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Show Sports The Salt Lake Tribune SUNDAY/April 27, 1997 HOCKEY Page C-5 Section C GOLF Page C-8 Clips Cut It a Little Too Close DICK ROSETTA Jazz Struggle to a Victory, Take 2-0 Lead Over L.A. Now It Seems BY STEVE LUHM THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Sloan Was Right After All What we have,folks, in this JazzClippersfirst-round piayoffseriesis a definite failure to communicate. Gettinglost in the 64-win team’s transmission — that would be the Jazz — to the 36-win team from Los Angeles is any sign of he-man dominance. Some of us missed Coach Jerry Sloan’s drift Thursday night when he moaned and groaned about a 20-point Jazz win overthe Clippersin the series opener. Something about his troops talking too much and reading about how good they were. And believingit. Comeon Jerry,lighten up, wesaid. You sliced the Clips to ribbons, held them to 41-percent shooting. You got them thinking about where they ought to be anyway with 36 wins out of 82 tries in the regular season — sitting home holding hands with the Mrs., playingtic-tac-toe with the kiddies, or JAZZ VS. CLIPPERS Those waiting for the Jazz to make a statement and bury the underdog Clippers in Game2 of their first-round playoff series were undoubtedly disappointed Saturdaynight. This was not the Gettysburg Address, nor any “I Have a Dream” speech. But don’t say anything to the Jazz. They seemed happy, if not thrilled, with their 2-0 lead in their best-of-five series with Los Angelesafter a 105-99 victory at the Delta Center. As in Game 1, Utah squandered a 16-point lead. Unlike in the series opener, the Jazz had to scramble until the final minute to put away the pesky Clippers. “I’m not surprised by them at all,” said Karl Malone. “They play hard. They don’t have anythingto lose. ... The only thing I (Jaz lead series, 2-0) Game 1 — Jazz 106, Clippers 86 Game 2 — Jazz 105, Clippers 99 * —Itnecessary All times MDT @ Montis Is Jazz's Unlikely Hero C-4 Clippers Remain Confident C-4 Bi Barkley, Rockets Top T-Wolves C-4 “They play hard throughout the game,” said John Stockton. “They don’t give up.” Malone and Stockton pro- duced the biggest numbers against the Clippers, who sound confident about their ability to win Game 3 on Monday night after pushing the Jazz to the limit. Malone had 39 points and 11 rebounds, though he, complained, “I’m just not in any kind of rhythm.It’s not flowing for me. ... I expect so muchout of knowis we're up 2-0." See JAZZ, Page C-4 Steve Griffin/TheSalt LakeTribune Rodney Rogersbarrels into Utah's Karl Malone on Saturday, but the Los Angeles forward is rewardedwith a trip to the free-throw line after ref Bennett Salvatorecalls the block. rapping to Shaq’s videos. Cougars Find Stopper, Avoid Sweep by Utes Insinuating the Jazz were not of the proper mind-set to sweep the Clips was an insult to the integrity of all us railbirds, who have much morepressing assignments to pursue — like getting ready for the Lakers. Uh, sorry, Jerry. You were sending up preparatory smoke signals that drifted right over our heads. We got beamed in Saturday night with about 342 minutesleftin the third quarter. Clippers 75, Jazz 73. A 61-45 Jazz lead disappeared. What likely wentwith it was any grand design fora Utah sweepin this best-of-five series. BYLAURENCE MIEDEMA THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE What Sweep?Sothe Jazz are up 2- Brigham Young’s baseball team was not about to let the University of Utah run away andhide with the WACNorth league lead. 0. Tell the Clippers that, and you'll see those smug looks on their faces like they are supposed to he down 2-0. So what? They werealso supposedto lose by 15% points in Game 2 and, the last time I looked, the final was Jazz 105, Evenif it took pitching. The Cougars, who lead Division I baseball in team batting average but have a robust team ERA near 6.00, needed a superb middle-relief effort from junior Jared Jensen Saturday. They overcame five- This could have been a Jazz sweep, No questions asked. It still might be, but questions are being asked. Like, Tun deficit and held off the Utes 11-9 at Franklin QuestField. The Utes, who wonthefirst two gamesof the series, still hold a one-gamelead over BYU. “It was nice to pull out a win,” Jensen said. ‘It having never swept first-round series. Having had to go the full five gamesin eight of their 13 years in the playoffs, the Jazz on Saturday night gave every indication they are determined to makeit nine of 14. Tell-tale signs aboundthat the Clippersarein this thing to stay... maybe for another week. Glaring evidence surfaced in an anemic Jazz third quarter. The Clips shot 52.9 percent from the field, the Jazz 34.8. The Clips got four fast-break points, the Jazz nor This time, Jerry, you've got m) leadsus into ournextseries.” Both teams have six games remaining, including a season-ending, three-game series in Provo May9-10. “This is a Herculean effort. Our kids were so down. They came back and battled when they had to,” said BYU Coach Gary Pullins. Although the teams combined for 83 hits and 53 runsin the series, Jensen's 4%innings of work may have turned around the weekend for the Cougars,in dangerof falling three games behind. The junior struck