:12 left in the game, Brown made sure Malone heard aboutit. “I was just giving him a hard time because he threw a pass to Larry Miller,” Brown said. “I said, ‘Hey, I know he owns the team, but he’s not on the court. He’s not one of those five guys you want to throw to. Little short guy, a white guy, looks like Stockton buta little heavier, so don’t throw it to him next time.’ ” The good-natured ribbing turned sour, though, and soon Bailey and Person got into the act, talking to Malone andother Jazz players, and tempers got hot. “I like playing against Mike, but when I step out on the court I’m not his friend and he’s not mine,” Malonesaid. “It started off a little fun but started to get a little serious. “I’m not going to let a guy talk to one of my teammates or get in my face and say something. I’m going to go out and play him. I don’t have any friends except my teammates when I go play.” Howard retums Former Jazzman Stephen Howard was signed Tuesday to a 10-day contract. Howard averaged 2.1 points and 1.2 rebounds in 49 games for the Jazz last season, but after a successful showing in the Rocky Mountain Revue last summer, Howard chose to play in Italy. Howard averaged 21.5 points and 11.1 rebounds in 21 games for Tonno Auriga Trapani, butleft the team and returned to the United States to play for Rapid City of the Continental Basketball Association. With the Jazz short on big men, they diverted the 6-foot-9 Howard before he ever got to Rapid City and signed him for a tryout. The Jazz cut Sean Green, who arrived from Philadelphia with Hornacek in the Jeff Malone trade, to make room for Howard. To Motivate and Educate Use the Standard-Exar The two players Dye has relied on most are 7-foot center John Coker and forward Shambric Williams. The duo combines for almost half of the Broncos’ offense, and Cokeris the No. | shot-blocker in the conference. MontanaState enters the tourna- ment having lost its last four regular-season games, three of which were on the road. Just two weeks ago, the Bobcats were tied for first place in the Big Skystandings. An ankle injury to forward Nico Harrison and the Bobcats’ poor shooting have had MSU coach Mick Durham opening the Tylenol bottle with regularity. Montana State finished the conference sea- son at 8-6, 16-10 overall. In their two regular-season meetings, Boise State lost to the Bobcats niner Call 625 wm the c? 4557 classroom won 94-69 at Boise. ference’s all-time leading scorer, Idaho’s Orlando Lightfoot. Last week, the senior broke the career scoring record of 2,019 points, established by Weber State’s Bruce Collins in 1980. This season, Lightfoot is averaging 25 points a game. He gets a helping hand from 6-8 senior forward Deon Watson, the confer- 4 Golf THE BARN MEN’S ASSOCIATION: The group's opening social oh will be Friday night at the course and surrounding areas. A class will be held beginning March 14 at the Bonneville High School gymnas- t 6 p.m. Cost ium. All who complete the class is $20, will be hired. Games will be as- association card and a light meal. David Day is this year’s association president For more information, call the 709 7340 Barn pro shop at 782-7320 signed according to each umpire’s availability. For more information, cal! Del or Kathy Thredgold at 621-6131. a game for an Idaho team that leads the conference in rebounding. Watson also averages 13 points a at 7 nament having lost two of their last three games. Those losses were to the two top seeds, Weber State Special $4.95 son 13-0, went just 6-8 in the con- Mon.-Fri. 11:30-2:30 p.m. ference. The Grizzlies have lost four of their last six games but de- [7£Ed Prime Rib and IdahoState. Montana, after starting the sea- shot-blockers. eee “$1.99 The Vandals, 9-5 in the Big Sky and 17-9 overall, go into the tour- lar-season finale. Forwards Matt Kempfert and Shawn Samuelson lead Montana, with Kempfert averaging 13 points a game. Samuelson is one of the Big Sky’s better rebounders and udes a men’s ((yin WM), Lunch Special game. feated MontanaState in their regu- wh 40 EXOTIC DANCERS! ence’s top rebounder with over 10 — vert Ae 8 a(S CLUB & EATERY ey se Cee Be atl)ite 1847 WALL AVENUE., OGDEN SUC CU eSa eeeRM eee e To Motivate and Educate Use the Standard-Examiner in the classroom. Call 625-4557 NAME BRANDS «+ LOW PRICES - your last one.” “They’re playing great as well,” Malone said. “They’re going to right there.” Site had a chance to develop with the six road games. in the first 7-8 minutes. If we weather that storm, execute and do what we need to do, I feel we'll be 3: points and 8.7 assists a game; Clifford Robinson is having an All-Star season, scoring 21.1 points a game, and rookie James Robinson has The Jazz have won both meetings with the Blazers this year, including a 92-90 victory at Portland on Jan. 2, and Utah has wonfive ofits last come out and try to blow us away 18-11. 74-72 at Bozeman, Mont., and then unexpected playing time he got with Drexler’s injury. “Every minute I play builds my confidence a little more,” James Robinson said. “The coaches have told me to just keep working hard and makeevery practice like it was wasat Indiana. said. If Johnson's prediction is accurate, the Wildcats will battle Boise State in Friday night's semifinals. The Broncos, by coach Bobby Dye’s recent standards, have had a down year. In its previous three seasons, BSU was 21-8, 16-13 and possible task of stopping the con- SNOW TIRE CHANGEOVER $16.99 PER PAIR WITH THIS AD. 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ALT @ TV-RADIO: PSN Cabie; KISN 570 AM, KSOS 800 AM. @ UTAH RECORD: 42-19. @ PORTLAND RECORD: 37-22. @ SEASON SERIES: Jazz lead, 2-0. @KEY MATCHUPS: At the guard line, where Jeff Hornacek joins John Stockton and Jay Humphries to boister Utah's fortunes against Portiand’s rotation of Rod Strickland, Clyde Drexter and Terry Porter. @ NOTEBOOK: Jazz starting teams in the conference — the Grizzlies and Vandals. Idaho beat Montana twice this season, including a dramatic 74-71 victory at Missoula, Mont., in which the Vandals scored 13 points / Tonight's game at Portland’s Me- morial Coliseum should sizzle, with game at APLl Standard-Examiner staff first-round =a rr By TOM McEACHIN other Reman ~ Ssss“cs ae of on-court sizzle The 2. ~a Blazers-Jazz duel shouldprovide lots Wednesday, March 9 matches the two most physical ° AMERICA’S LARGEST FRANCHISE TIRE CO. > NAME BRANDS - LOW PRICES °« eo” lli( a ee SOS SPORTS Standarc-Examuner |
