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Show The Salt Lake Tribune D SPORTS Cougsnot giving up hopesfor BCS bid —See story, D-2 M FIGURE SKATING D-2 MWC SOCCER D-2 i GRIZZ PREVIEW D-5 M OBITUARIES D-S WEDNESDAY @ CLASSIFIEDS D-8 NOVEMBER3, 1999 No Excuses: Jazz Fall to L.A. GORDON MONSON Utah makesalaterun. but the Lakers hold on Hope Springs Eternalfor Jazz, ul3 for season-opening Wit) BY STEVE LUM Kedlity we This time, the Jazz couldn't blame lockouts. When we las! left the Jazz ordid they leave us? back in the grim playoff procession of '99, they looked like dead men walking. They looked like Paul McCartney on the coverof “Abbey Road.” Attending game in, shortened or sappir the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t 1 iind one neluding Glen Rice scored 28 point while three-pointers Shaquille O'Neal uted 28 points and 13 re s postseasonde- feat to Portland, the spi of gloom and doom was so pervasive, so com: Gameata Glance bounds as the Laker handed the Jazz a 91-84 feat Tuesday night at the plete, even the Jazz themselves sang a requiem on their own unblessed behalf. The players hurled bleak accusations of selfishness, the coach Delta Center Jeff Hornacek scored 23 points to lead the Jazz, anc dropped sad cliches, including the one about “TEAM” having no “I”in John Stockton finist th 15 points and eight assists. But Karl Maione was a non factor and Bryon Russell, it, and the owner seemed defeated and disheartened. Anyone who walked through the Jazz's locker room deep in the bowelsof the Rose Utah's top scorer in the pre 36 season, managed only five Gaine6 of the Western points in 34 minutes off the Conferencesemifinals felt the sullen chill of elimination, And, perhaps, the unholy end of an era. Scott Layden subsequentlybolted bench, ‘ Bottom line? It was a horrible opener for the Jazz, wh looked a lot like the team that squeake Sacramento in the first round of the playotts | for NewYork. Shandon Anderson, went to Houston. The Delta Center was nearly blown downby atornado. spring before being eliminated in six gan Andnoblockbustertrade was made, the Trail Blazers, Meanwhile, the mostly because it ¢ no marqueefree agent signed. 5 a afull offseason of ‘ommencementof a aker's enjoyed their victory mefive nights after the Jaz had mauted themin thefi al preseason game new, potentially redemptive 82-game slate. wit ramento and Portland in last season's pl the Delta Center was like sp Gardenafter a This time, the Jazz played poorly and out much emotion or excuse 1, like $70 a pop for tickets to a funeral for a friend. Amid the They couldn't blame son for eliminating practice time them of energy . hold the bagpipe music,or addition, they defeated Jtah without Kobe “We hit some big shots,” said Lakers t, sidelined with a broken hand . wait, blow harder. Looking,at times, asdisjointed Phil Jackson, who and dormant as they did in May, the day night at homeagainst the Los Angeles Lakers, losing 91-84. “Theyweretrying to dropoff our shooters and cover Shaq, and the corners were wide What a mess. open.. Hope andthecareers of Karl Malone($67 million for four years), JohnStockton ($22 million for two years) and Jeff Hornacek ($5 million for one year) springseternal. Reality, on the otherhand, stings like a onlything wedid w In all, the aeraclsea on 8-0f-1¢ three point shots, including a pair in the final 2 d, and Derek Fisher buried another conds left to makeit 87-82. “Their three-point shooting killed us,” Jazz Coach Jerry Sloan said. “Wejust didn’t have a good outing execute.Let's just say it was a late game[9 p.m. start] — you've got to havean excuse, right? — and say we didn’t feel like playing. We caused ourselves too many problems. We haveto have everyoneplay well.” Instead, only Hornacek and Stockton played well. Every other Jazz playerdissipatedinto theair, along with the opening-night indoor exploSives, the exhaust of Harleys, the applauseof the crowdand wavesofopti- Sve JAZZ,Page D-4 @ NBA ChampSpurs Roll Tim Duncanappeared to pick up where heleft off in the NBA Finals last season as San Antonio defeated the Philadelphia ‘T6ers 89-76 Tuesday night to open defense oftheir NBA championship. Duncan had mism. Trent Nelson/TheSalt Lake Tribune Utah center Greg Ostertag swats down a Glen Rice shot during Tuesdaynight's late-starting gamein the Delta Center, as Jazz forward Adam Keefe (left) approaches the hoop. The Lakers claimed a 91-84 victory in the season opener. In the secondquarter, the Jazz 20 points and 16 rebounds in 28 minutes. For details onall of Tuesday's NBA action, see Pages D-4 and D-5. $moothedtheir rough ride, momentarily coming alive, prompting exanenoptimism tofire up them- I think the windowis sing,” Jazz owner Larry Miller said. “ riitimately, it hasto, But I was more despondent over that last year. I'moptimistic now.I'm pleased by my own reaction to Karl, John and Jeff.I feel really renewed. If we stay healthy, I have high, high hopes.” Sloan agreed, saying age among Iness. just need to come backandplay.It’s not something we can't improveon. It's just a part of basketball. I think these guys are together. I feel better about the chemistry ofthis year's team, These guys will compete.” Evenif they lose. Hornacek said theaddition of OldenPolynice, Pete Chilcutt and others, addedto theveterans,will eventually makefora strong mi like our