Show Jazz Are Making a Comeback The Utah Jazz are making their way back to the top Dowdle By Nate Opinion Editor What a difference a month makes When we last left the hallowed halls haHs of this college on December 21 2001 the Jazz were almost home from an eastern eastern eastern east east- ern trip road-trip with an abysmal abysm a 15 12 record With little sign of promise and one more game left in New Jersey against the Atlantic lead Division ing Nets Utah looked to be beon beon beon on the brink of total col col- col- col lapse Then came along the most unlikeliest of heroes Kenyon Martin self up and finished the game with 31 points The incident awoke a sleeping giant as the Jazz have won 11 of their last 16 and are sitting atop the mark at 21 17 They are looking like the Jazz we all aH know and love with Malones Malone's scoring and John Stockton's passing but the bench players have really given the team a boost when they needed it most It is the same old story for the Jazz we need everybody to play well weH Utah head coach Jerry Sloan said We have got to do everything But Utah showed something it hadn't shown all season resilience 1 With 1 37 left in the fourth quarter of ofa a 90 victory over the Nets at Continental Airlines Arena Karl Malone Maone made a drive to the basket but was nailed with witha a right a like forearm from Martin The move put Malone on the floor for a few minutes before he picked him- him we ca can Every game is IS important it doesn't matter who you play or what the situation is One of the most impressive victories during during during dur dur- ing the school break was a 99 87 win at atthe atthe atthe the Rose garden garden garden gar gar- den in Portland The Jazz had trou trou- ble be with the TrailBlazers in the past but they laid those to rest as they dominated dominated dominated domi domi- Portland for much of the game The game did not start as the Jazz would have hoped as the Blazers opened with blistering blistering blistering blis blis- defense holding Utah to 11 quarter first-quarter points In fact I I T i I II f I f fx x Ti J Ji tl Wo f M 0 Photo courtesy of the Jazz the Jazz trailed at one point 25 6 It wasn't a very bright outlook the way we started off the Utah coach Jerry Sloan said It looked like we were going to get blown away But Utah showed something it hadn't shown all aH season resilience The Jazz turned the tables on Portland holding the Blazers to eight points in the second period on 19 percent shooting from the field The most impressive point to make is that Utah accomplished this without the Stockton to Malone combo According to Stockton We were getting our tails given to us in the first quarter but the reserves played well and got us back in it They did all the work in the first half In the second half I think everybody's intensity ty and energy picked up The reserves have played an integral part in the Jazz's success with at least one bench player reaching double- double figures in points in each of their last 14 games Next up for the Jazz is isa isa isa a tough week including games at home against San Antonio and Sacramento and a road game against the Kings as well All Ail three games can be seen on TV with the first two on and the home game against Sacramento on NBC national ly |