out nine as the Cougars clawed back with a four-run seventh-inning rally and a three- run eighth while finally holding the Utes. tention. “How many times didn’t we get back [on defense]?” Not very “For Jensen to comein and do whathedid to our hitting was amazing,” ” said Utes Coach Tim Esmay, E whose team had won ninestraight. ‘ ‘They got wild they needed.” many, ‘How many times did we turn the ball over?” Fourtimesto the Clips’ one. “How many steals did we get?” Noneto L.A.’s four. “How many threepoint shots did they make?” Three to the Jazz's none. A Jazz first-round sweep? Fat chance. See any of those other domineering NBA teams having trouble Utah appeared headed for a sweep when Casey Child clouted his 25th homeruninthefirst inning, to spark a three-run uprising off BYU starter Jeff Stone. Stone found moretrouble in the third byallowing athree-run homerto Curtis Hall, highlighting a fiver like this in the first round? For pity sakes, don't the Jazz realize that 10 of run rally. Trent Nelson/The the last 12 NBA champions have swept their first- round series? UP, UP AND AWAY See BYU, Page C. 46 BYU pole vaulter Neil Jensen gives a yell after failing to clear 16-feet-9 at Saturday's Robison Utah WomenSuffer a Softball Sweep vs. Fresno Invitational in Provo. The Cougars swept both the men’s and women’steam titles. Details, see C-2. Like Last Year: Utah hadit right in the palm of its hand. The franchise's §@ Ogden's Double Helps Buzz Topthe Firebirds C-7 CAQ first sweep. They even had the incen- tive ammunition from one L.A. partyline journalist who called the Jazz a bunchof ‘whiny intramuralbrats” after Thursday’s rout. You gotta wonder whathe would havewrittenif the Jazz had wonby 35 over his teamthat took a dive after qualifying for the playoffs. Now, theyare right wherethey were a year ago. Hear Sloan again: “We had Portland down, 2-0, and then welet them get back in it and their fans got into it. It would be nice to win one of these things quick. But we seem to be playing not to lose. The ideais to give the energy andplay to win. The Clip- Games Drug Testing Has Nagano Scrambling BY YURI KAGEYAMA THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NAGANO, Japan — During a trial run for the 1998 Winter Olympics, a skier sped off on the slopes after a freestyle race and briefly disappeared before his required drug test. the message, good luck with your play- The skier wasn't trying to avoid it. The escort who was supposedto accompany him just couldn't ski fast enough. In another foul-up,theofficial forms that accompanied urine samples for required ers. drug tests were mishandled. pers are.” ‘Ten-Four, Jerry, Now that we'vegot NBAPlayoffs Utah 105, L.A, Clippers 99 Houston 96, Minnesota 84 New York 100, Charlotte 93 NHL Playoffs ; 6,P ; PI Paladetphis Fisseae & New Jersey 4, Montreal 3 Colorado 6, Chicago 3 American League orceiie 4) Beattie Baltimore 14, Boston 5 Chicago 10, New York 2 Oakland 7, Kansas City 6 (11) Milwaukee 9, Cleveland 6 Texas 6, Minnesota 1 Detroit 2, Anaheim0 National League Cincinnati 10, Philadelphia 2 - ; . 3s ontreal 6, New York i Colorado4, St. Louis 2 Chicago7, Pittaburgh 6 : ‘The forms had too manycarbon sheets, so the urine samples could easily have arrived in the lab with the athletes’ names on them — not anonymously, as required. (Olympic officials use numbers to identify the ath- letes). Glitches such as these haveleft some Jap- anese officials worried about the muchlarger drug screening program at the Nagano Games, which begin Feb. 7. “Thereis no proper anti-doping system in tee’s doping control commission. “Nagano officials are just coming to terms with the seriousness of the problem.” He andotherofficials say the problem is partly cultural: Drug abuseis not a major concern in the country. As a result, the Japanese sports world has had little experience with drug tests and there arenot yet enough people trained to policeall the Olympians. Random,no-notice tests are unheardofin Japan, and drug tests in general have been place in Japan,” said Takashi Kawahara, See NAGANO, Page C-11 chairman of the Japan Olympic Commit- Florida 8, Los Angeles 3 Basketball, Magic at Heat rates at Cubs Atlanta 3, San Diego2 (10) San Francisco 2, Houston 0 (2) 11 a.m. — Tennis, U.S, Clay (2) 1 p.m. — Golf, Greater PCL Winston 500 Salt Lake 3, Phoenix 0 In Action Today PCL Baseball: Buzz vs, Phoenix, at Franklin Quest Field, 2 p.m TV Highlights Fa) aene bak atRh Piet Court Championships CESPR) 11 a.m. — Auto Racing CIND) 8:30 p.m. — NBAPlayoff Basketball, uns at SuperSonics CESPRD 10:30 p.m. — Tennis, CFX) 11 am. — World League Greensboro Classic (5) p.m. — NBAPlayoff Bas Ketball Trail Blazers at Lakers .m. — NBA Playoff CTBS) 11 a.m, — Baseball, Padres CESPH) 3:30 novations for baseball (1870-1890): (4) Noon — Auto Racing, Bosch ( EXEH) ¢ p= — Baseball, Dodg GD) Noon — NHL Playoff Hock- CTNT) 6 p.m. — NBAPlayoff Bas. Football, Rhein at Amsterdam t Atlanta |°°" Grand Prix ey, Stars at Oilers WGN 12:30 p.m, — Baseball, Pi . Bullets at Bulls p.m, — Senior Golf pare Las Vegas Classic —— ers at ; Marlins ketball, Pistons at Hawks Monte Carlo Open (taped) Time Out Left His Mark: Cap Anson's in @ Spring training @ Basestealing @ Reg pitching rotations ab aches © Hit-and-runplay |