chancesfor a championship. . . There's no reasonto think we can't get back to the Finals again.” Asofthe start of the new season, then, with apologies to the Monty Python crew theJazz, they ain't deadyet. Ain't they? J NBA Basketball Highland's Golf (1 * State record 102 consecutive due! meet wins BYJAY DREW star players, like rings arounda red- “Weneed good, tough play from our people off the bench,” hesaid. “The [older] guys are all right. We TEAS Cornum Set Standard for Highland Golf #315 wins, 67 losses, | tie * Ten state champinships, 7 runner-upfinishes THESALTLAKETRIBUNE wood andmiles on an old tractor, can add to their presence, value anduse- * Seventeen region championships, 8 second places Ron Branca remembers a “glorious and carefree” time nearly 40 years ago when 20 or so youngsters would gather * Won 6 BYUInvitationals in 13 years at The Country Club in Salt Lake City almost every summer day toplay golf. The daily contests led to numerous Highgolf team. pionships apiece, and 12-time winner Richfield were also considered “We had such good teams, and we from 1962-74, winningninestate cham. Because of the dominance won everythinginsight for such a long period of time, it would be hard to imagine a better program,” said Bran. ca, now the head professional at The lozens ofoutstanding golfersit produced, including at least 15 who are now golf professionals, Highland’s program is TheSalt Lake Tribune's best of Si ORE.iLIN glorious fall afternoon last Saturday the national top 15. But one more grueling task remained before the day was his. As hehasdone for morethan20years, Bonneville and Forest Dale courses, formed the nucleus of the Highland Al Cornum, dominated high school golf wardscelebrated career win No.250 on a school will 20th century. Highland edged Provo's Timpview High, which won10stateti tles from1979-90. East and Skyline, with seven cham: The Rams, under Hall of Fame coach wards as he walked out of the Brigham Young lockerroom at Cougar Stadium. With family andfriends waiting, Ed receive a plaquefrom The Tribuneac: knowledging the honor as the newspa per continues its series about Utah's top high school sports programs ofthe The Sugar House-a And the competition laid the groundwork for Utah's greatest high school golf program. The Country Clubboys, along with teen-agers who grew up playing at the BY PATRICK KINAHAN THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, Thecrowd cheered Coach LaVell Ed. Aloneinfirst placein the Mountain West Conference, the Cougars hadpolished off Air Force and were about to break into the century. lifelongfriendshi) Questionable Calls? BYU Fans Pester Edwards on Postgame Radio Show Sce HIGHLAND,Page D-3 Edwardswenttothe press box and han died his postgame radio call-in show. the game. Likea saint, he explained BYU wasleading 27-10 and wanted to waste timeontheclock. The second caller asked the same question. Ditto the third. ‘Thelegendary coachalso w: forced to endurea lecture abouts 5 “Tt was unbelievable,” Edwards said Tuesday, “I thought it was a broken couldn't get anybody to call in, so they were replaying the same question.” dustifiably frustrated, Edwards said Saturday that he had had enough of the call-in show. He softened his starice Tuesday, saying he’s not sure if he will continuethe practice next year Ofall of his accomplishments, may be the most remarkable is that Edwards takes phonecalls fromfans less than an hour after every game. Few other major college coaches deal with this after a game: “Coach, why don't you play another quarterback?” “Coach, throw tothetight ends more.” “Coach, have yourdefensive backs line upclosertothereceivers.” In other words, “Coach, I know more thanyou,” “I can't believe hehas taken that crap for as long as he " said BYU football announcerPaul James, who conducts the See EDWARDS,Page D-5 Rangers Send Gonzalez to Tigers; Griffey Wants Out of Seattle viewed as the frontrunners for Two of basebail’s biggest sushock waves perstars sent throughthe sports world Tue: Griffey. The Braves train in Kissimmee, Fla, within easy driving distance of his home in Boston103, Toronto 90 San Antonio89, Philadelphia 76 Denver 107, Phoenix 102 (OT) Seattle 104, L.A, Clippers 92 Portland 106, Vancouver 85 Milwaukee 98, Houston93 Dallas 108, Golden State 96 NHL Hockey Juan Gonzalez, the AL Most Valuable Player in 1996 and ‘98, Los Angeles 5, Pittsburgh4 was dealt to Detroit by Texas in a Charlotte 100, Orlando86 NewYork 92, Cleveland 84 D-2 record therefor a while. [I thought] t hey A quicklook atkeyfinal results in the world of sports Washington 94, Atlanta 87 Indiana119, New Jersey 112 ®@ BYUFootball Notebook e play-calling late in L.A. Lakers 91, Utah 64 Miami 128, Detroit 122 (2 OT) Vai ee Ricenailed oneto give the Lakers an tonight,” Jerry Sloansaid. “Wedidn’t All the pregame good cheer wasas We were fortunate to shoot weil from thethree-pointline ‘one ‘That was about the mother. $tifling as the carbon monoxide. ‘Then,the gamestarted. Coach returned to the NBAafter quitting in Chicago and taking a one-year sabbatical Jazz openedthe'99-'00 season Tues- nine-player deal. Meanwhile, KenGriffey Jr., the ‘97 American League MVP,asked the Seattle Mariners to trade him closer to his Florida home. Atlanta and Cincinnati were Orlando, The Reds also train in Florida and Griffey grew up in Cincinnati. Details, D-2 : |